Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Semantics, a Rant

Years ago, as he did twice a year for their Florida migration, my father turned over my ailing mother’s care to me and hubby for several days. She needed pain medication, so I took her shopping. Of course, she got confused. I still have a huge bottle of naproxen sodium.

Oh, well. I’m blessed not to need pain relief often.

And I screwed up, as well. Under stress, I meant to purchase a ‘no soliciting’ sign and brought home a ‘no trespassing’ notice instead.

My husband deemed the wording a bit harsh at the time, so I should have exchanged it but never did. To honor his wishes the thing got stored away.

Until recently.

Dealing with anxiety off and on, I hate hearing the doorbell or someone knocking unless we’re expecting a package or rare visitor. Yesterday evening we sat watching an episode of the miniseries “Presidents at War” when persistent knocking sounded. I refused to go to the door even though our television carries right through to the outside, especially at the volumes my husband often chooses.

A few minutes after the interloper gave up, I decided to step outside and found some guy wearing a construction vest like I’d seen on another solicitor turned away (!) a few days ago. Walking away from the house next door, he turned to my hail.

Anger emboldened, I shouted, “Hey! Don’t you know the definition of ‘no trespassing’?”

“Knocking on a door isn’t trespassing.”

I… begged to differ, you could say. He wasted no time heading the other direction.

Here is what an online search turned up:

tres·pass
[ˈtrespəs, ˈtresˌpas]
VERB
trespassing (present participle)
  1. enter the owner's land or property without permission.
‘Nuff said. I’ve asked my husband to use Amazon.com points and buy this rather attractive yard sign. I wish it included the caveat “unless you are a child” but don’t expect this will stop them, anyway.


Would you approach such an unwelcoming door?

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15 comments:

  1. Okay....NO trespassing says....GO AWAY, WE DON'T WANT YOU HERE. AND GET OFF MY LAND, OUT OF MY SPACE. Problem with that is that friends could read it that way also. HOWEVER~ No Soliciting means (to me) that you don't want anyone selling or offering anything, friends welcome. So, I would say that DUMB DUMB is an idiot! I have a no soliciting, one I painted. One that is showing signs of weather and needing to be redone. Now, at my house anyone coming to the door and hearing the tv going would assume I am there, however that is not always the case. When running to the store or to the barn, not going to be out long, I leave it on. That way the dogs don't feel alone! Now...not sure all feel the same as I do on the trespassing / soliciting thingy but that is how I see it and just as if I was married (and this might be one reason I am not) I stand my ground and I am RIGHT! LOL....kidding

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  2. I have a sign, no religion, no politics, no soliciting and it does absolutely no good. Just saying.

    Have a fabulous day. ♥

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  3. I don't go to doors unless I have a specific reason for doing so anyway. And I'm also one to ignore knocks on the door unless I'm expecting someone. Although, where I live now, we only get knocks from neighbors for specific reasons (mail delivered to wrong box, question about something, etc.).

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    1. That's nice you don't have to worry about solicitors, though water coming through your ceiling is a dubious trade-off. Be well!

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  4. I would not go to a door unless I was visiting someone or in need of help. I like that sign, I want one. I like one that says Trespassers will be shot, survivors will be shot again, but that is a little too harsh :)

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    1. Ooh, I like that one. ~evil grin~ Be well, my dear.

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  5. When someone comes to my door I can see who it is, and decide whether to answer or not! I don't think they can tell I see them though... I don't get a lot of knocks on the door.

    As for "trespassing," I read somewhere, sometime ago, cases where courts actually side with the "trespassers." It was reasoned that you have a path to your door, right? A door bell, right? You are therefore inviting people onto your property!

    I guess you'd need a fenced yard with a "no trespassing" sign to make it work.

    "No soliciting" would only mean, "don't try to sell me anything!" It woun't stop door to door canvassers, or religious groups, etc. from knocking.

    Hopefully the guy in the construction vest wasn't alerting neighbors to upcoming road work!

    Oh, check the expiration on those old pills! They are probably no good anymore. Do you have a drop-off place in town? We do, or are told to mix with cat litter to make them unappealing before throwing them out! Cat litter would do that, wouldn't it?

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    1. Thanks for all the great advice. Be well, my dear.

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  6. I would not knock on the door- but then again, I wouldn't knock on a stranger's door anyway. I do NOT like when people knock unexpectedly on my door and will not answer it unless I have been expecting a delivery or visitor. I can totally relate to the anxious feeling you get from the "knock".

    Good luck!
    ~Jess

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  8. I had never encountered so many door to door shady solicitors until I moved here. Selling everything from new windows to siding to religion of various brands. And politics. Yesterday, going to the Grocery OUtlet, a guy in a pickup follows me, stops behind me, begins yelling out his window. I crack my window to see what he's yelling. He tells me the dent in my car door is ugly and he can fix it for cheap, that I should do it. I yell back that I bought the car with that dent, I like the dent and besides, I haven't more money to put into the car. Dents add character, I added, rolling my window back up. That was a new low I thought. Soliciting with a construction hat on. Never had that happen.

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    1. Ugh... How obnoxious. In my current frame of mind I would have flipped him off, which would probably not have been wise. lol Take care, my dear!

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