Just Been Called a Fucking Bitch by a Nottingham Knocker

[LuluBlakey1]

So, our doorbell rang. I answered it. He looked like a Nottingham Knocker. The conversation went like this.
Him (Nicely) 'Hello. Sorry to bother you. Can I explain who I am?'
Me (Nicely) 'Hello. Well you can but if you are selling anything, I don't want to buy anything so I don't want to waste your time.'
Him (Frowning) 'Can I show you what I am selling?'
Me (Still nicely) 'It really won't change my mind. I don't want to buy anything.'
Him (Annoyed) 'Not even the cheapest thing'
Me (Politely) 'No, sorry'.
Him (Angry) 'So you don't want to help me?'
Me (Politely) 'I just don't buy anything at the door, ever.'
Him (Angry) 'Nobody does in this street. Nobody even comes to the door.'
Me (Politely) 'Sorry we get lots of people knocking to sell stuff.'
Him (Raging and stomping off) 'Piss off you stupid fucking bitch.'
Me (Politely) 'Glad I didn't buy anything now. You are very rude.'
Him (Still raging) 'Just fuck off. You're all fucking rude. Just fucking buy something and we'll fuck off. There's no need to be so fucking tight. Bitch.'

AIBU to have wanted to pick the spade up that was in the garden and brain him with it?

I didn't, of course, but I wanted to. I can't even feel any sympathy/empathy for him - the veneer of 'nice' was so thin and the 'thug' so quickly emerged. I wish I just hadn't answered the door. I bet he wouldn't have spoken to DH like that- 6ft, nearly 15 st and looks quite like a thug himself.I'm so angry.

@StaunchMomma

I'm glad our village whatsapp group is hot on this so I usually know when to ignore the door but there are a handful of neighbours who go on about how nice and polite they are and how others are mean for not buying from them.

It's because of these naive mugs that the rest of us have to suffer it. Same with people who blindly sign up to direct debits with chuggers or give to beggars.

You could get a ring doorbell (or similar) to check who it is before you respond.

Or give up their pre-reserved plane seats because another passenger has not taken the trouble to book for themselves, has a very good reason why they need the seat more than the person who did book, and have asked in the expectation that they will get.

Why relinquish your own paid seat? Because 'it's a nice thing to do'. 🤮

If the default response was 'no', the CFs would stop asking.

They are always rude if I answer the door (I never buy anything), I’ve noticed they don’t tend to be rude to my husband even though he doesn’t buy either. Absolute bunch of twats, best to just not answer or tell them you’re busy getting ready to go to your job as a police officer

Had one of these knock on the door again yesterday. I barely let him start his spiel before I closed the door to the familiar tirade of abuse. Arsehole.

They must spend the day in perpetual rage given that (I assume) 95% of people close the door on them. It must be a lucrative business model though if that minority of people do buy whatever shite they're peddling.

I was fucking livid afterwards, because I thought what if that was an autistic person answering the door, or an elderly relative? How would they handle that situation?

So please don't fall for the con. Hopefully if no one buys stuff they won't carry on with it, and vulnerable people won't have to fear answering the door.

Their sales tactics rely on being overbearing and threatening. Most people are not used to such confrontation and freeze in the face of it. People are polite and don't want to close the door on someone halfway through a sales pitch and thus feel obliged to buy some tat just to get them to move on. I work from home so have to deal with door to door sales every so often and these people are vermin.

@TheCadoganArms Agree 100% with your analysis.

Had one of these guys be quite aggressive and rude with me when I wouldn't buy anything - did feel quite vulnerable as was just me home alone with a baby. I reported him to 101, felt like then at least if anything else happened a picture could be built up.

I have to battled two dogs and two baby gates and two doors to get to answer the door as a result my face says annoy me or waste my time and I will unleash a rain of fire on you and if that doesn’t put you off I will let the dogs out

@CrunchyCarrot it wasn't the pricy fish man was it? Damn they were nice fish fingers but so expensive

One of those guys (or, at least, a guy dressed in a grey hoodie, white baseball cap and carrying a Nottingham knocker bag) went along our street stabbing the car tyres along it. Presumably someone wasn’t buying so he punished the whole street. The police got the CCTV but, realistically, they aren’t going to catch him.

This subject comes up regularly it’s all weird to me if they’re so awful how can they make any money? The enterprise would’ve gone bust?

Some people feel sorry for them and buy the overpriced dusters. They often scope out houses while going door to door.

Mine stopped ringing when we got a ring doorbell - but they bang on the door instead (because only the ringing triggers the camera).

I never buy or sign up to anything at the door , randoms coming to my door pisses me off. Similar beggars as a lot are at it. Had a guy come up to me and DH in the station once saying ‘this is awkward but I’m a bit short…’ I said ‘ach it’s awright pal you’re still young you’ll grow!’ and walked off. DH was practically pissing himself

My front garden is a tip, and if I open the door you can see the interior is a bit messy too. I just tell them I'm completely broke and having to survive from food banks so won't be buying anything, and no I have no idea when my financial situation will change - that second one is for the door/window sellers who want to get you to let someone do an estimate "for when things are better for you". I then shut the door while telling them my disability won't let me stand up any longer. OK the disability is currently at that stage and money is tight, but the foodbanks bit I will admit is a complete lie

Though I did used to have fun with the Jehovas before my back gave in completely. I'd stand in the doorway discussing religious theory with them to see how long they would stand there outside the door before I allowed myself to tell them I'm a witch.

My proudest moment was the time a man came round with what was clearly a teen learning the ropes. The man suddenly clicked to the fact that the trainee was really listening to what I said and was nodding and agreeing with me on a lot of stuff - never had a JW shift from my doorway so fast!

I used to have a lovely fish man too. VV expensive but fabulous quality!

My eldest son who is autistic bought stuff from a Nottingham knocker and it was very cheap stuff at a vastly inflated price.
I however am more harsh. A man knocked on my door once claiming to be from another part of town and offering to “tidy your trees up”. I said my trees were fine and DH keeps them tidy. Man said trees looked a mess, i disagreed and asked if he could actually SEE my trees from 2 miles away. Man got nasty so I said if he wanted to see a mess he should try looking in the mirror.

All these people want to tell you what to do with your money, that you are stupid, you are uncharitable
you are a bitch blah blah. But they just need telling if they are sooo clever, why haven’t they got a proper job instead or not living off their investment income then, instead of begging or stealing like a Dickensian urchin.

The truth is anyone that does this is being exploited or is casing your home, as it is not a proper living that you can live off honestly. If you have to use emotional manipulation then you haven’t got a business, you are just a beggar.

Not a Nottingham knocker but I had a cold caller knock on my door just before the covid lockdowns. I had only opened the door because my son had just gone out to get a haircut as we were expecting them to close and I thought he'd forgotten something and come back. When I told the guy we were in a cold calling zone and he shouldn't be coming round in a pandemic anyway he said he hoped I'd die of covid. Charming individual.

We get very few cold callers now, I wonder if it's because most people have Ring doorbells. We don't, but maybe we benefit from others people's!