Death of the Door-to-Door Salesman

The days of the door-to-door salesman may be numbered if a Quakertown councilman has anything to say about it. Embracing the success of the Do Not Call List, Councilman Dave Zaiser proposed a Do Not Knock List, according to The Intelligencer.

The idea came to Zaiser after he and his neighbors on Erie Avenue were plagued by a pushy salesman last year who was selling discount meat out of his pickup truck.

“Door-to-door sales aren’t what they used to be,” Zaiser said.

The idea of a Do Not Knock List  has sprung up in a few other states as well. While there are only a handful of communities embracing the no knocking ways, those that do prohibit everyone from vacuum salesmen to Jehovah’s Witnesses from knocking up.

Locally, Quakertown Council will monitor the borough of Trappe in Montgomery County. Trappe is considering a similar proposal that is thought to be the first of it’s kind in Pennsylvania, according to the paper.

Under the Trappe proposal, interested residents would sign a list and receive a sticker to be placed on their front door.

Exceptions would be made for Halloween trick-or-treaters, the postal services, newspapers and anyone the resident had done prior business with, the paper reported.

However, the proposal will allow Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and school groups to continue going door-to-door, Zaiser told the paper.

There is no word yet about an exemption for the guys who show up at your house with giant checks.  

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