No Soliciting Please.

Not sure what “no soliciting” means?

Let me put it another way:

If I don’t know you, please don’t come to my door asking me for anything, sharing any information with me, offering me free *anything*, urging me to vote for your cause, or requesting my opinion. Additionally, please don’t come to my door trying to sell me anything (and just so you know, “soliciting” does not necessarily mean you’re selling something).

On the other hand, if I know you, please, by all means, come over, chat, tell me about your day, or offer me the option to purchase some Girl Scout cookies. I’ll even invite you in. I enjoy having people over. I don’t want any of my friends to get the wrong idea. If I actually know you, you’re always welcome. Seriously. I'm not trying to be rude. Honest.

So back to this sign by my front doorbell. Is it still not clear to you? Would you still like an official definition?

Definition of Soliciting:

~to make a request, application, or entreaty to (a person for business, support, etc)

~to urge (as one's cause) strongly

~to try to obtain by usually urgent requests or pleas (solicited donations)

So, “no soliciting” means do *not* do any of the above things.

Kindly do not knock on my door asking me to buy anything, requesting me to sign anything, or seeking to obtain me as a customer for anything. If I want to buy, sign, or be a customer, I will do so of my own choosing, when I want to do it. Not because some stranger knocks on my door.

Still want to argue with me by telling me that “it’s ok, I’m not asking for money” or "I'm not selling anything"? On the contrary, it’s not ok, whether or *not* you’re asking for money. If I don’t know you and you are trying to talk me into *anything*, you are ‘making a request’, or ‘urging strongly’, or 'trying to obtain' something from me. Even if it’s just using up 5 minutes of my time.

Do not try to tell me that I have my terminology wrong by saying “oh, you mean peddling”.

Definition of Peddling:

~to travel about selling wares.

~the act of selling goods for a living

So - Yep. No peddling either. But peddling falls under the umbrella of soliciting – you’re asking for something. You are walking up to a house of someone that you don’t know, and you’re trying to talk them into buying, listening, letting you come in and clean a carpet, or to install a ‘free’ security system (just to name a few).

All I am asking is that you pass by my house. I don’t want any. Free or not. No, thank you.

It’s really that simple.

If I happen to answer the door (which I should apparently think twice about doing), and you start talking, and I listen for a minute (looking for a place to interject) so that I don't rudely interrupt, and then I ask you kindly to take note of my sign and that I do not accept solicitors at my home, do *NOT* argue with me. If you argue with me, you are immediately considered hostile and you will be treated as such. I will not tolerate someone standing in my doorway telling me that I am in the wrong by asking them not to continue with their requests because I am not interested.

One more thing. I’m sorry to say, my front porch light is currently out. So if you come at night, which you shouldn’t be doing anyway, I will give you the benefit of the doubt and just tell you that I don’t accept soliciting, and kindly ask you to leave the premises.

But if you come in broad daylight when my sign is clearly visible, tell me that I am in the wrong when I show you that I have a sign that asks you not to offer me *anything*, free or not, and then you stand at *my* doorstep and argue with me about the definition of the sign, then who’s really wrong?

Yeah. I thought so.

Amen.