Kids soliciting with big blue bins???

[Masher88]

Ok...in my area every few days (especially weekends) a van will drop off a few kids (14-18 yr olds), give them plastic bins full of crap (DVD's, magazines, pencils...etc) and they walk door to door trying to sell the junk to people. To raise money for something...but what? I don't think it's a church thing.

Does anyone have this in their area too?

I have a "No Soliciting" sign now because of this and the religion peddlers. Now, they leave me alone.

[bassteban]

Yeah, we get 'em. No blue bins, but the MO is pretty much the same. I'll often listen, but if they're from some other city or raising $ to 'go to Cancun w/my graduating class' or some such crepe I tell them why I don't think they need my money more than me. If they wanna discuss religion, I might take it up but they get NOTHING in the way of dinero.

[WickedPissah]

When the religion people come, I tell them that they interrupted my animal sacrifice to the high overlord Ch'tlak. Yeah, they leave.

[Croox]

I'd throw up in one of the blue bins or answer the door wet and naked and look angry. we really don't get solicitors by me anymore.

[invader3k]

Never had that happen. Once when I was working in retail a few years back, this younger looking guy (*maybe* 20 years old) came in wearing a pretty badly fitting suit, and carrying a duffel bag full of junk. Basically kids books and some tools and stuff. My co-worker and I asked who he was with and said "We're a Fortune 500 company and we're test-marketing some new products." Riiiiight. We told him we weren't interested, and then he had the balls to ask if he could show his stuff to an electrician that was there working on some of our lighting. We told him he couldn't and he promptly left. Weird experience.

[ROON]

Originally Posted by WickedPissah

When the religion people come, I tell them that they interrupted my animal sacrifice to the high overlord Ch'tlak. Yeah, they leave.

Lmao.

[Masher88]

so, is this some kind of national company that sponsors this, or is it just individuals hocking junk to anyone who will buy it...basically panhandling?

What's with the big van and driver that drops them off in neighborhoods?

[bassteban]

Originally Posted by Masher88

so, is this some kind of national company that sponsors this, or is it just individuals hocking junk to anyone who will buy it...basically panhandling?

What's with the big van and driver that drops them off in neighborhoods?

Individuals, I'd say. Like the Nigerian scam, if they hit 10,000 & get a few bucks every 100th time, it's worth it to pay these likely homeless kids a meal or two.
As for the vans, I'm guessing they round up some hungry punks in the middle of the city & cart them back to the sticks where folks are 'nicer(more gullible)'.

[RWP]

Reminds me of the guy in the van asking if you want to buy some really expensive 'over stock' speakers at a red light.

[Trevorus]

Originally Posted by RWP

Reminds me of the guy in the van asking if you want to buy some really expensive 'over stock' speakers at a red light.

I've had one of those in a parking lot of a Mega Store. The dude was nuts and would laugh every 5 seconds or so. It was really creepy. I told him I'd buy the speakers, but I had 20 bucks and that was it. I wanted to see how desperate he was... Apparently not that much.

[bassteban]

In my hometown the city requires permits for door-to-door soliciting. Legitimate ones usually present the card right off the bat. If your city has the same policy, ask them for their card. Or barf in the bin, either one should work.

[FingeringAm]

probobly and orphanage - same kids that sell candy in the parking lot of football games :S