# What part of "No soliciting" don't you understand? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 27, 2011, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-no-soliciting-dont-you-understand/583402 "2011-05-27T04:56:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-no-soliciting-dont-you-understand/583402/62 "2011-06-20T21:01:00Z")
My sign is handmade and says something along the lines of: Before you wake the hellhounds in this house please be aware: _I do not want or need new windows, new siding, or a new religion. I am already the happiest person I know. The ONLY thing that would make me happier is Girl Scout Cookies. So unless you have a box of Thin Mints under your arm, do not knock on this door. Thank you, (signed) the Bitch._ So far only the Schwan man has ignored it, but that’s only because he has Special Permission. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-no-soliciting-dont-you-understand/583402/63 "2011-06-20T21:18:20Z")
I have a 60-lb. dog who likes to hurl himself at windows, screen doors and other openings whenver someone comes to the door. True, it doesn’t stop the walkups from ringing the doorbell, but they don’t stay around to try and sell me. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-no-soliciting-dont-you-understand/583402/64 "2011-06-20T22:23:10Z")
I actually had someone come up and knock at night. He pulled up in our driveway and knocked really softly, and then went away when, despite being up, I refused to answer. I find my dogs discourage anyone from coming back by. They are little, but they sound like they are a lot bigger. If only their eyesight wasn’t going and they wouldn’t do it to me when I enter my bedroom… ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-no-soliciting-dont-you-understand/583402/65 "2011-06-20T22:40:51Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I actually had someone come up and knock at night. This reminds me of a story I heard recently about someone else who had someone knocking on his door at night. To wit: A man and his wife were awakened at 3:00 am by a loud pounding on the door. The man gets up and goes to the door where a drunken stranger, standing in the pouring rain, is asking for a push. “Not a chance,” says the husband, “it is 3:00 in the morning!” He slams the door and returns to bed. “Who was that?” asked his wife. “Just some drunk guy asking for a push,” he answers. “Did you help him?” she asks. “No, I did not, it is 3:00 in the morning and it is pouring rain out there!” “Well, you have a short memory,” says his wife. “Can’t you re member about three months ago when we broke down, and those two guys helped us? I think you should help him, and you should be ashamed of yourself! God loves drunk people too.” The man does as he is told, gets dressed, and goes out into the pounding rain. He calls out into the dark, “Hello, are you still there?” “Yes,” comes back the answer. “Do you still need a push?” calls out the husband. “Yes, please!” comes the reply from the dark. “Where are you?” asks the husband. “Over here on the swing set,” replied the drunk. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-no-soliciting-dont-you-understand/583402/66 "2011-06-20T23:02:29Z")
I live in an apartment complex where someone is always leaving fliers and adverts on our clip-board pads (not sure what to call em) and I HATE IT. It’s a waste. I’ve had a couple of door to door people but there’s nothing I can do. Our complex isn’t gated. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-no-soliciting-dont-you-understand/583402/67 "2011-06-21T07:43:02Z")
Working with political campaigns, and we _always_ tell volunteers to ignore ‘No Soliciting’ signs. We tell them if questioned to respond “Oh, I’m not selling anything. I’m working for democracy and encouraging people to vote …” And we almost never get complaints. But then, we hardly ever do ‘cold-knocks’ on unknown doors any more. We are knocking on doors of people who are known to be interested, by being a regular voter and either supporting our party or persuadable; we don’t waste time on people known to support the other party, and we skip uninvolved people who don’t vote. Oh, we also tell people to open screen doors while waiting at the door. Saves time when the occupant comes to the door. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-no-soliciting-dont-you-understand/583402/68 "2011-06-21T16:22:05Z")
My “no soliciting” sign applies to people who are trying to sell me a political idea/candidate, too. I’m a regular voter, and I do donate to political causes…but I don’t want someone knocking on my door. I especially don’t want people to open the screen door. Are your volunteers ready to help chase down my cats, who are escape artists? You might be losing more votes than you’re gaining. Your campaign/candidate would certainly lose MY vote. I might not vote for the opposition…but I wouldn’t vote for anyone who knocked on my door, despite my “No Soliciting” sign. Your argument is specious and self serving. You are, in fact, trying to get people to buy into your candidate/campaign. You and your organization are being incredibly rude and disingenuous by pretending that you don’t know the intentions of people who put up “No Soliciting” signs. You are not “working for democracy”, you’re just bothering people who have indicated that they’d prefer to be left alone. You might not get many complaints, but that’s because most people aren’t as rude as you are. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-no-soliciting-dont-you-understand/583402/69 "2011-06-21T17:50:14Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Working with political campaigns, and we _always_ tell volunteers to ignore ‘No Soliciting’ signs. We tell them if questioned to respond “Oh, I’m not selling anything. I’m working for democracy and encouraging people to vote …” What you’re doing is the very _definition_ of [soliciting](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soliciting). Those signs were made to keep people like your volunteers away. You are effectively telling your volunteers to be rude, obnoxious, and inconsiderate. Gives quite a good first impression of the candidate, doesn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-no-soliciting-dont-you-understand/583402/70 "2011-06-21T17:58:42Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Oh, we also tell people to open screen doors while waiting at the door. Saves time when the occupant comes to the door. The first time your little douches try that with me will be the last time, after I scream at them to get their fucking hands off my property and stop letting flies and mosquitos into my house. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-no-soliciting-dont-you-understand/583402/71 "2011-06-21T18:30:28Z")
