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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have just fucking screamed at the man who put a leaflet through my door.

133 replies

Piggyleroux · 21/05/2011 12:42

despite having a sign up saying "no junk mail/leaflets"

We must get at least five a day.

Ds has been poorly and none of us had any sleep last night. I got him off about an hour ago and this stupid fuckwit pushed pizza leaflets through my door waking ds up because the dog started barking.

I fucking flew at him. The language was not pretty. He pretty much legged it up the road.

Can they not read?

OP posts:
TheMonster · 21/05/2011 12:42

We have a sticker too and we still get masses of crap through the door. Idiots.

squeakytoy · 21/05/2011 12:43

No, many of them are not english and probably cant read.

Its annoying, but all they are doing is trying to earn a living.

Pictish · 21/05/2011 12:43

He probably never noticed your sign.

Understand your frustration, but screaming and swearing probably wasn't the most dignified response.

Ach....never mind.

TidyDancer · 21/05/2011 12:44

Yes, YABU to have reacted like that. That was uncalled for.

But no, YANBU to be annoyed.

tallulahxhunny · 21/05/2011 12:44

he didnt know your son was sleeping nor that your dog would bark! and maybe he cant read but hes doing his job

Original poster
Piggyleroux · 21/05/2011 12:44

Hadn't thought of that squeaky, feel bad now.

OP posts:
stickytoffeepud · 21/05/2011 12:45

he is just doing a job, at least he is trying to earn some money

was probably just a kid anyway

tiredemma · 21/05/2011 12:47

I just felt a bit sorry for the (very smartly dressed) young blokey at my door trying to get me to insulate my loft ( I dont need it)

Probably spends most of his saturday being growled at by miserable hags. Just trying to earn a wage.

52Girls · 21/05/2011 12:47

Bit loony but I sort of sympathise too.

SauvignonBlanche · 21/05/2011 12:47

YABU - not everyone can read hence they get shit jobs like delivering leaflets.

theyoungvisiter · 21/05/2011 12:47

Sorry but I agree - you were really mean. They are doing a knackering, horrible job, usually paid per 100 leaflets (so less than the minimum wage).

Good for them trying to feed themselves and their family and make a living.

allhailtheaubergine · 21/05/2011 12:47

Yes, of course you were unreasonable. What a horrid way to behave. You probably admonish your son when he has a tantrum - so why is it okay for you to do the same?

I do understand that you felt furiously frustrated but you can't go screaming and shouting at people like some shrieking harpy every time you feel a bit cross.

How would you like to be spoken to like that?

theyoungvisiter · 21/05/2011 12:49

Read The Road Home by Rose Tremain for an insight into why someone might be in that situation.

Magnumwhite · 21/05/2011 12:51

I sympathize greatly! drives me mad too. always leaflets on the doorstep to clear up and in an age of environmental responsibility I wonder if there is more I can do to stop it.
Had thought of having the no junk mail sign but it seems from this post that it makes no difference!

Magnumwhite · 21/05/2011 12:53

admittedly its the fault of the company advertising not the distributer trying to earn a few pennies...

Cocoflower · 21/05/2011 12:55

I hate this.

Although I may have wanted to scream I wouldn't do it.

However I dont have sympathy for anyone thinking its ok to dump rubbish in my home.

Nancy66 · 21/05/2011 12:55

Five a day? ha ha ha ....try 30+

they start around 7am and finish around 10pm. Seven days a week

chopchopbusybusy · 21/05/2011 12:57

DD delivers leaflets as a part time job. (don't feel too sorry for her though - she is paid relatively well for it)
She was shouted at last week by someone. "can't you read?" I've told her to just walk away and say nothing leaving the ranter to it. It's just a leaflet.
If you have a barking dog why not get an outdoor letter box. I assume your dog can't differentiate between junk mail and the postman.

NoCarbsBeforeMarbs · 21/05/2011 12:57

I sympathise, horrible when you've finally got a few min peace and it gets shattered- but you were U.

As others said, he possibly couldn't read your note.

And it was your own dog who woke your son up anyway.

bubblecoral · 21/05/2011 12:59

I sympathyse with you and understand where you are coming from.

No, it's not nice to be shouted at just for doing your job, but surely these people could be trained to at least recognise the word 'NO' and if there is anything that says that one tiny word near the front door, they should not post crap. It can't be that difficult?

Everyone has bad ponits to their job, this is just one that comes with delivering leaflets.

PandaEis · 21/05/2011 13:00

i sympathise with youSmile we get a leaflet for the same pizza place almost every day...it is the same man who delivers them too!
i would maybe not shout at the fella but i did collect the leaflets and gave them back to the man the last time he tried to deliver them and politely demanded asked him to stop delivering them here...the next day...there was another one on the matHmm we have considered boarding the letterbox up but how would we ever get our bills?(another unthought of perk?Wink)

ZZZenAgain · 21/05/2011 13:03

maybe he really cannot read, maybe he cannot read English, maybe he someone is watching him to make sure he puts them in every door as he learns the job etc When I was in Germany, I once had a guy ring my doorbell and ask me whether I had received leaflets that morning (3 I think he said). He was checking up on someone who was supposed to be dropping them in letterboxes. Now I found that annoying. I am not the damn gestapo. I said I had no idea, I just throw all that stuff away without looking at it and he went off. Did find it strange

I agree this kind of thing is annoying. We have a sign up on the postbox but we still get some. Luckily they cannot get through to the house to put it directly under our door. They always end up straight in the bin anyway. I really wonder if it is worth advertising this way. Has anyone ever bought/paid for anyhting they've had a notice like this about? I am fairly sure I never have.

NoCarbsBeforeMarbs · 21/05/2011 13:10

Blush I do ZZZen.
I'm very easily tempted by takeaway menus!

Vallhala · 21/05/2011 13:12

Maybe he can't read. Maybe he was foreign. Like the other half-dozen leaflet-pushers which the OP encounters each week.

Maybe he was a one-legged football referee with a penchant for lettuce who likes to be called Julie on his days off.

And maybe, just maybe he was just a twat who can and decided to ignore the notice regardless.

All this "But what if he's foreign/illiterate/short-sighted/has a blue crew-cut" rubbish bugs me.

ZZZenAgain · 21/05/2011 13:12

carbs in those takeaways

keep it in mind

it is true, I do look at the takeaway menus...