Submitted by Anonymous
Something happened last night, and the thought stream was raging afterwards.
If given the surprise opportunity again, what would be the best response?
The setup:
You’re an avid platform fan, in the privacy of your home, doing routine tasks, after a long day of work.
It’s close to the mid-terms, and the Kavanaugh fiasco is still fresh in the memory.
Comes a knock on the door. Through the screen door glass, visual contact with a soy boy around 22, then a brief dialogue.
The caller confirms the ID of the homeowner on tax rolls by asking if they are X? (important cautionary)
“Yeah. What do you want?” A better response would have been: “Who wants to know?”
Response: “I’m X X from the Democratic party of (your State), and ”
Homeowner’s unrehearsed reaction: A scowl on the face, a sideways wave off by hand, and shake of the head No.
The caller turns and walks away.
Many immediate afterthoughts:
– Threats to this thing, although desired, are unwise, since the homeowner’s ID was known.
– Likewise, physical harm to the despicable representative of a PAC would also be unwise.
– Verbal abuse in their direction, for all they stand for, and this irritating interruption would be satisfying, but still possibly tag the homeowner as a red flag target for potentially future repercussions or attention homeowner would rather avoid.
– A curve ball comment to them? Along the lines of ‘Political activists are stupid. I despise Republicans, and Democrats are the most evil scum polluting the earth.
My political stance and views are none of your business. Now GTF off my property.” Would have been a good reaction, in hindsight.
– Would be interesting to hear how others would have reacted, if put in this scenario.
Poll question to the platform readers:
– What would you say, and do, now, with the benefit of pre-planning, after having the leisure time to think about a reaction prior to the confrontation?
– legal responses that wouldn’t jeopardize privacy and freedom.
It may be best, in the long term interest of the country, to simply have a debate with this person. Niether Republicans or Democrats get everything right.
For funnzies, here is a political test. Take it.
https://www.politicalcompass.org/test
i took the test put me in the libertarian right quadrant…the stupid little certificate you get at the end with caricatures puts Hillary Clinton to the right of Trump and below him in authoritarian tendencies…I think she lied on her questionnaire.
My dot was right in the middle :/ I think I am right of Attila the Hun though…
Answer: I don’t answer the door to anyone I don’t know.
My views on this topic are none of your business.
I just had this experience. Told him that soliciting is not allowed in our HOA..Next time I’ll point out that 501c-3s aren’t allowed to engage in political activity, and threaten to call the Sheriff (which is a bluff, of course).
There is NO easy answer to this question. I am tired of being expected to be “Politically Correct”. I am not and I detest that there are a huge group of people out there that seem to always come back to “They follow the Rule of Law” and other lies. We are in conflict with a vicious group of people that would sacrifice anyone of us in a “heart beat”. I am not afraid of them or who they are. I detest what they represent. The sad thing is that the way this sort of conversation usually proceeds is that I should be afraid and not antagonize the “Bully”. The only way a “Bully” (from my time on the playground) understands where the “Bear deficates in the buckwheat” is by addressing his/her violence with a like and superior enthusiasm. Please don’t push me.
He wasn’t in the home owners face, as a bully or antagonist.
Probably just a canvasser, trying to gauge interest in the D platform.
Maybe to try and influence the undecided potential voters over to their side.
Didn’t give him the chance.
He was immediately dismissed, and off he went, to knock on some other door.
What would you have said or done in that situation at your front door, is the question.
I’d bury him in the basement with the rest of them.
Why bury them?
Because they begin to smell after a few days if you don’t.
Didn’t see your comment, Mike.
They start stinking after a few days.
Why would you bury a food source?!For once,this annoying person would actually contribute in a positive way by cutting down on food costs,just cook well.Long pig,the other white meat.
“Buzzards need to eat. Same as worms.”
I have five, 6 foot deep holes already dug only property. Just in case.
In this instance however, I would have brought him out to the sidewalk, said, ” I am with Antifa” and beat the shit out of him.
Just for shits and giggles.
No seriously, when somebody like this shows up your doorstep, you say “no thanks” and just shut the door.
