Greetings, Miss Manners No soliciting signs are prominently displayed on the front doors of the residences in our community. Since they can see that we are home through our open curtains, different salespeople frequently nonetheless ring our doorbells and knock on our door repeatedly.
They always look shocked when I yell at them. “No soliciting” is written on the sign, which applies to you! at them as they’re standing in my yard, staring directly at me from the window of my living room.
Yelling at people is impolite, but when they ignore my signs and enter my house, I feel like they are intruding and violating my privacy. In the future, what would you like me to do?
PERSONAL READER: Miss Manners naturally pauses before answering your request for more stringent measures after acknowledging that she has a habit of shouting at outsiders loudly enough to be heard through a closed window.
Is there a straggler every week who, despite being bothersome, could be ignored or pushed out the door with a stern “No thank you”? Or is the baby being kept awake by the constant commotion of salespeople at the gate, day and night?
Have you attempted to identify the company whose representatives these are before we begin erecting fences, purchasing locks, or contacting the police? You can let the company’s lawyers handle any potential illegalities if the repetition and intrusiveness are as severe as you claim and you can complain in a cool, collected manner.
(Questions can be sent to Miss Manners via email at [email protected], her website at www.missmanners.com, or by mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)
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