Aibu that they make me uneasy.

[Tevion28]

I'm talking about gas and electric sales people standing in supermarket doorways, in the town etc etc not just these but charities etc
Something about them makes me very uncomfortable and I desperately try to avoid eye contact and even walk the other way.

I have some social anxiety and can't stand having to converse when I just wanna go about my business. Am I weird I mean I know they are just doing a job but I hate it.

Make you uncomfortable how?

Ah I see cross posted!

Just wondering if anybody else feels the same

It's fine to just walk past without interacting, that's what most people will do. At the most I just smile and say "no thanks" without slowing down.

OP I don't have social anxiety and they piss me off....

they are skilled in annoying people 🌸

I feel bad when I say no I guess just wish they didn't exist.

I'm 100% like this too

@Tevion28

I feel bad when I say no I guess just wish they didn't exist.

they invade your personal space ... they rely on the fact that a lot of people are to polite to say No thank you and they feed on this..

oldest sales tricks in the book..

you are not alone in feeling this way 🌸

I just tell them I'm not the person named on the bill and they soon loose interest. I tell the chuggers then that I've no bank account 🤣

Better than them knocking on your door! I've had two already this week

@Tevion28

I feel bad when I say no I guess just wish they didn't exist.

YANBU.

IMHO there are certain jobs (cold calling, selling on the street etc) that give zero benefit to society, but do make many people feel sad or scared or angry. I have no qualms in being pretty rude to such people, because I genuinely believe that the world would be a better place if the jobs didn't exist because they were so unpleasant to do that no-one did them.

You need to perfect the firm "no thank you and smile" delivered the second they start talking. I have been doing this for years now, and never think twice about the encounter afterwards. We have so many where I am, it's the only way to deal with it.

I had one (charity) chugger say to me 'Are you the lady that's going to do something amazing today?'. Urgh.

I don't make eye contact and rush by. At least they wear tabards and you can see them a mile off.

@BlackberrySky

You need to perfect the firm "no thank you and smile" delivered the second they start talking. I have been doing this for years now, and never think twice about the encounter afterwards. We have so many where I am, it's the only way to deal with it.

I prefer completely ignoring them (I've had people follow me screaming because I dared ignore them, that was fun!!!) of just giving them the most full on "I think you're a piece of shit and I have the potential to turn violent" face I can.

Then there's "fuck off, just FUCK RIGHT OFF".

Or just waste their time with a conversation about how you never ever ever buy from cold-callers / direct sales.

Cold calls on the phone I just lean the phone against a speaker on my desk and stick some unpleasant / noisy music on (or something really sweary and offensive). Check a minute or two later to check they've hung up.

@nancybotwinbloom

Better than them knocking on your door! I've had two already this week

oh my.. it that allowed 😱 I thought cold calling was banned ... or did I imagine that 🤔

Two stock phrases to be used as soon as they start speaking:

Door knockers: I don't give out my details at the door
Street chuggers: I don't sign up to things on the street

This can be started with "Sorry" or "I don't want to waste your time" with a big smile it comes across as if you're doing them a favour.

Additional replies for the ones that yell at you as you pass:

Do you like nature/dogs/children? No I hate nature/ I'm a cat person/ Yes but I couldn't eat a whole one.

In the case of JWs: I'm a pagan (they literally run back down the drive).

I do have a door sign but it is widely ignored and I've perfected the resting bitch face coupled with looking like you're in a rush. The only ones that I haven't found a decent work around for are the charity bag packers at the supermarkets (covid has put a stop to this for the moment) it's often kids (scouts or school trip fundraisers) and there's no way to refuse without looking like a total bitch (I have still refused but the GUILT gets me afterwards).

I've got a sign for the front door. Works a treat.

I don't have anxiety at all, OP, and I hate them too.

I Spot them from a distance. Start thinking about how I can divert. Then I smile and say no thank you while walking away quickly.

I'm a (too) polite person so I am conditioned to respond when someone talks to me. I hate it.

All you need to say is ‘no thanks’, smile and keep walking.

I cross roads ffs 🤣

Pre Covid I did a "sorry, no thank you" to some teen girls in the local Private School's uniform , "doing a survey" (?). They were around 15/16, I guess. They called me a C*. I have social anxiety too, so I was a bit shaken. I don't say anything now to charity or survey people.

I also feel like a lot of them don't actually want to be doing it but it's the only job they could get at the time.

Not just me then thought I was abnormal for how they make me feel.

They aren't gas people. They are dealers. Drug dealers.