> [@SweetLucy](#): > > ] **What part of “No soliciting” don’t you understand?** Silly question, **Lucy.** No True Salesman understands the word “No”! ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-no-soliciting-dont-you-understand/583402/72 "2011-06-21T18:58:38Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I had to take down my “No Soliciting” sign-the prostitutes wouldn’t come around any more. Turning tricks door-to-door seems like a wonderfully novel business model. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-no-soliciting-dont-you-understand/583402/73 "2011-06-21T19:04:39Z")
This is a scourge in our condo development. Every building has a “no solicitors” sign and they are widely ignored. When my spouse was president of the condo board, she took down a real estate salesperson’s brochures and business cards that were posted on every single bulletin board in the development, in defiance of a longstanding “need board approval to post items” rule. It turned out the salesperson was bosom buddies with the _former_ board president, who had apparently made exceptions for her friend in the past. The fury and scorn of this woman, upon learning her special treatment would not be continued under a new administration, reached the levels of Tea Party rhetoric. You’d _think_ something _un_fair had occurred, instead of a policy of uniform fairness to all parties. ---
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-no-soliciting-dont-you-understand/583402/74 "2011-06-27T21:09:09Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Oh, we also tell people to open screen doors while waiting at the door. Saves time when the occupant comes to the door. Really? Standing outside a closed door is one thing. Opening that door seems like it might be tantamount to an illegal entry. At the very least, if I see someone open my door while I’m inside my house I am going to think they are about to come in and I will be very unhappy about it. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-no-soliciting-dont-you-understand/583402/75 "2011-06-27T21:34:29Z")
> [@Lare](#): > > Really? Yes, it really does save time. If they come to the door, the screen door is already open to talk to them and hand them the literature from the candidate. If they don’t come to the door, then the volunteer already has the door open, so can put the lit into the door jamb and close the door on it, so it’s there for the voter when they come home. ---
**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 27, 2011, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-no-soliciting-dont-you-understand/583402/76 "2011-06-27T22:39:45Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > If they don’t come to the door, then the volunteer already has the door open, so can put the lit into the door jamb and close the door on it, so it’s there for the voter when they come home. So, if there’s no one there for your volunteers to pester, at least they can litter up the place a bit before they go? ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-no-soliciting-dont-you-understand/583402/77 "2011-06-28T02:44:15Z")
> [@Lady\_of\_the\_Lake](#): > > My husband once was forced to crawl through the dog door to get in as I’d locked every other door (even the kitchen door to the garage which isn’t accessible unless you know our garage door key code…). Off topic, this reminds me of a cute anecdote I read somewhere. A man is installing a dog door for his Rottie, and his neighbor is half/watching half helping him. Finally the neighbor says “gee Bob, aren’t you afraid someone is going to go through the door and rob you”? Bob says “Bill, if you saw a dog door this size, would YOU go through it”? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-no-soliciting-dont-you-understand/583402/78 "2011-06-28T03:31:59Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Yes, it really does save time. > If they come to the door, the screen door is already open to talk to them and hand them the literature from the candidate. > > If they don’t come to the door, then the volunteer already has the door open, so can put the lit into the door jamb and close the door on it, so it’s there for the voter when they come home. You may ring the bell or knock on the door. You do not, under _any_ circumstances, have permission to _open_ the door, no matter _what_ it is made of. ---
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-no-soliciting-dont-you-understand/583402/79 "2011-06-28T04:20:33Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > You may ring the bell or knock on the door. You do not, under _any_ circumstances, have permission to _open_ the door, no matter _what_ it is made of. In my experience, you have to open a screen door to knock on the regular door. If it’s locked, you have to bang on the siding, or if there’s brick, you have to knock on a window. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-no-soliciting-dont-you-understand/583402/80 "2011-06-28T04:36:27Z")
"Solicitors will be fed to the Tiger. Politicians will be fed to the Pigs. Which will be fed to the Tiger. Prosletyzers will be fed to the Rats. Which will be fed to the Snakes. Which will be fed to the Tiger. All others will be fed Tiger Shit." ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-no-soliciting-dont-you-understand/583402/81 "2011-06-28T04:46:20Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > So, if there’s no one there for your volunteers to pester, at least they can litter up the place a bit before they go? We consider it valuable information about political candidates. Now the ads that you inflict on the SMDB readers, those are litter. (Occasionally, the inappropriateness of some that appear is humorous.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-no-soliciting-dont-you-understand/583402.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-no-soliciting-dont-you-understand/583402.md?page=5)