There is already one investigation pertaining to foreign interference and meddling by those pesky Russians.
Speaking of pesky Russians, they are the reason why the last Star Wars had a rather lukewarm receptions..lol! The poor Russians are the new/old bogey man for everything that is not in line with the progressive idea of where this country should be going.
https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/2/17927696/star-wars-the-last-jedi-russian-trolls-bots-study
my botz zeroed in on your bots… lol
I had my first big day out yesterday. Brunch, a haircut and shopping. I will check email later.
You can follow Momma Stucky’s advice …. never talk to strangers.
Or, you can follow Stucky’s advice …….. “Go suck Diseased Donkey Dick. Now, get off my lawn!”
I think we are a little bit jumpy, aren’t we? HSF’s comment about the two old women in his book club left me feeling a bit nauseous.
Why do they need to know who you are if they are just canvassing? What difference does it make whether they have your name or not? I would be curious as to what 22 yr old soy boy’s questions were.
I doubt anyone will come canvassing around here. I do live in a rural area, with neighbors not very close together. Someone would have to drive down my driveway sending my dog into all kinds of fits.
It’s easy to think in hindsight. With that in mind, I think I would have asked the above, why do you need my name and what are your questions, then decide if I wanted to answer anything.
It is polite when you call at someone’s door to identify yourself and state the purpose of your business before beginning an interrogation. Would you like to begin again? And close the door.
I had a similar encounter, although with a candidate running for councilor in a municipal election. I was working in my garage with the garage door up, facing my workbench, attending to a small project. It went down like this:
(A female voice materializes from somewhere behind me)
Her: “Excuse me, do you have a moment?”
Me: “No, I’m busy, and do not permit solicitation on my property”
Her: “Oh, I’m not a solicitor, actually I’m running for City council…if your busy I can leave this information in your mailbox”
Me: “Not permissible. Please leave…….(slight pause) and by the way, your response was disingenuous and as such you’d never get my vote. You ARE a solicitor. Soliciting for votes IS still soliciting”
Her: (silence,and the sound of footsteps)
During the entire short dialogue I never even turned around to face her or even watch her leave – on purpose. I don’t know which candidate she was and I don’t care. I like to think a message was sent though.
Oh! You must have me confused with someone else. The guy who lives here works nights. I’m just here raiding the fridge.
I was accosted by a young man outside the library asking me to sign a petition to be put on the ballot to have city council be full time jobs as they only get $10,000 per annum. I responded that they get resort retreats on the taxpayer’s expense and most are very well off including the retired mayor/police sgt. who is on city council now. On a roll I said that my house has appreciated 300% in the decades I have owned it while my property taxes have increased 500%, they do very well at spending all the tax monies on a part time basis.
One young man came to my door and wanted to know if I was voting and if I would support a ballot item to make city council have solar energy put on business and homes instead of fields as they plan. I asked him how private businesses and homes could be forced to do something. His response was to have it incentivized. I pointed out that the city already gives $1500 rebate for homeowners to install solar. He started in on climate change and I cut him short asking him if the state requires limits on Co2 emissions when vehicles are tested (they don’t). I asked him if Co2 is harmful why the state and Federal EPA do not require it to be monitored with utility plant emissions. He couldn’t answer.
Do you have a shovel and quicklime?
Open the door. Listen politely. “Ah, I’m in the middle of something and I’ll be right back.” Close the door.
I had a mormom couple knock. I said to wait. I’ be right back. I came back shirtless after fixing myself a plate of spaghetti. I listened and ate while scraping the gold leaf of their bible to read ” book of vorvon” instead of book of mormon. Kept them almost an hour. My friends watchin thruogh the window laughing the whole time. Now they just stick a leaflet on my mailbox and move on.
I had Jehovah’s Witnesses, or some religion affiliated people knock recently. Daytime.
Well dressed, older couples. 1 black and 1 white.
I was in the middle of a messy remodel project, preoccupied and talking with a helper.
Just firmly said I had too much going on at the moment to listen to them.
They turned and left without thinking twice.
