To find this very uncomfortable?

[Oldisthenewblack]

I visit a local cafe regularly (almost every day!) and this has happened a few times now and it really annoys me, but I'm preparing to be flamed as a cold hearted, uncaring individual.

A man comes in and visits almost every table, placing a key ring and a note. The note says something to the effect of "I am deaf, I make these key rings, please buy one - £2.50".

Now, obviously I have no issue with this man attempting to sell his wares - good for him, in fact. But I come into this cafe to relax (spend ages on mumsnet...) and find this a bit off putting. He just speeds through, placing the items, and then a while later comes back and collects them. So, for a while they are just sitting there staring at me and I have no choice in the matter.

As I said, I am preparing for a flaming, but please don't think I'm hard hearted puts on hard hat. How would you feel - am I being unreasonable?

The "I'm dead", "just got out of prison and on a work scheme selling", "just left the army" please buy a poundshop first aid kit for a tenner, are all well known scams.

Deaf not dead!

I think he's taking the piss. So what if he's deaf? He's as entitled to a job and social security as anyone.

It's begging, and it makes no difference whether he's deaf or not, it's not acceptable.

There are women on the tube that do this - selling tissues. Doesn't bother me. Saying 'no' is all it takes.

I have a lot of youngish men knocking on my door with a holdall of dusters etc claiming to have just left the army and can I help them get back on their feet? I wonder if they are all ex soldiers? Never rude to them though.

I've had those, and I seriously doubt they're ex soldiers. What gets me about them is that the stuff they sell is so overpriced.

I once opened the door to one when I was housesitting for a friend. He asked if I was the "lady of the house" and I said no, whereupon he went into a full-on rant about how I was a liar and just making excuses. I told him that I felt no need to make excuses and that, despite not being the lady of the house, I would have at least considered buying something off him had he not been so rude, and shut the door.

Theres a deaf guy comes door to door about once a year I just say no thank you and shake my head and he goes away. He's always pleasant and smiley and I do wonder if he is a scammer himself.

another guy I know is. I know that there is no government scheme that provides people with dodgy home made looking id and gets them selling door to door! He is usually rude and abusive. Great way to get customers!!

I find it uncomfortable to hear people trot out the phrases : "they're entitled to get a job or claim benefits." Just because they are entitled to a job it doesn't mean they will find one and you can't live on the money from benefits. It is barely enough to survive on, which is why people attempt to supplement it with making cash from selling tat. I'm sure none of these sellers have made anything near the minimum wage and would gladly take a 'proper' job if it was available.

The "I am deaf" thing by people selling stuff is usually a scam. Often it's (mass produced) prints - the keyrings are clearly a variation on a theme.

A scam which conveniently forgets that we no longer live in the Victorian era and most deaf people have employment options, just like anyone else.

"I am dead"
I would definitely shell out for a key ring made by a zombie.

I'm an equal opportunities non-buyer of doorstep and street corner crap, ILostIt.

If you go there every day you'd end up with a lot of key rings! Just buy one, strike up a conversation with him (most deaf people can lip read) and next time he'll know your face and know you won't want another ( leave your bunch of keys on the table where he can see his own key ring!)

Yes you don't have to buy it, but I don't like it when these sellers are looked down on and sneered at. It's hardly their dream career and I've never come across one that is rude or threatening.

A lot of it is a scam, I had this daily in third world countries where I lived

I always just ignored, as I don't like it at all

I am heartless, maybe

It's common where I am, in pubs as well as coffee shops. However, they sill stick pin badges, which are £1, and the people who do it aren't deaf - it's a fundraiser for a charity: CF, maybe? They are absolutely fine if you just say no thank you - still smile pleasantly and thank you for their time (having first apologised for disturbing you). I often buy a couple of pins, actually, as our city emblem is distinctive, and it's something handy and small to hand out on overseas visits etc

And OP - about the Bid Issue ("I can't be buying that all the time") - you know it's a weekly, not a daily, right?! Even then - a smile and a no thank you is fine: I have a good relationship with two Big Issue sellers in our city, even when I'm not buying from them, and they always comment how most people treat them like dirt. They aren't going to run after you and mug you if you don't buy the magazine, you know...

Ive seen this. I agree you have to ignore.

Or try what my friend did. Cough say excuse and and ask how much they are - when their back is turned. Turns out our visitor wasn't deaf at all!

I like the idea of people making money and raising awareness. But a stall in shopping centre would be much better than the forced sympathy sale. But maybe they make more this way?

It's very common, as said above, in Greece and Spain. They roam the tourist spots, the bars, the poolside cafés, leaving the same laminated note. Having grown old and jaded, I doubt they are deaf - it probably just stops people challenging them or allows them a quick getaway. Local scenery, just like the lucky-lucky men with their watches and glasses. Or the carved animals my folks were conned into buying, as they were absolutely most definitely carved back in the African village by his family, and then they saw them the next day all lined up down the main street, carved elephants as far as they eye could see.

Businesses shouldn't be allowing this, no customer wants to be hassled by touts while they eat/drink. I tried a new café here and some sleazy-looking bloke in a suit started wandering around asking anyone if they wanted to buy a set of knives he was waving around.

You could learn to say 'Hello' and or 'No, thank you', in sign language. One deaf guy in Winnipeg used to flog deaf alphabets. I said 'Thank you' in sign language, and he was incredibly apologetic, (which there was no need for, I actually wanted one). Mr Tumble is useful after all.

I thought this was a well known scam. Same as tissues on the tube. Ignore it, and tell the cafe owner. I've seen them being asked to leave by cafe owners before.

Trying to post a link for thank you.
www.britishsignlanguage.com/words/index.php?id=98
these are no, but I don't know if it's the right type of no:
www.signbsl.com/sign/no

So like the gesture for wanker then?

"Get a fucking job" "get off fucking benefits you scrounger" "theres work there if they want it"

And when people try to make money when they've lost their benefits or can't find a "proper" job, they're scammers.

Race to the bottom on here some days.

Mrs devere I'm not accusing anyone of patronising deaf people. My point is that it all too easy to be judgemental of people that are clearly desperate to make some cash. They're not hardened criminals. To say that they should get a job, and that there are equal opportunities for all in this country is a blinkered view.
Does the PP who suggested selling from a stall in a shopping centre know how much it is to rent space in such places? It would be impossible to cover the costs selling keyrings!