# Do NOT "Just Drop In" on people without notice! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 11, 2024, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-just-drop-in-on-people-without-notice/1002740 "2024-06-11T15:27:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2024, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-just-drop-in-on-people-without-notice/1002740/161 "2024-06-14T18:41:04Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > I think we can all agree that door to door sales people should be shot. Nope. Look, I had to do that a bit , and I now treat them with respect. It is easy to say “No thanks” and o focurse, the Girl Scout cookies are welcome. If you hate them, just put up the little sign. **No Soliciting.** > [@kayaker](#): > > We called the cops on the Watchtower people (jehova witnesses?) 15 years ago. In many areas, that would be illegal. And it is a waste of the Police time. > [@chela](#): > > I give missionaries a pass, clean cut in starched shirts with ties riding bicycles in the noonday heat gotta give em some slack. Yeah, me too. I give them slack after I watched them stop and help an elderly neighbor up on a ladder cleaning out the leaves from his gutters. Mind you- I have no interest in what they are peddling. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2024, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-just-drop-in-on-people-without-notice/1002740/162 "2024-06-15T01:00:09Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > And it is a waste of the Police time. It is not! Our police department encourages this. The $$ they get on tickets for trespass and no soliciting license is a big deal. They thank and encourage us calling. It’s a rural department. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2024, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-just-drop-in-on-people-without-notice/1002740/163 "2024-06-15T01:05:08Z")
It’s fully considered trespass here. And _No Soliciting_ signs are a worthless and futile effort. That never stopped anyone. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2024, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-just-drop-in-on-people-without-notice/1002740/164 "2024-06-15T01:07:28Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > In many areas, that would be illegal. You’ve all but accused me of lying about this before. How about a cite that religious organizations can trespass legally? Put up or how about shutting up? Show me a cite, I’ll apologize and be surprised my local police behaved this way. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2024, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-just-drop-in-on-people-without-notice/1002740/165 "2024-06-15T01:09:47Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > And _No Soliciting_ signs are a worthless and futile effort. > That never stopped anyone. How would you know, though? If nine door-to-door salesman see the sign, and don’t bother you, and one sees it and ignores it, you’ll only interact with the one who ignored it. You’d never know about the nine who walked on by. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2024, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-just-drop-in-on-people-without-notice/1002740/166 "2024-06-15T01:16:49Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > The $$ they get on tickets for trespass Is it trespassing to walk up a sidewalk and knock on a private home front door? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2024, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-just-drop-in-on-people-without-notice/1002740/167 "2024-06-15T01:18:20Z")
No sidewalk. A private 1/4 mile road clearly signed PRIVATE ROAD NO TRESPASSING. Yeah, isn’t that clear? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2024, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-just-drop-in-on-people-without-notice/1002740/168 "2024-06-15T01:18:59Z")
Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2024, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-just-drop-in-on-people-without-notice/1002740/169 "2024-06-15T01:20:42Z")
I think people look at the way they live and assume everyone else lives like they do. Sad. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2024, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-just-drop-in-on-people-without-notice/1002740/170 "2024-06-15T01:21:15Z")
Sorry, missed that, and that makes sense. My parents have that same situation, however, they NEVER have anyone come down their driveway and they don’t have any signs. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2024, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-just-drop-in-on-people-without-notice/1002740/171 "2024-06-15T01:24:53Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > Is it trespassing to walk up a sidewalk and knock on a private home front door? I saw a dirt road with a sign that said AINT NOTHING IN THIS HOLLOW WORTH DYING OVER. Extreme? Maybe. But it gets the property owner‘s point across without ambiguity, verdad? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2024, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-just-drop-in-on-people-without-notice/1002740/172 "2024-06-15T01:25:14Z")
Believe me. I know. My Daddy had an office in town. For his _personal_ use. He was not open for any kind of business. He lived at the place. We would sit in his office and watch people reading the sign(s). And they would walk up to the door anyway. He would get soliciting every day. People would say, “oh, I read your sign, but can I interest you in… yada yada…” He called police. They would walk them off the place. Some people would knock on the door wanting to know just what kinda business he was in. WTF? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2024, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-just-drop-in-on-people-without-notice/1002740/173 "2024-06-15T01:26:01Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > Is it trespassing to walk up a sidewalk and knock on a private home front door Here in Florida it certainly is. _Provided_ you have posted the requisite official signs per the law. Which many businesses do, but homeowners rarely do. Under FL law you have to ask the person to leave. If they comply the cops’ interest ends when they step onto public land. If they don’t comply (or come back) the next step is arrest. I have ordered numerous drunks & homeless off the suburban condo grounds I used to be in charge of. Police response was always quick. About half the goofs complied; the other half were promptly arrested and hauled away. Will the cops come promptly if a single-family homeowner calls? Perhaps not. I can’t vouch for that. I can safely speculate it depends on whether the property is covered by an overstretched metropolitan police dept, an overstaffed underworked suburban department, or a small town outfit. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2024, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-just-drop-in-on-people-without-notice/1002740/174 "2024-06-15T01:42:04Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > My Daddy had an office in town. For his _personal_ use. > He was not open for any kind of business. He lived at the place. We would sit in his office and watch people reading the sign(s). And they would walk up to the door anyway. The exact same question applies to your dad: how would he know how many people were actually deterred by the sign? How does he count how many people _did not_ knock on his door because of the sign? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2024, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-just-drop-in-on-people-without-notice/1002740/175 "2024-06-15T01:49:26Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > how would he know how many people were actually deterred by the sign? How does he count how many people _did not_ knock on his door because of the sign? Sure, but the sign _should be_ 100% effective and anything less is aggravating. Are people really _that_ stupid? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2024, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-just-drop-in-on-people-without-notice/1002740/176 "2024-06-15T02:03:26Z")
He sat in that office many hours a day watching. Yeah, he was that guy. Sometimes he would open the door and holler at them to read the sign and did they need to know what it meant. He got lots of rude retorts . But he didn’t care. It was kind of his hobby. He holler back there’s a camera recording you. He would’ve gotten a big charge out of ring doorbell cameras. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2024, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-just-drop-in-on-people-without-notice/1002740/177 "2024-06-15T19:49:21Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > The $$ they get on tickets for trespass and no soliciting license is a big deal. It is unconstitutional to penalize Religious door knockers. [Door-to-Door Solicitation | The Free Speech Center](https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/door-to-door-solicitation/#:~:text=Court%20often%20upholds%20religious%20solicitation,In%20Lovell%20v). _Moreover, in many instances the Court has upheld the right of individuals to engage in door-to-door solicitations for noncommercial causes, especially those of a religious nature._ _In [Lovell v. City of Griffin (1938)](https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/lovell-v-city-of-griffin/) and [Schneider v. State (1939)](https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/schneider-v-state/), the Court struck down ordinances requiring [Jehovah’s Witnesses](https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/jehovah-s-witnesses/) and others to obtain the city manager’s permission prior to engaging in door-to-door solicitations._ _It reiterated these rulings in [Cantwell v. Connecticut (1940)](https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/cantwell-v-connecticut/) and [Largent v. Texas (1943)](https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/largent-v-texas/). In [Martin v. City of Struthers (1943)](https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/martin-v-city-of-struthers/), the Court overturned a blanket prohibition on the door-to-door distribution of literature._ If your local police are really doing this- which I doubt and would like to see a cite for- their actions violate the bill of Rights and your town would be sued by the group or the ACLU. > [@Beckdawrek](#): > > It’s fully considered trespass here. Not for missionaries. > [@kayaker](#): > > You’ve all but accused me of lying about this before. How about a cite that religious organizations can trespass legally? Trespass? You mean climb over your fence or something? No, of course they cant. But they can come from the street and walk up your pathway to your door, like delivery people, etc do. Police can also. > [@wguy123](#): > > s it trespassing to walk up a sidewalk and knock on a private home front door? Nope. > [@kayaker](#): > > A private 1/4 mile road clearly signed PRIVATE ROAD NO TRESPASSING. Maybe in that case. But how about deliveries, mail, utility people. Can they do their job? Or are all the packages dropped off before the sign, and the utility people can’t enter? Now yes, salespeople can be fined used No Soliciting laws. But not missionaries etc. They have an absolute right to come in from the public street and walk up your walkway and knock on your door. Just like the Delivery guy can. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2024, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-just-drop-in-on-people-without-notice/1002740/178 "2024-06-15T19:59:49Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Trespass? You mean climb over your fence or something? No, of course they cant. > > But they can come from the street and walk up your pathway to your door, There Is No “Street” for them to come up. It’s a private gravel lane. The entry to that lane is posted. Theoretically we could gate it. Wouldn’t want to, as it could complicate an ambulance call. They are trespassing the minute they set foot on the lane. Once they reach one of the 3 homes on the PRIVATE ROAD the person living there calls the town building and requests a cop, who is dispatched. So, can a gated community deny entry to a jehova witness who doesn’t live there? Your “cites” do not cover the situation I have experienced. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2024, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-just-drop-in-on-people-without-notice/1002740/179 "2024-06-15T20:00:42Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > They have an absolute right to come in from the public street and walk up your walkway and knock on your door There Is No Public Street. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2024, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-just-drop-in-on-people-without-notice/1002740/180 "2024-06-15T20:06:00Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Maybe in that case. But how about deliveries, mail, utility people. Can they do their job? Or are all the packages dropped off before the sign, and the utility people can’t enter? Sure, we welcome those we do business with. Mail is left in mailboxes about 1/4 mile from the houses, but the mail person will drive oversized stuff to our porch. We tip generously at xmas > [@DrDeth](#): > > Now yes, salespeople can be fined used No Soliciting laws. But not missionaries etc. They have an absolute right to come in from the public street and walk up your walkway and knock on your door Salespeople are ticketed for trespass, not soliciting. Then, if they were soliciting they get a second ticket for soliciting without a permit from the town. There is no walkway. I’ve witnessed the witness get cited for trespass. And they never came back, amen! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-just-drop-in-on-people-without-notice/1002740.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-just-drop-in-on-people-without-notice/1002740.md?page=10)