kids these days

[sisyphusshrugged]

So this kid shows up at my door (by kid I mean that from my advanced age, I can't pin him down between 17 and 24ish) with a jaunty shave and a haircut knock. Shirt open and flapping, jeans that don't look too clean, and acne lesions that would have made it a better aesthetic choice to have buttoned the shirt.

My neighbor sent him, he tells me.

My neighbor is in her eighties and thinks a tshirt worn on the street is a presumptive sign of drug abuse, so that's strike one.

He's part of a leadership group. They're having a contest.

I only do that stuff by mail.

Ah, I must not believe he's part of a leadership group. Laminated ID from Kinkos which he shows me from somewhere under his armpit and whisks back into his pocket.

So his leadership group is having a contest where we rate his leadership and presentation.

Perhaps your score would improve if you took no for an answer.

I didn't hear you say no.

I'm sorry, I thought I had.

Well, you don't know a thing about me or what I'm doing but [retreating down the stairs and away from the house]

[through the window: knocks at the house on the other side]

I'm coming from your neighbor.

Comments

[incendiarymind.livejournal.com]

Did he have M&Ms?

[drood.livejournal.com]

We have that very same scam (whatever it is . . . I won't answer the door) in our neighborhood every summer. Interesting.

[(Anonymous)]

It sounded like one of those scam, selling magazine or book.

[jmhm.livejournal.com]

That was my guess. The nothing else to do at that hour and not realizing or caring that people/women who are at home during the day don't invite ill-kempt strangers into their houses on the strength of a color xerox thing suggested to me that drugs were somehow involved as an motive force or ultimate goal, but that could be just me.

Doesn't scream "drug use" to me...

[theotherbaldwin.livejournal.com]

...just "really crappy salesman".

[gentlyepigrams]

In Texas those saleskids often come with Jesus talk. I do not do well with people trying to sell me stuff with Jesus talk. If the best thing you can say about your product is that the salesman is religious, it's probably not a very good product, IMNSHO.

[jmhm.livejournal.com]

In my notably sincere humble opinion? :D

Magazine and Candy Scams

[(Anonymous)]

I've gotten a few of these "youth leadership" solicitors.

There was an article in the SF Chron about them a few years back. It's a lowlife business. Vans full of raffish kids driven around by a raffish adult, selling overpriced subscriptions or bogus fundraising candy.

I suspect these are kids that couldn't cut it even at McD's. It would be sad if it weren't so obnoxious.

Stefan

[(Anonymous)]

Casing, he's casing houses.