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How do you react to door-to-door solicitors?
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Anonymous
| I have opened the door to strangers, often with a little pitt of fear in my stomach. But I make sure to open the babygate on the stairs, so my dog can come down. My dog is harmless, but barks like a crazy dog when the doorbell rings. I have had salesmen give their sales pitch as they were backing up. I make it clear, I am making no move to stop the dog. Very, very effective. |
Anonymous
|
Its seems like we're damned if we do, and damned if we don't. My mom was over once and I opened the door to a solicitor and she said I was nuts. But I always have answered because I wanted people to know I'm home. When I lived in another neighborhood we had a string of robberies, where the robbers pretended to be movers and cleared a few houses out. I always thought they must have knocked first before pulling the van up to see if anyone was home.
But now you've all got me freaked about home invasion. Should I get a tape recording of a dog barking and play it when a solicitor shows up? |
Anonymous
| Oooh, or should I leave a large dog toy on the front steps? |
Anonymous
| I ordered a nice wood "no solicitation" sign for my door after the solicitors (and the dog) woke the sleeping baby a number of times. |
Anonymous
Yikes. Note that this site recommends that you say something during the day so the person knocking at your door knows there's someone home but you do not open the door. At night, though, you're supposed to just ignore any knocking. |
Anonymous
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"I have thought of doing this, but then worry about posting a note that says I have a young kid inside. Probably too much worry on my part (I mean clearly you'd only have to stake out the house for a day to find out)."
Smart. Very smart. No notes! No indications! The point is you do not want them to know WHO is inside, WHO to look for. A peep hole is very inexpensive to install, at any height. I would simply not answer whomever is at the door. Period. I can not stress this enough. Then they do not have the recollection of ("oh yeah I was there at this time and a petite woman answered the door") for example. Do NOT answer the door. I can't stress this enough. If you do, I guarantee they will be back (when you do not answer the door). If you don't the chances are greater they will have moved on to someone that did open the door. I have lived in so many houses, in so many kinds of neighborhoods, and I can NOT stress this enough! Also, a home alarm is worth every penny, if you are so inclined. It is not only a deterrent, but peace of mind. I have no stake in any of this but to decrease the number of annoying people who go door to door. I live ina "really, really, really" nice suburb, and people are going door to door constantly. They have even caught people in the act. If people don't think they do this to case the place, you are just naive. Do NOT give them information to use against you (ie: when you are home, who lives there, etc.) "No English" would have been wise or funny last decade, but I think we are beyond that. People can be desperate for money these days. Most Importantly: Some have nothing to lose! |
Anonymous
| I don't have an alarm system. But I do have a sign that says I have one, along with the window stickers. You'd be none the wiser. I bought them on ebay. |
Anonymous
| The fake firefighter story was a plot on Law & Order. Did that really happen in real life? I've heard of people acting as police officers and pulling over victims in their cars. You are always supposed to drive to a save area like a parking lot if you feel unsafe. You cannot be penalized by a real officer for that. |
Anonymous
| When those murders and break-ins were happening in Bethesda/Montgomery County last year the police told people that one of the best things you can do is to have a barking dog. Plus, you get a break on your homeowner's insurance because a barking dog is considered a property alarm. |
Anonymous
| Maybe Law & Order copied this--http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,275071,00.html |
Anonymous
Anonymous
They do often get their plots from real events. |
Anonymous
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Wow - where do you all live? I've lived in our neighborhood and can count only a handful of times the number of solicitors (sp?) we've had. Most of our knocks are from our neighbors. Even then, if I'm busy, I don't answer. I have answered a couple of solicitors and have actually bought what they were peddling - SAI security system and Verizon FIOS.
But, you have provided food for thought. Will be a little more cautious. Although it's hard - our neighbors knock on each other's doors frequently - doors are left open, etc. |
Anonymous
I don't think anyone is advocating not opening for a neighbor. I don't think we need to live in complete fear. |