Cons of soliciting
Deena Davis
Issue date: 10/28/08 Section: Opinion
I have learned the hard way of the dangers of being friendly with solicitors. These people are out to get something from you and honestly don't care about the tight college budget you're scrapping by on. It really gets under my skin how they have the nerve to take it upon themselves to push their crummy product down the throat of an unsuspecting, na've person.
Everyone in my apartment complex has to deal with magazine peddlers every few months.
In fact we have a phone tree set up to let others know when they're coming so everyone can prepare themselves or refuse to open the door.
Now they're not as cunning as some of the creepy phone marketers but some day with the right training, they just may be the one to scam you out of your life savings. Their techniques are already shady for being so young. Some have claimed to be in high school while others never mentioned their affiliations.
It's like a scene from A Clockwork Orange. The one when the protagonist Alex breaks into an woman's place and answers her question of why he is there by stating "To be perfectly honest, madam, I'm taking part in an international students' contest to see who can get the most points selling magazines," Illustrating the pushiness of magazine peddlers.
They are a few steps away from taking their next customer hostage in their own home. To prove my point, one year I had a young man mumble at me about looking for someone. At that point I had a roommate who liked to party.
So I look over and call for her all the while he managed to slide in the door and goes on a spiel about his magazines. But oh no, it gets worst.
A year later one guy somehow managed to not only get past my threshold but makes himself at home and begins looking through my mail on the coffee table to get information for his for magazine form!
I don't care where you're from but it's NOT acceptable behavior.
Come on, there is a large red sign on my entrance door that states "NO SOLICITING!" In layman's terms, don't come around here with selling magazines on your mind. The words "no" may have to be repeated several times before they give up and prey on their next consumer victim.
Everyone in my apartment complex has to deal with magazine peddlers every few months.
In fact we have a phone tree set up to let others know when they're coming so everyone can prepare themselves or refuse to open the door.
Now they're not as cunning as some of the creepy phone marketers but some day with the right training, they just may be the one to scam you out of your life savings. Their techniques are already shady for being so young. Some have claimed to be in high school while others never mentioned their affiliations.
It's like a scene from A Clockwork Orange. The one when the protagonist Alex breaks into an woman's place and answers her question of why he is there by stating "To be perfectly honest, madam, I'm taking part in an international students' contest to see who can get the most points selling magazines," Illustrating the pushiness of magazine peddlers.
They are a few steps away from taking their next customer hostage in their own home. To prove my point, one year I had a young man mumble at me about looking for someone. At that point I had a roommate who liked to party.
So I look over and call for her all the while he managed to slide in the door and goes on a spiel about his magazines. But oh no, it gets worst.
A year later one guy somehow managed to not only get past my threshold but makes himself at home and begins looking through my mail on the coffee table to get information for his for magazine form!
I don't care where you're from but it's NOT acceptable behavior.
Come on, there is a large red sign on my entrance door that states "NO SOLICITING!" In layman's terms, don't come around here with selling magazines on your mind. The words "no" may have to be repeated several times before they give up and prey on their next consumer victim.
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