Alright folks, this may make me sound uppity, but No Soliciting means NO SOLICITING! Am I right?

I’ve never been comfortable having unwanted visitors show up at my house, but especially with having small children and crazy dogs. It’s a no go for me.  

Growing up in Iowa, I do not recall strangers coming to our house to ask for us to buy things or listen to a religious spiel.  Every now and again, we’d get a girl scout or boy scout but that was the extent of it.  

From there, I was mostly in apartments so didn’t see if this type of soliciting was branching out until we were in Tucson, AZ where our home had a security or privacy door which was great.  I recall a few Omaha Steaks solicitors coming to the door and I felt safe because it was a door that they couldn’t see into the house as well as heavy enough to “protect” me.  But I still do not like this method of marketing.  I will not buy anything from you with the exception of neighborhood children selling school stuff.  

During our time in Georgia and with a little one, I started seeing the “Don’t Knock or Ring bell as I have a baby sleeping” type of signs.  I definitely jumped on this bandwagon as nap and bedtime are critical to the baby as well as my mental sanity.  And I’m a protective Mama bear who from time to time is home alone with my brood.  

And now in the PNW, the majority of our neighbors had personal “No Soliciting” signs on their homes instead of one sign at front of neighborhood. After the first few weeks, we understood why.  Jehovah’s Witnesses, Big churches, Bug companies, Painting services, Yard maintenance, kids selling stuff, etc all walking door to door to offer services or a religious discussion.  It’s weekly if not more.  So, we installed (aka used a sticker) to put up a No Soliciting sign as well hoping that we would be over and done with all this.  But nope.  They just ignore it.  And when I ignore them or are not home, they shove a flyer in the door jam.  (Just try to ignore them with a barking dog and two kids shouting that there may be a friend or a package outside the door!)

So, then we get the Nest Hello Doorbell trying to further deter them.  But instead, these folks just knock on the door and ignore our doorbell and No Soliciting sign all together.  But at least we have them on camera so I do feel some safer!!  (Though I think we’ll end up with a privacy door of some kind even if it’s just a glass door as an extra layer up with kids opening doors and such.)  

Our Nest Doorbell even caught the thieves who broke into our mailbox cluster.  No kidding.  We were able to see the vehicle back into the road, get out, break into the mailboxes and drive off.  Chris sent this to the police and we understand they may have been apprehended because of this.  

Who knows!  Maybe I’m just extra protective due to hearing these types of briefs during my stint at the National Laboratories and/or having Chris be in the military.  But one thing is for sure, I will do anything and everything to protect my family.  

Thanks for listening to my rant! lol.  Friends and neighbors always welcome at my house though.  Just don’t try to sell me anything 😉

~Mel

(ignore the bugs and dirt on siding please)

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