View Full Version : Am I really mean???
A guy came round to our house the other day - seemed to be walking, and as we live on a farm off the road it is an unusual sight. He handed me a note that said something like " I am deaf and make my living making and selling wooden boxes - would you be interested in buying one of my boxes or giving me what you can afford". That wasn't exactly it but it was something on those lines. I said no thanks and handed him the note back ane he walked away down the road.
Then I felt really bad and felt I shouldn't be so mean and suspiscious of people. Does anyone know anything about this?
I had the same experience on Sunday, a woman came to my door and handed me a note saying she was deaf and made a living selling woollen scarves!
I'm quite sure she was deaf by the way she spoke but I just said no thanks and shut the door.
I don't think she was local, I have never seen her before!
anneoctober
16-Oct-07, 21:44
We had a young girl on a bike here at the door. She was disappearing into my neighbours as I got to my door. She also handed a note saying that she was deaf and showed some carved wooden boxes. My neighbour told her that she did not buy items from the door (politely) and the lass left.
Last year, I had a young Polish guy selling pencil drawings - he said he was trying to make extra money to send back home. I did buy two drawings after some bartering ( and they were excellent) and then I felt bad also Max. Quite a few Polish/Latvian people come to us through the garage etc and indeed work for a local painting firm, so I know that most of these people are genuinely trying to provide for their families back home, but it's always there at the back of your mind - are they genuine? Sad sign of the times I'm afraid.:(
dont any of you be feeling bad about that, my pal was visiting us the other day when this woman came in the drive, he told me that she was going to hand us a card saying she was deaf & dumb but that he had overheard her having a conversation with someone up in tesco.s earlier. and thats exactly what she did, ps i wasnt going to give her anything anyway. think she was selling some small wooden box thing,s.
I had one too.... I signed to her and she left...quickly :roll: x
The deaf and dumb woman turned up in Reay. I couldn't afford anything and I have enough boxes as it is.
anneoctober
16-Oct-07, 21:54
I had one too.... I signed to her and she left...quickly :roll: x
err, perhaps, you could explain " signed to her" Thumper........?? :lol:
lmao...not the "V" or anything like that Anne I meant sign language :) x
orkneylass
16-Oct-07, 21:58
I would rather put money into a scheme that helped people with disabilities get into meaningful employment although with computers etc nowadays surely being deaf is not the worst barrier to working?????
anneoctober
16-Oct-07, 21:59
lmao...not the "V" or anything like that Anne I meant sign language :) x
Never , for a moment did I think that a lady like yourself would do such a thing................ ;) xx
There are no barrier's nowadays for almost any disability,unless they choose to do this kind of work.IMO most of these people are "highly" trained scammers x
I had one too.... I signed to her and she left...quickly :roll: x
Jeeze I wish I had thought of that! Maybe she had a rare form of sign language dyslexia [lol]
Never , for a moment did I think that a lady like yourself would do such a thing................ xx
Aww Bless :lol: xx
Ps by the time the delay lets me post this there will be at least another 10 posts [disgust] x
Jeeze I wish I had thought of that! Maybe she had a rare form of sign language dyslexia [lol]
Maybe my signing was local dialect :roll: x
I would rather put money into a scheme that helped people with disabilities get into meaningful employment although with computers etc nowadays surely being deaf is not the worst barrier to working?????
I must admit that is what I thought too! In fact I read the note twice to see if he was from a group or charity - but no .....................
Max, honestly don't feel bad about it...I really don't think that caithness has had a sudden upsurge of deaf people desperately trying to earn a few coppers.More likely it's an upsurge of scammers that probably have more than me and you x
lynne duncan
16-Oct-07, 22:22
we were at mum's last wednesday and one of these people a female came to the door with the bit of paper
then on friday another female came to the door
along with the original post this makes 3 that are working this area, i don't know about mean but suspicious was how i felt ?
r.rackstraw
16-Oct-07, 22:24
Yes we had a visit too. Young lady with wooden boxes and a deaf and dumb card.
I politely declined but did feel guilty - even though I thought it was probably a scam.
That's the whole idea though isn't it?Come to a backwater like caithness that is full of "softies" that are easy pickings x
helenwyler
16-Oct-07, 22:28
Down here we get door calls (spring and summer) from mainly guys who purport to be on some sort of 'help for the unemployed from the north' kind of scheme.
I used to be taken in and buy their outrageously overpriced and shoddy oods, (calendars, dusters etc.) till OH pointed out, when we asked for their accreditation etc. that they were not from gov. sponsored organisations, but some bloomin' private spiv,out to make a fair few bob under the guise of a poor unemplyed lad from 'up north' (England)!
And some of my roots are from 'up north' (Yorkshire), no disrespect intended:cool:.
