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The biggest door to door idiots are Jehovah's witnesses. I was associated with them for 30 years before becoming and atheist. You can ask to be put on a do not call list but that will last for about six months then they come round again to see if you are still not interested. Put a sign up in the drive that says No Jehovah's witnesses. I work it this way, since leaving I have studied a lot about the history of the JWs and its extensive. I as questions like Why is it that you believe that when Christ came back to earth invisibly in 1914 he saw that only Charles Taz Russell was doing gods work and appointed him to be gods earthly channel, but if you taught anything Russell taught today you would be disfellowshiped? and things such as this and they run for the car. I go long periods of time with out them coming to my door because if its one thing they can not stand is to be questioned. They love it when you cuss them out or tell them to get off your lawn ect. Makes them feel like they are being attacked for being gods chosen. But you put seeds of doubt into their mind and they are brain washed to think you are the anti Christ and apostate so they run like a scalded ape. LOL
A self defense store sells some motion sensor contraption which triggers the sound of a large barking dog. The closer one is to the door, the louder & more fierce it's supposed to sound. It's mainly marketed to women living alone or when one goes on vacation, but I'd imagine it might make anyone shudder if the sounds of a rabidly angry dog grew more intense minute by minute. If I were bothered day to day, I'd certainly consider it.
But, I do have a somewhat humorous story. A friend had one of those old record albums from his childhood, with Halloween sounds... creaking doors, screams, ghost moans. He was so tired of solicitors he made a tape (yeah, this was l o n g ago) of only the screams & placed a large boombox next to the door. The next time someone rang his bell repeatedly, not wanting to go away, he played the tape... a woman screaming in horror, over & over. In only a matter of seconds, he heard multiple footsteps racing away, looked out the window & realized they were girl scouts selling cookies. He said he waited for hours, nervous & sweating, for the police to arrive. They never did, but lucky for him... he'd probably have replayed his scream tape & ended up at Home Depot next day buying a new front door after the police kicked it in. I wonder if he still feels a tinge of guilt when eating a Shortbread.
On a more serious note, I was very lucky in Boston by putting a homemade 'No Soliciting' sign next to my doorbells. There was a period of months where my bell was rung 1/2-dozen times/wk. Who was there? No idea. By the time I walked down the long, windy stairs from the 4th floor to the 1st, they were always gone. Glad my sign worked. I had actually thought of pouring huge boiling vats of oil out of the window like an old world villager being attacked by marauders.
Ha, I installed a camera and can now look at who is ringing the door without them even knowing I'm home. I can also shut off the doorbell
Ha, I installed a camera and can now look at who is ringing the door without them even knowing I'm home. I can also shut off the doorbell
Sad that we need these things, but I'm glad they're available for those individuals/groups who refuse to respect the privacy rights of an individual/family.
I know cameras are more affordable now, but many years ago they weren't & my mum had a problem with solicitous doorbell ringers & some vandalism, stolen mail, etc. With her leg problems & age, it was difficult to navigate the inner stairs & without an intercom (old Victorians often don't have them in the inner city... not my mum, the bldg! ), not a good idea to blindly buzz in a possible stranger. (As an aside, we tried intercoms & none ever worked... we finally stopped paying 'experts' to attempt to install them). So, in a catalogue I found a $150 dummy camera with motion sensor which apparently hummed a bit & turned, as if filming & a red light came on whenever someone entered the stairwell. Don't know if that works... luckily, before I purchased the camera, I found a $45 motion sensor light which operated via battery & I could easily install it on my own. That seemed to do the trick (for vandals) along with the 'No Soliciting' sign I made (for doorbell ringers)... sometimes arts & craftiness pays off.
All in all, I must be deemed unsavable. Only once, as a teen, a JW visited my home. Who knows why, but I've never been bothered again, even when I lived in the rather religious southeast for a few years. I can hear it now... 'Forget it, Jedediah. That one's goin' to Valhalla.'
On a serious note, may I ask where you bought your camera? Once we own, I'll definitely perch one outside my door. I don't like to open the door to strangers, especially when the SO isn't home. Over the years, I've had a handful of scary incidents... fortunately, nothing I couldn't get out of, but... I don't trust or want strangers ringing my bell.
