Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Why are they at your door? The next census isn't until 2020? Though when the next census comes around, if you fill out the census form mailed to you and returning it back, then they won't be knocking on your door.
Apparently I was "pre-selected" to take these surveys. I received a notice in the mail that this was the case about a day after the guy initially showed up. I never win anything but pains in the butt.
I'd like to preface this by saying I am not anti-government, anti-census, or even a conservative. I fully acknowledge the importance of the census and the statistics it yields. This post is not about being anti-government, or about Big Brother, or anything of the sort. I just want the Census Bureau to stop badgering me.
OK. Now that that's out of the way, a few other things. I work weird night shift hours with rotating days off. I can't really say for sure what days I'll be off but I'm almost assuredly going to be sleeping during the day. Furthermore, I paid for a very expensive surgery on my dog but she has a very long recovery ahead of her.
A few months ago, a Census Bureau employee stopped by the house at around 11 A.M. I awoke to the sounds of my dogs barking like mad. I went to see what was going on and my wife was outside talking with the guy from the Census Bureau. She politely answered the questions, the guy left and that was that. A few weeks later, we got another visit at 11 A.M. and, once again, my wife answered the door and politely answered the questions. All this time, she's outside talking to the man, my dogs, especially the one with the injured leg, are going crazy at the front door thinking my wife is in danger.
A few more weeks go by and this time the guy showed up a little later in the afternoon right as I had woken up. I answered the door and told the guy "You've been here three times in the last month or two. We're done answering the questions. I've got a dog that has to take it easy, I sleep during the day, this just isn't working out." The guy was nice enough but seemed almost distraught that I wouldn't answer the questions. He began to ask specific reasons about why I didn't want him to come so I explained that I work night shift, I have a dog that doesn't need to be startled by a stranger knocking on the door at random times and I'm not going to lock her up in a crate every waking moment just in case the Census Bureau guy comes around (I live way out in the country and NO ONE else ever comes to my door without advance notice).
He offered to call and do it over the phone and for whatever reason, I agreed. I guess I just wanted the guy to leave and that seemed like the easiest way to do it. He said he'd be calling in the next few weeks. I shooed him away and about two weeks later this jerk was back at my front door at 10 A.M.! I was getting irate at this point... I mean, I had explained to this guy all the reasons why I didn't want him coming to the house, we agreed to do the survey over the phone and he shows up at the house anyway! So, at this point, I told him I would no longer participate and that it had nothing to do with the survey or the government collecting information (I really don't care about that despite the fact that some are still going to blow right past that) but rather that he was beginning to act like a door-to-door salesman that won't take "No" for an answer.
Again, he apologized but then informed me that he HAD to come back 5 more times for a total of 8 visits. I told him they better be phone calls and not in-person visits. He agreed. Then, today, probably one or two months after his last visit, I get a letter from the Census Bureau informing me about how important the census is, and about how last time I was "uncooperative" and "unwilling to participate" as though I was the one ignoring all the moral pejoratives! Oh, and that on Mr. So-and-so's next visit to my house, they would really appreciate my cooperation.
It gave me a phone number to call should I have any questions. I attempted to call to tell them not to even bother but the phone just rings and rings with no answer at the other end.
How the heck do I stop these freaking people from coming back? According to the letter they sent me, "There are no penalties for failure to answer any question," and it also alludes to the fact that it is a voluntary survey. Any suggestions? And has anyone else had this same thing happen to them?
1. File harassment charges with your local police dept.
Call your local newspaper, radio, or TV station (or all 3) and talk to someone who does feature stories. Getting media exposure for the unintended consequences of their one-size-fits-all set of procedures might get their attention.
Yes. I forgot to mention that in my initial post. Every time he has shown us identification that he is from the Census Bureau and we did look him up on the Bureau's web site to ensure that he was, in fact, an employee taking surveys in the area. All correspondence has been on official government letterhead and mailed from the Department of the Census Bureau.
There is no "Department of the Census Bureau." There is a Bureau of the Census.
Apparently I was "pre-selected" to take these surveys. I received a notice in the mail that this was the case about a day after the guy initially showed up. I never win anything but pains in the butt.
Just tell them no thank you, or have them mail you the survey for you to fill out and mail back to them.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
