The 'friendly grandma syndrome'

[Tailgate]

Sure am tired of your daughter Rachel with Card Services though.

 

[braumeister]

You folks are hard core. If someone believes their brand of religion enough to go out and proselytize I figure it takes very little effort to wish them well in their endeavors and goodbye. Door-to-door pitchmen have a tough way to make a living, so I normally tell them I don't want to waste their time, shake their hand and let them get on to the next door. Can't think of a time I ever had to raise my voice or tell someone to GTFO who was trying to pitch me something.

This is me, too.
I get several visits a year from that type, and I always tell them right away that they would be wasting their time since I'm a devout agnostic. The usually gets a raised eyebrow and puzzled look, but they have almost always taken the hint and left.

Once I had two young men try to be persistent, so I offered them a deal: "I'll spend half an hour listening to you and answering your questions if you first spend half an hour listening to me and answering my questions." That worked, and they decided pickings would be slim at my house.

 

[freebird5825]

The funny (or not so funny) thing about door-to-door anything (sales, religion, can I fix your roof, etc) is that these people are trespassing on private property. Mine, yours.

What gives them the right to do that ? No law that I am aware of.
My home is not public domain.

The last time I checked my rights, only persons that I have invited can enter my private property. There was one heck of a tea party in a harbor and more revolution in the mid 1770s against that kind of nonsense.

Public domain is public domain. Public domain businesses display NO SOLICITING signs as a matter of course. Do we private homeowners have to do same ? HELL NO.

So why do these people invade private property ? Maybe there are too many nice grandmas (grandpas) out there.

 

[haha]

Are you sure that someone is not allowed to walk up to your front door and knock? Why else do builders build sidewalks up from the street?

 

[freebird5825]

Are you sure that someone is not allowed to walk up to your front door and knock? Why else do builders build sidewalks up from the street?

The postman, police, and town w*rkers ALL have to ask permission to enter private property, UNLESS they are summoned in an emergency or given express permission. Only the fire department is exempt if there are flames.

I had to ask this very question when my husband passed over a decade ago, because I was besieged with all sorts of uninvited people on my private property.

In an urban setting, yes, the sidewalk is public. I live in the country. Except for the first 20 feet next to the road, get off my lawn.

 

[Calico]

The funny (or not so funny) thing about door-to-door anything (sales, religion, can I fix your roof, etc) is that these people are trespassing on private property. Mine, yours.

What gives them the right to do that ? No law that I am aware of.
My home is not public domain.

The last time I checked my rights, only persons that I have invited can enter my private property. There was one heck of a tea party in a harbor and more revolution in the mid 1770s against that kind of nonsense.

Public domain is public domain. Public domain businesses display NO SOLICITING signs as a matter of course. Do we private homeowners have to do same ? HELL NO.

So why do these people invade private property ? Maybe there are too many nice grandmas (grandpas) out there.

This sums up perfectly how I feel about it. I live in a semi-rural area - no sidewalks around here. A few years ago I did post a notice on my front door, specifically addressed to the religious nutters, stating that if they spent more than 30 seconds on my front porch, or if they knocked on my door, I would call the police. Never had another problem with them.

Sometimes when I am at work they leave a flyer, but if my car is in the driveway, they keep on moving. Last time I checked, I pay the mortgage here, and I set the rules about who is welcome and who isn't.

Not to mention the fact that these days I would be out of my mind to open the door to someone (or a pair of someones) I don't know. Why on earth would I risk that?

 

[haha]

The postman, police, and town w*rkers ALL have to ask permission to enter private property, UNLESS they are summoned in an emergency or given express permission. Only the fire department is exempt if there are flames.

I had to ask this very question when my husband passed over a decade ago, because I was besieged with all sorts of uninvited people on my private property.

In an urban setting, yes, the sidewalk is public. I live in the country. Except for the first 20 feet next to the road, get off my lawn.

I can just imagine the swat team asking permission to come in and shoot you!

 

[haha]

What a bunch of Fred Friendlies!

 

[jollystomper]

My MIL has realized she has the "friendly grandma" syndrome, and at least she has enlisted DW and I as her sanity checks to run things by. She is in Florida where it seems many folks prey on older people, if they come to her door she'll them that DW has to approve any decisions and will even start calling. 99% of them leave before she completes the call, and the other 1% slink away after taking with DW (who is definitely a no-nonsense person) or me.

