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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to have wanted to pick a fight with the salesman who just appeared at my door?

40 replies

Greensleeves · 13/05/2010 17:14

some bloke hoping to sell me a conservatory just knocked on my door, as I approached the front door to open it I saw him picking up and looking at the vegetables in my veg box which was on the doorstep!

he put the leek down when I opened the door and launched straight into his patter, not even in a very friendly manner

"I take it you are the home owner" he says

"Yes, and I am flat broke" I snapped

door slammed

was I BU?

OP posts:
Theyremybiscuits · 13/05/2010 17:15

Not at all

scurryfunge · 13/05/2010 17:16

Sure he wasn't a plumber? Checking for leeks

ashcloud · 13/05/2010 17:17

How did you know he was selling conservatories? Just out of interest.

And I think he was rude to finger your veg.

Original poster
Greensleeves · 13/05/2010 17:18

cos he was waving a fistful of conservatory brochures in my face!

OP posts:
Gibbon · 13/05/2010 17:25

YANBU

Original poster
Greensleeves · 13/05/2010 17:31

I thought it was bloody outrageous!! I wouldn't DREAM of picking up someone's veg out of a box on their doorstep! And he knew I'd seen it, he was totally unbothered!

OP posts:
BouncingTurtle · 13/05/2010 17:34

I hoped you picked up your veg box in a pointed way before you slammed the door!

LaurieFecktheToriesCake · 13/05/2010 17:34

it's a leek not your clitoris

It was on your front porch (as in outside)

yer mad

'outrageous' is properly over-the-top

If i had been your mate I may have come round and fingered your veg and taken note of where you got it from - it wouldn't occur to me you'd be mad.

LaurieFecktheToriesCake · 13/05/2010 17:36

yanbu to be rude to him though

I like being short with doorsteppers

Gibbon · 13/05/2010 17:37

Can we really stop saying fingering veg. My throat is far too sore to cope with the chuckling.

Original poster
Greensleeves · 13/05/2010 17:38

he's not my friend though, he's a total stranger! WOuld you really pick up and examine someone else's food, if you didn't know them and were there to sell them something?

like your nn though Laurie

OP posts:
Ivykaty44 · 13/05/2010 17:40

Oh I just say that I am not the owner and we are having a pray meeting would they like to come in and join us as they might become enlighted it will be around an hour - they never want to stay you know and often say they will leave us to it as they tuen on their heel works a treat with a dead pan face

LaurieFecktheToriesCake · 13/05/2010 17:41

oh yeah it's a bit weird.

but it's terribly British to be 'outraged' at him fingering your leek

Gibbon · 13/05/2010 17:43

Have to say I wouldn't fancy eating my parsnip after some strange man had rooted aound and fingered it.

Clumsymum · 13/05/2010 17:43

No, I just send 'em away.

Does ANYBODY actually buy a conservatory from someone just door-knocking?
If I was going to spend thousands, I go out looking for a good job at a good price..

Original poster
Greensleeves · 13/05/2010 17:43

Well I am broadly British

and I find it impertinent

OP posts:
Ishoglomo · 13/05/2010 18:37

I really dislike "are you the homeowner?" If I've never met you before it's none of your business!

Mamalade · 13/05/2010 19:02

I'm with you Greensleeves.I was actually asked by a door-to-door 'Artist' if the 'man of the house was home'.I replied that he wasn't but that he wasn't any more prone to throwing money away on Shite than I was.
'man of the house' indeed.
Did you ever....

boatgirlie · 13/05/2010 20:47

"we are having a pray meeting would they like to come in and join us as they might become enlighted it will be around an hour - they never want to stay you know and often say they will leave us to it as they tuen on their heel works a treat with a dead pan face"

Ivykaty44 - I've just stopped laughing over this one, I'm sooo going to use it next time the bloomin double glazing gits come round!! Ta!

chirpee · 15/05/2010 19:44

I will probably be flamed for this but has anyone ever stopped to think about the salesmens' feelings in this? They probably hate their job but it is probably the only one they can get and at least they are not sitting on his backside claiming benefits. How would you feel if the salesman was your son or brother trying to earn a living? I am always polite to cold callers as what is the point of making a rotten job worse for them? Try being nice - you just might feel better for it.

Original poster
Greensleeves · 15/05/2010 19:46

Um, if the salesman were a blood relative of mine, I would feel no differently about the fact that he thought it was OK to pick up and handle food that was sitting in a veg box on the doorstep of a stranger

and also would still be quite surprised at his offhand manner - if you know you are cold-calling people trying to sell something, surely you wouldn't start by being bloody rude?

OP posts:
RustyBear · 15/05/2010 19:52

But no-one's suggested being rude to inoffensive salesmen, chirpee - fingering someone's veg is rude, so is assuming that a woman can't make decisions, and inviting someone to a prayer meeting, even an imaginary one, is hardly impolite.

FoxyRevenger · 15/05/2010 20:16

Gibbon, that's how it managed to get out of the ground and into a box though...

Original poster
Greensleeves · 15/05/2010 20:17

not quite the same though, is it foxy?

I maintain it was fucking rude of him to pick up and handle my veg!

OP posts:
FoxyRevenger · 15/05/2010 20:30

Well yes, but....veg gets washed before you eat it, right?

To be honest I think it's more unreasonable to be rude to someone who has had to resort to doing such a soul-sucking job for a living, than touching someone else's leek.

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