Normally look first, a peep hole is used before answering.
If it’s an unknown, I typically just ignore the knocking or doorbell, and they soon leave.
No one comes up our driveway because there is a gate. Most days it is not locked but a closed gate around here really means something. Only a delivery driver (and the mail lady for over five years!) we know will open the gate and come up the drive. People seem to respect boundaries here. Until they don’t.
My home health people know to open and come in, but they don’t close it back when they drive out. It seems petty but I learned as a kid to always leave the door/gate as it was when you arrived. Otherwise, the cattle will wander out.
Even the local church ladies only slow their vans down when I’m walking on the street. I’ve been invited to a number of local church services, but have accepted none. I’m the lady behind the red gate in the log home on the hill out on YY up toward the Castor River.
I told a similar caller on saturday that ” i dont care. No, i swear i dont fucking care. Go away and leave me be.”
Next time i vote i’m going to tell them to list me as a member of the giant meteor party
A few days ago a democrat woman running for state house of reps caught me out watering the front lawn. She came up and asked for my wife by name. She clearly didn’t want to have a conversation with the man of the house. The whole thing struck me as fucking odd. The democrats are really aggressively targeting white women, as we’ve never ever had a politician come to our house in decades of living here.
my advice – don’t be a pussy, you’ll learn that only encourages more aggressive behavior. tell them to get the fuck out and never come back or you’ll make them pay. they will do just that in my experience.
I have cameras and audio. If I don’t know the person, I don’t even respond.
Exactly, works great with no camera also.
Sheesh, animous much? I would give em a second of attention and look for a chance to challenge any spurious intentions. And use the po po card should they be obnoxious. I get occasional religious missionary types. The last time I asked if they knew what the 12th imam was. And of course they had no clue. They left with a promise to investigate it.
Mind you in over 35 years I have never had a trick or treater at my reclusive house.
If I wanted to use some snark I would reply I am a convicted felon so I do not vote, and do my best bad ass imitation. But mostly in a smallish community where I know many people and even more know me I would be civil at a minimum. I need all the good will I can get.
I had two married attorneys walk on to my property unannounced this morning from the road. When I saw them I gave them a friendly wave and asked if I could help them. They were interested in purchasing the empty lot next door. So I put on my best manners and gave ’em an oral history of the neighborhood. I am always looking for allies and to cultivate friendships.
I gleaned the price of the lot has increased 64% since it sold less than a year ago. Up 165K.
I have a sign “NO Soliciting” with Politics, Magazines, Candy, and Religion indicated with red crossed circles below and “No Exceptions” below that. It works very well about 90% of the time. I just let my dogs bark at the door at the exceptions and never open the door or talk to them. If they ring the bell again I knock on the side window, get their attention and point to the sign.
I would tell such a person that I am not interested in what a representative of either party has to say because both parties are totally bought off by corporate interests and corrupt to the core. I would encourage him/her to do some research to discover this truth, and then tell them I have work to do, goodbye.
I am one of the folks that have visited Republican’s homes that are on my Precinct’s List in a very rural area and have never had a problem with Republicans. Usually the folk’s have a couple huge political bones to chew and I take some notes and promise to pass their complaints to their Republican Representative, which I do. Unfortunately, Republicans are only about 30% of the electorate here. I made the mistake of attempting neighborly friendly talk as I was passing some Blacks grilling burgers outside and I got another scare of my life and another reminder of why we should all just totally avoid them by a country mile.
That is quite a conundrum with Blacks. Is anyone aware of any other group which has given majority support to their historic enslavers over their emancipators?
I had a foreign woman call last week conducting a poll. The best part was immigration. I told her I “strongly oppose” all, including legal.
Good responses. The point was to read the various ideas, suggestions, tactics and experiences of the platforms faithful.
The authors was a knee jerk reaction, after being caught off guard by a mild irritation, a type of person best rejected and ignored, because of what they advocate. The D party.
That, and a failure to take preventative steps to eliminate or minimize having to deal with it.
Plus, the after effect of coming up with better strategy and thoughts, after the fact. Hindsight 20/20.
