"no soliciting" opinions (as in door-to-door sales)

I agree with you completely, Peredhil. A scout/school fundraiser is also soliciting, just as much as a "salesman" making a living. They are the same thing, doing the same thing. I don't see why an exception would be made for children...

If you're anti-kid, then they are anti-adult.

I do see it as actually being black or white, in a way. You shouldn't discriminate against one group. Those kids selling their cookies are just as much a salesman as the meat-man. Sure, "its for charity". Well that meat-man is trying to make a living...

 

Sometimes one has to make exceptions to the rule as a "social lubricant". If you win office and make a rule that kids can't sell cub scout candy and girl scout cookies, you're going to have a miserable ONE TERM in that position.

Think in a practical manner. If you are running the HOA and send a Certified Letter to Bob and June Smith that starts out like this....

"Mary Jones has reported that your little child, Betsy, tried to sell Girl Scout Cookies to her. This is in violation of the HOA you signed when you moved here. As a result, .........".

Guess what? Every single parent in the subdivision is gunning for your resignation.

Were you right in following the HOA Agreement? Yep
Are you going to lose your job on the Board? Yep
This is why you sometimes have to be practical.

 

If they do post a sign that says "No Soliciting" yel at everyone trying to sell you useless crap at the door. Make your neighbor's 5 year old kid cry. The sign says you are in the right.

 

:LolLolLol My point exactly.:LolLolLol

 

And I agree with both you and Peredhil

 

I no longer have a "house line". I only have a cell. No more of those calls! It's been years since I've had one... love it!

The person who originally suggested the sign put it forward like it needed to be done. This person gave no thought to if anyone else would want that or any other salesman. Gave no thought to the implications of that decision (neighbors would be in their right to call police on the boy scout or whatever). It was just a "what would it take to get this done" sort of post.

This person had a knee-jerk reaction to something she didn't like and assumed everyone would be on board. It is that type of person exactly that gives me motivation to join the board. Those self-serving type of people should not be leading.


Again, bc I think it's getting lost, I am not against kids selling their cookies. Yes, I find it annoying, but I am not against it. I am also not against some guy making a living selling steak or shrimp out of the back of his truck. Economy sucks.

As an update to the forum where this is going on - seems the tide has changed and the sign is being dismissed as a useless symbolic gesture as it's unenforceable anyway (as Inwall alluded to, though, it is only enforceable on the residents, which isn't worth it).

So I achieved my goal of not being a discriminatory person :

Several parents there, like here, agreed with me. Unlike me, most folks were for the sign and of those most agreed if we have to do it, it has to be fair (i.e. no kids). Which I think helped change the mood to saying it was only symbolic and therefore useless anyway.

Also, someone mentioned it, the religions (not to get on religion topic) that go door-to-door... community's on public roads have 0 right to block their preaching so long as they are not asking for money). I forget the court decision but it's true. I remember it was against the JW though. They won. So those groups, at least, are exempt from this either way.

 

IMO to cut to the chase, it's a matter of compromise. If "no soliciting" is to be the rule; being mindful that no rule is without exception--one must ask one's self if kids are to be exempt.

Soliciting is a problem to be sure. Whether it's the guy in the truck selling steaks, the homeless person approaching your vehicle at the hiway exit where you're confined until the light changes, the "Vote For Me" cardboard that tips the scales in the junkmail pile, the restaurant menu hung from the door of every house in the "no soliciting" zone--or the innocent kid trying to sell cookies to support her G/S troop--the line has to be drawn somewhere.

Question is; "where" is appropriate? As others have suggested, nothing in life is black and white. Without being argumentative, I'd bet that many would feel that a sign reading "No Soliciting" would apply more loosely to children. A lawyer would surely say otherwise, as the practice of the law doesn't allow for gray areas. In real life, though, most would probably say give the kid a break.

If the sign on the road or your door dissuades most, but doesn't filter out the kids, IMO most would be of the opinion that things could be worse.

I find soliciting distasteful and annoying. Do I expect to never have a knock at the door? No. Would I give a piece of my mind to some magazine salesman beckoning me at 8pm? Absolutely. Would I voice that same sentiment to a 10 year old girlscout or a trick-or-treater? Not a chance.

Choose your battles. Despite what the masses say--your energy is much better spent on the real violators in life.

Just my 2 cents. Free today.

 

I think that you should be tied down to the floor, crazy glued Lego pieces all over your body and let kids play/build things on top off you. YOU KID HATER!!! lmao C'mon man, dont you remember when you had to "sell" something for your school, troop or club? We all had to it some time or another. HATER!!! LMAO


luna

 

what about the ice cream man, can he drive down the street??

 

That why they invented the peephole I hardly ever answer my door if I don't know who you are, I just don't want to hear a 15 min speech just to let them know I'm not interested in buying what there selling.