People trying to sell me stuff wherever I go

[Talon]

Is it just me or is it that I can't go anywhere without encountering someone trying to sell me something?

Note that I don't begruge anyone doing their job, and I won't be rude to them. But it still gets on my nerves, though admittedly not in an epic "Lupo goes shopping" style. *shudders*

With gas stations, it's points cards. Which may or may not be a good deal, but I'm simply not open to sales pitches. I'm here to pump gas, pay up, and leave. Leave me alone.

Groceries. I have a few ideas on what stores can do with their various obscenely-high interest credit cards. Most of which involve them being loaded onto a mass-driver cannon and fired into the sun. After a recent polite decline from me, some lady got more persistent, "Sir but it's free! You get 20 bucks just for applying!" Riiight lady, I'm sure giving out my address won't result in loads of snail-spam-mail. I'm equally sure cancelling your store credit card which I am guaranteed never to use will not impact my credit rating. Nothing in life's free.

Then just a few nights ago. I usually don't resort to caffene to get through nightshifts, but that time I hadn't slept well. For some reason my spider-sense tingled as I stepped into a somewhat crowded local coffee shop. Just when I thought I was in the clear, in my car and pulling out, some lady waves for my attention. I thought she was trying to get by or something, so I stopped. And naturally she knocks on my window and presses some flyer or something against the glass. Seriously?? No, just no. Back off unless you want to be roadkill. I suppose she figured crowded coffee shop=sales fodder. But yeaah, totally not risky approaching random strangers at night.

Then there was that time I got off a bus at a crowded intersection. Both sides of the street had someone trying solicit travelers for something or other.

I'm not social-phobic, but I'm not a very people-person either. Can't I just do my business and leave, without being bothered?

[draco664]

It's a growing phenomenon. People with bills that need paying are taking up after-office-hours jobs that involve hawking and pitching to people on the street.

[bainsidhe]

I so agree with you. I don't want a credit card. I don't want a points card. I don't want a "preferred membership" membership. I don't want to give my email address, or my phone number. I'll be polite, but that's because the salespeople are doing their job and are polite to me. If anyone pushed it further, I admit my tone would get a little rough as I firmly said NO. Fortunately that hasn't happened. Yet.

What I really hate are the pushy kiosk salespersons at the mall. I can't even glance at their booth while passing, without being pounced on. It likely wouldn't bother me so much except the worst booth is always the perfume/scented pillow/stinky places. I'm sensitive to smells and gag even when passing a store like Yankee candle (such a shame, their candles are cool!). The last thing I want is someone shoving herb/floral/whatever scent in my face. Which is also why I hate how big mall stores are set up where you practically HAVE to walk by the perfume counter. But that's another rant unto itself.

[Andara Bledin]

For the scented crap people, of they spritz you start yelling at them about assaulting you. Make a nice big scene about how they could send you into anaphylactic shock and kill you. Ask them if it's worth killing some random stranger for one more sale.

Most of them probably have never even considered the possibility. And spritzing you without your permission, is assault.

^-.-^

[bara]

In all fairness, at least the Speedy Rewards card system has some nice stuff. Since they charge the same for gas everywhere, I might as well go there and earn points which I have been able to use many times.

But the people there have never been pushy about it either.

[BrenDAnn]

Three words: KMart Rewards Card. Every single time I'm in the nearest KMart to me, I get asked if I have one, if I want one, etc. Every time. They even have people wandering the aisles, clipboard in hand, trying to sell people on the damn thing! Bleh! Leave me alone, let me do my shopping, pay, and be on my way, please and thanks!

[Rageaholic]

This is a huge annoyance of mine.

You can't just by the one thing you want and leave, you have to be bombarded by special offers everywhere. Signing up never takes one second, there is always a catch or some bullshit that holds people up. It makes it annoying just being behind someone who's being offered the deal. This is especially annoying on the internet when you have intrusive popups telling you to subscribe to them, like them on facebook, twitter, or what ever other website is popular. Can't I just visit the damn website without doing anything special?

And don't get me started on those fucking petition people. They wouldn't understand the word "NO" if it was the only word in the english language.