The worst thing about this is, there is probably and "2nd man" who gets far more money from this than the people who come to the door "begging":( x
Metalattakk
17-Oct-07, 03:21
The wife and I were accosted while on holiday in Majorca - we were just sitting round the tables outside the bar at our hotel - by a wee Spanish boyagie, must have been about 10 or 11 years old.
He had a carefully written card in English, Spanish and German, saying that he was profoundly deaf and had some trinkets to sell.
Well, they were the usual cheap tat, so I used my limited knowledge of sign language, and signed "No thank you" to him, hoping to catch the wee urchin out.
He went to go on his way, then suddenly stopped and looked me straight in the eye, and smiled the biggest smile you could imagine.
The wife gave me hell for not chasing after him and buying something...
We get an Italian speaking (very good looking ) young man call at the door every year saying he has been to an exhibition selling Italian leather jackets and he has some surplus stock to sell. But when i say no ....... very hard to say no as i stand there fluttering my eyelashes at him ...i then come down to earth with an almighty cash when he says all right love in a perfect cockney accent !! Jan x:lol:
We get an Italian speaking (very good looking ) young man call at the door every year saying he has been to an exhibition selling Italian leather jackets and he has some surplus stock to sell. But when i say no ....... very hard to say no as i stand there fluttering my eyelashes at him ...i then come down to earth with an almighty cash when he says all right love in a perfect cockney accent !! Jan x:lol:
This is a common ploy in industrial estate offices around the city here, they use the same tactics, the swarthy Italian type at first, suddenly changing to east end cockney if all does not go their way.
That's the whole idea though isn't it?Come to a backwater like caithness that is full of "softies" that are easy pickings x
I think you're right there, Thumper.
When we moved to a village a few years ago, I was taken aback by the number of callers we had in the first couple of weeks, with cards claiming a disability and trying to sell me tat I didn't want or need.
At the time I felt quite bad about saying no, and thought well, maybe this is normal round here and I'm just a mean and nasty city dweller. :(
Rather coincidental that it only happened just after we'd moved in -with hindsight I wonder if they didn't target incomers, because all the locals would have had them sussed out. :confused
Thanks I feel much better after reading all your posts!! - I'm not just an old meanie after all!! :)
NickInTheNorth
17-Oct-07, 11:35
My usual method of dealing with anything of that sort is quite simple.
If someone calls at my door offering to sell something which I wish to buy, and they are offering it at the right sort of price (neither too low or too high) then I might consider buying it.
No other requirement.
I give money away to charities of my choice by the means I wish to use. And never to doorstep collectors. Therefore if the folks with the wooden boxes wish to call they will be sent politely on their way.
Deaf, dumb, blind, limbless etc should make no difference. Anyone selling things should be selling on merit. Any spurious excuse is simply that - an excuse. It's just a modern version of the crippled child beggar, so beloved of the citizens of many Indian Cities.
So Max - not mean - just sensible...
... unless you happened to be in the market for a wooden box :D
Angel Eyes
17-Oct-07, 12:56
Same guy on a bike came to my door, handed a note saying he was deaf and was selling boxes, I felt sorry for him and stupidly gave him £2, I did wonder at the time whether he was deaf as the dog started barking as he was leaving and he turned round immediately! They are definately suspicous though as the next day the same guy was round our way again and watched me and hubby drive away from our house and up the road where we stopped and watched where he was going and lo and behold he cycled down our drive so we turned and went back, by the time we got there he was going round our porch and looking in the windows, he must be brave as well as bold as we have a rather large rotweiller! Anyway hubby told him dog would bite and he soon cleared! Defo sus though why did he wait to we left ...... later that night same guy was picked up near the main road by a lady in a camper van. He didnt go to houses in the village just the ones that are on farms or outwith the village....strange.... you would think it would be easier to go to houses in the village, more people and not so far to travel. I for one will be keeping my doors locked!!
yeh, i had a guy come round the door selling dusters and wotnot, didny need any but i did say i could donate a couple o quid but he wisny interested.
it's like walking "spam", knockin at yer door.
no you are not mean!
I dont even like the betterware catalogs shoved through the door and if i want avon, virgin vie, etc...I like to find the agent myself rather than have the catalogs thrust on me..anyone else like this too?
I had some one at my door on Sunday as well, handed me the note and before I could "show" that I was not interested she had all these cheap boxes on the door step they were marked £25 scored out with £15.I was told they are Eastern European next they will have their babies sitting with them on the street begging.
I had some one at my door on Sunday as well, handed me the note and before I could "show" that I was not interested she had all these cheap boxes on the door step they were marked £25 scored out with £15.I was told they are Eastern European next they will have their babies sitting with them on the street begging.
Who told you that..and in what context?
....I am very interested!
karia
oldmarine
17-Oct-07, 23:37
Interesting posts on this subject. I've been approached by many with the same story. I never know whether they are honest with their approach and stories, but usually don't buy or give money to them.
no you are not mean!