For some folks with a rough edge and experience, they are quick witted, recognize surprise unwanted encounters quickly for what they are, and just as quickly repel or defend their privacy and turf, with no 2nd guessing.
With other folks, they miss the chance to deliver a firm message; in this scene to just bug off. And if the offender is persistent, to take it up a notch, and add humiliation to the mix, if necessary.
I’d be polite enough without a scowl and ask him to leave. But it is a two way street. The young man instead of just walking away should have given a polite comment like ‘Thank you for your time’ or ‘Make sure you vote this fall’. He was definitely not a people person for just walking away.
My slavering dogs would have meant he never knocked in the first place. Plus I keep the carcass of the last asshole hung over the front fence as a warning to the rest.
Slavering dogs are good! My dog is 10 1/2. We really need to get a couple of puppies but he’s just not up to that so we will wait until he is gone. (sigh) He still puts on a good show though. At 110 lbs he is pretty scary.
Mary Christine, my large dog is 16 now. But he can scare anybody at the door. or walking past our house. And I’ve never had a problem with anybody during our evening walks. I hope to keep him as long as possible, and he has been a great dog. But when he’s gone, I plan to get two more large pups. Great protection for woman living alone.
Say “No thanks.”
There’s no negotiation with robots. Until the balloon goes up, maintain the lowest profile possible. Should things get sporty, remember his face. X marks the spot.
I don’t have that problem. My 3 large dogs generally dissuade anyone from approaching the door that doesn’t have business there.
Yup, I just let my German Shepherds answer the door.
Dogs are the best!
Nice option, and like Llpoh’s, very effective. Not an option for me, though.
Not home enough to be able to feed, care, and bond with such a loyal family companion, dependable security system and solicitor repellant.
1 or 2 bouviers would be my choice. Loud and protective when needed, but docile to owners and kids.
Brutus and Satan have a way of discouraging random visitors. Not sure if it is their malevolent stare or the fact they weigh 150 pounds. Sometimes even when I invite someone on to the property the answer is “oh hell no!”
Ditto for Goober and Spooky
To reach my front door is a long walk…the gate is always closed. You would have to walk past two large NO TRESPASSING signs, one in English and Spanish.
Finally as you walk up the drive way that leads to a walkway to my front door there is one last custom made sign you can’t miss:
NO TRESPASSING
Is There Life After death?
If You are Not Know or Invited
You May Find Out
My previous next door neighbors voted team blue so I still get a few pollsters and demon-crat cheerleaders showing up, but none of them are very attractive.
Two old hags wearing “feel the Bern” T-shirts walked by me in Durango. I chanted MAGA! Maga! Maga! Fuck ‘em.
Damn we have a hostile crowd here tonight.Glad I’m not knocking on any doors. We only have young people come by here. If a pretty young girl I’ll have a talk . At my age I will take what I can get.
Shit, sweetheart! I knocked on yer cab door for 20 minutes at the Flying J the other night and you didn’t even answer. You turned gay or something?
If this person showed up at my door, I would ask him ‘are you here for the autopsy?’
Never, ever answer the front door. Only trouble knocks on the front door or someone wanting money.
i have told both incumbents & candidates that i do not like to get the hell out–
however,a smarter way to handle it imo is when a candidate or solicitor for a party you don’t support comes to your door,engage w/them for as long as possible–
the more time you spend w/them is less time that they can spend converting your neighbors,and we all know how gullible they are–
Get off my lawn.
Tell them, “I’m not interested in politics,” and shut the door.
I had a gorgeous young Russian girl visit me on a Sunday morning with Jehovah literature. They must have searched through property records and realized I was the only Russian living in lake county fl at the time. Resourceful fuckers. After 3 visits I was nearly ready to join but she ruined it by showing up with her husband. I guess she wasn’t thrilled to see me greeting her in my boxers full of enthusiasm. Then, they really fucked with me by sending a young, heavy set black girl who spoke fluent Russian. Those bastards definitely have some intense training. They make the Mormons look like amateurs.