For me personally it is not going to be an issue. I've always been a little cynical and slow to trust folks. While the downside is I may have missed out on many dates from women waiting for me to ask them out , the positive side is the ease with which I (politely) can turn things away. I chuckle at the "fear/status symbol" tactics they try ("don't you want to be rich?" "don't you want your house to look as nice/nicer than others?") since I never cared about those things.

For phone calls I have software that answers numbers/IDs not recognized and plays a recording of my choice. Usually I just use the phone company's "this number has been disconnected or no longer in service" tone and message. But I'll admit I like to have fun and have a recording that answers "Hello (long pause) Hello? (long pause) I can't hear you, can you speak up? (long pause) HELLO?? (long pause)" and repeats. It is funny to hear how long some folks try to interact with it.

 

[freebird5825]

I can just imagine the swat team asking permission to come in and shoot you!

Good one.

I actually had an experience with something less sinister. I awoke to a very bright light shining in my bedroom about 2 weeks after my husband passed. My sleep had been very disrupted, and I hadn't answered the phone in a few days so I could rest. A high school friend who lived long distance (NJ) got so worried about me that she called the police.
The bright light belonged to 2 sherriff deputies who had been dispatched to check on my safety. I assured them I was fine. They were very nice and said they would come back every few days if I wanted. I declined but it was good to know I had their contact info directly if there were any problems.

 

[GrayHare]

So why do these people invade private property ? Maybe there are too many nice grandmas (grandpas) out there.

Unless you have posted No Trespassing signs, how are visitors to know where your private property begins?

 

[freebird5825]

Unless you have posted No Trespassing signs, how are visitors to know where your private property begins?

Good question.

These references should explain it.
Private property - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
and
Trespass to land - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anybody with any common knowledge of life knows that a private home (as opposed to a retail store or the city/town hall with public parking and open doors during business hours) is just that...it belongs to a homeowner who pays for it. And some homeowners like it that way, i.e. no strangers allowed.

If we lived in a better world, I would not be so protective of my little domain. Too many nuts out there who like to invade personal property and space because they want to, for whatever reason.

BTDT got the Tshirt. So I am within my rights as a private homeowner to treat uninvited visitors as trespassers.

 

[Walt34]

Are you sure that someone is not allowed to walk up to your front door and knock? Why else do builders build sidewalks up from the street?

It depends on state law. I think in most states unless the property is posted or the owner or a person in a supervisory position (at a business) tells the visitor to leave there is no trespass. That is, merely walking to the door and knocking is not a crime.

 

[ERD50]

Are you sure that someone is not allowed to walk up to your front door and knock? Why else do builders build sidewalks up from the street?

For invited guests (who might be parking on the street, or walking)?

-ERD50

 

[HFWR]

I empa/sympathize with cold-call sales folks, but I'm not interested. Do have a "No solicitors" sign, and no, won't answer the door for anyone I didn't invite over.


Sent from my iCouch using Early Retirement Forum

 

[MRG]

It depends on state law. I think in most states unless the property is posted or the owner or a person in a supervisory position (at a business) tells the visitor to leave there is no trespass. That is, merely walking to the door and knocking is not a crime.

+ 1
Both states I've lived in required signs or paints. We had undercover agents, sheriff and state police knock on the front door. They wanted to know about the house 1/4 mile west of ours. DW explained we couldn't see it, observed nothing. They asked if they could observe the house from our twenty acres. She said sure please stay on this side of our private road. They had no problem with that. Our house was private, we had no drapes.

About a month later there were 20 marked und unmarked LE cars out in their driveway. Probably some unmarked Federal guys as well.

These folks were smuggling modern "speedballs" (meth and PCP (horse tranquilizer)) from Mexico and distributing from an old dumpy house. Even with all the late night visitors they observed couldn't get a warrent. They had to get the warrant on child protection charges, but then saw some drugs.

I answer the door with caution. The religious folks I just smile and wish them a nice day.

 

[Choices]

I make a point to not answer the door if I do not know the person. I have two large dogs who like to survey the cul-de-sac from inside the storm door. All hell breaks loose when some idiot starts up the walk. This week was " write a book" week and some fool wanted to give me a cheap pen? Why would anyone keep coming up to the door?
My female dog never stops barking at the " intruder". She even bites the retrieved UPS and Fed Ex pkgs. I will have to train these guys to protect me from cyber crime and mail fraud.