Sad that we need these things, but I'm glad they're available for those individuals/groups who refuse to respect the privacy rights of an individual/family.
I know cameras are more affordable now, but many years ago they weren't & my mum had a problem with solicitous doorbell ringers & some vandalism, stolen mail, etc. With her leg problems & age, it was difficult to navigate the inner stairs & without an intercom (old Victorians often don't have them in the inner city... not my mum, the bldg! ), not a good idea to blindly buzz in a possible stranger. (As an aside, we tried intercoms & none ever worked... we finally stopped paying 'experts' to attempt to install them). So, in a catalogue I found a $150 dummy camera with motion sensor which apparently hummed a bit & turned, as if filming & a red light came on whenever someone entered the stairwell. Don't know if that works... luckily, before I purchased the camera, I found a $45 motion sensor light which operated via battery & I could easily install it on my own. That seemed to do the trick (for vandals) along with the 'No Soliciting' sign I made (for doorbell ringers)... sometimes arts & craftiness pays off.
All in all, I must be deemed unsavable. Only once, as a teen, a JW visited my home. Who knows why, but I've never been bothered again, even when I lived in the rather religious southeast for a few years. I can hear it now... 'Forget it, Jedediah. That one's goin' to Valhalla.'
On a serious note, may I ask where you bought your camera? Once we own, I'll definitely perch one outside my door. I don't like to open the door to strangers, especially when the SO isn't home. Over the years, I've had a handful of scary incidents... fortunately, nothing I couldn't get out of, but... I don't trust or want strangers ringing my bell.
It's made by Swann, excellent customer support and the cameras have excellent night vision. I bought it at Fryes.
That shifts the burden of avoiding being annoyed onto the victim, it creates a duty (having to call and request no visitations.) I would place that duty on the people with the agenda. Why not have them call a home first and ask if anyone there is interested in hearing about their religious beliefs, and then visit only those homes which had indicated willingness? The others they leave alone.
It shifts nothing. It is a suggestion. Not a command. If you disagree, you are free to take matters into your own hands at your own consequence.
Come on, people -- what is the damn problem? Someone occasionally knocks on your door with a spiel for this or that, and it interrupts your daily tasks for a few minutes?
Whatever happened to hospitality, to courtesy, to civility, to open-mindedness, to patience, indeed, to compassion?
Come on, people -- what is the damn problem? Someone occasionally knocks on your door with a spiel for this or that, and it interrupts your daily tasks for a few minutes?
Whatever happened to hospitality, to courtesy, to civility, to open-mindedness, to patience, indeed, to compassion?
Would you feel the same if you had Pagans, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, Satanists, Atheists knocking on your door as well? It's only JW's and christians who try to shove their religions down others throats.
Would you feel the same if you had Pagans, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, Satanists, Atheists knocking on your door as well? It's only JW's and christians who try to shove their religions down others throats.
I assure you everyone tries to shove their religion, or non-religion, as well as their politics, their views on how to raise children and how to cook and how to live, down other people's throats. It is human nature.
As for Jehovah's Witnesses, they never struck me as being particularly pushy. I mildly disapprove of door-knocking salesmanship, but not nearly as much as I disapprove of telephone marketing, and even then I understand the person is only trying to make a living. The Witness is doing something much more creditable.
I repeat -- remember patience, courtesy, civility, compassion. I also think everyone has something to teach us, if we only give them the chance. (I am not suggesting you waste your time studying a religion you have no interest in, but only that you be open and compassionate. Who knows, maybe you will convert them away from their error?
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He said he waited for hours, nervous & sweating, for the police to arrive. They never did, but lucky for him... he'd probably have replayed his scream tape & ended up at Home Depot next day buying a new front door after the police kicked it in. I wonder if he still feels a tinge of guilt when eating a Shortbread. 
Only once, as a teen, a JW visited my home. Who knows why, but I've never been bothered again, even when I lived in the rather religious southeast for a few years. I can hear it now... 'Forget it, Jedediah. That one's goin' to Valhalla.' 
Thank you 1A. Wow, what a website Swann's got! I can see what research I'll be doing for the next few weeks!