I dont even like the betterware catalogs shoved through the door and if i want avon, virgin vie, etc...I like to find the agent myself rather than have the catalogs thrust on me..anyone else like this too?
yip, i am the same.
I had some one at my door on Sunday as well, handed me the note and before I could "show" that I was not interested she had all these cheap boxes on the door step they were marked £25 scored out with £15.I was told they are Eastern European next they will have their babies sitting with them on the street begging.
Its becoming just as bad here in the city, in bars the so called "deaf" touting for business, and chinese selling pirate dvd's, and all our Big Issue sellers now suddenly has become, from being friendly Scots sellers with a bit of banter, whom you got to know as they were the regular sellers, to surly middle aged Eastern European women who to some are quite intimidating. I have stopped buyin my regular Big Issue now.
The other day I heard of an individual who kept a supply of application forms for a job in Macdonalds in his pocket to hand out to anyone who approached him!
Golach,PLEASE do'nt stop buying your Big Issue it means a lot to these guys although I know that in Inverness a lot of the Scottish guys are loosing their pitches to Imirgrants.I always buy my Big Issue from George at the back of M/S when i'm down and he tells me that the city is being taken over by these people and they can be intimidating.Do you know you can get the mag sent to you thats the way I am going to by it from now on.
I Had a Eastern European (I think ) selling paintings at my door I said no thanks my OH returned from work that evening the car was hardly parked when he rang the doorbell and said I had told him to come back that night and speak to him found it all a bit spooky but in the end it was I who told him to go that we were not interested
Maclady483
18-Oct-07, 20:55
I felt sorry for the man with the ticketie that said he was deaf. I bought a silly little box for £15:eek:.
[FONT=Arial Black]Last year, I had a young Polish guy selling pencil drawings - he said he was trying to make extra money to send back home. I did buy two drawings after some bartering ( and they were excellent) and then I felt bad also Max. Quite a few Polish/Latvian people come to us through the garage etc and indeed work for a local painting firm, so I know that most of these people are genuinely trying to provide for their families back home, but it's always there at the back of your mind - are they genuine? Sad sign of the times I'm afraid.:(
We had the polish guy selling pencil drawings, but the top and the bottom seemed to be cut off. Since we had a polish guy the year before selling similar drawing I suspect they are mass produced photocopies. No artists would finish hard up against the top and bottom of a sketch, sometimes with bits missing.
Also as they claimed to talk no english, I could not ask them any questions. Like, how much did it cost you to come here? Where do you sleep and how much does that cost you?
We also had the deaf and dumb person selling boxes. No I didn't buy one, and i don't feel guilty.
anneoctober
19-Oct-07, 00:13
The wife and I were accosted while on holiday in Majorca - we were just sitting round the tables outside the bar at our hotel - by a wee Spanish boyagie, must have been about 10 or 11 years old.
He had a carefully written card in English, Spanish and German, saying that he was profoundly deaf and had some trinkets to sell.
Well, they were the usual cheap tat, so I used my limited knowledge of sign language, and signed "No thank you" to him, hoping to catch the wee urchin out.
He went to go on his way, then suddenly stopped and looked me straight in the eye, and smiled the biggest smile you could imagine.
The wife gave me hell for not chasing after him and buying something...
having been "metalattakk 'd" on some of my posts, it's fair cheered me up to think that your wife can give you hell......!!! [lol]
Metalattakk
19-Oct-07, 01:41
LOL! She dishes it out when required, trust me. I wouldn't have it any other way. ;)
And keep in mind that you personally haven't ever been "Metalattakk'd", only your posted opinions.
Unfortunately I am unable to use a computer, so cannot post on this message board, however it would be advantageous to me, if you could email me giving your bank account details I can then transfer unlimited funds to my account at your convenience! Do these people think that we are really that stupid? I guess some vulnerable people are being caught out and all we can do to stop it is highlight the scams in areas like this.
Has anyone had the standard Nigerian email, offering to transfer multi millions of dollars to your account, but added the threat that God will be watching? It didn’t bother me but surely some people will be intimidated by this.
……..and what about these ladies and chaps from India way, who are called George or Pete or Linda, if they can’t even tell the truth about there own name what hope have they got in selling you something?
I’ve tried talking with a very strong local accent (I’m from Suffolk) that’s fun, but now I just tell them, how it is and put the phone down.
Even now I can hear Mrs B asking the caller ‘Did I ask you to call me? Then why are you? That works too.
Blazing Sporrans
19-Oct-07, 21:05
I remember in the old days the door to door pedlars had to show you their permit when they came to your home selling their wares (at least they did in our neck of the woods). I wondered if this was no longer the case but when I checked up I was told that pedlars still require a permit from the police to sell on a door to door basis....
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