and she was old...but not in a little old lady way but probably a retired actress who needs money to pay for her husband's viagra. she looked like she'd be in a viagra commercial. i feel bad...sort of. i gave her some info once about my neighbors right across from me because they don't live here anymore. i didn't want people to keep coming by and leaving notices because then they it might become apparent no one lives there and someone might try to break in. so then, a week later this crazy census lady practically accosts me for more info on other neighbors as i'm paying the pizza delivery guy while the dog is going ballistic because they forgot to call me before coming. she kind of creeped me out as she appeared out of nowhere at my door up a stairwell. then today, i'm in the shower and my bell rings and of course the dog goes totally ballistic. he's a rescue; he has issues. i'm hoping they go away or leave my big package i'm expecting thinking it's UPS. dog is still going crazy, got soap suds all over, bell rings again. ok, i probably need to sign for my package i'm expecting. noooo! it's the frickin' census lady yet again! she rang my bell 3 times. i finally yelled at her thru the door to stop bugging me and she just asks me who the apartment manager is. arrgrrrhh. i tell her there is no manager. it's not an apartment building but i ain't telling her that. so i feel a little bad about yelling at her but she's practically stalking me now. the census lady. who looks like an unemployed viagra actress. :

The census people are very assertive.

sounds aggravating...but also a bit like a Seinfeld episode
I think I would have yelled too...it happens sometimes!

byz: i had no idea! i would never have told her anything if i'd thought she'd be such a pain.

Originally Posted by ripley

sounds aggravating...but also a bit like a Seinfeld episode

haha, i was thinking it was like something from a sitcom. i guess there is the soup nazi and now the census stalker. i did feel bad for yelling but mostly thought it was all rather funny when i thought about it.

[Perna]

I wouldn't feel bad; they should be stalking the people they're looking for, not the rest of us. It's as bad as a sales person calling on the phone. We get those for people who use to have our phone number but aren't us and don't have our address!

[KathyM]

It's got to be a tough job though. It's a big deal, and they aren't merely soliciting. Still, having someone show up on your doorstep is even worse than having them call you on your phone. It sucks that it wasn't even about you, but I'm sure she appreciated the information you were able to provide. This is a treasure hunt for survival for her. She probably hounded you because she thought she found a "friend" in you - til you voted her OFF!

I had a young black man show up at my door one day, but he was a solicitor for a home repair company. I mention his race because I live in a very white and racist part of town. When I answered the door, I noticed he was dressed very nice and clean.....and standing VERY far away from my door. He started his sales pitch with "I'm not here to cause any harm," showed me his materials from a distance, then stood there waiting for my response. Poor kid, I could tell I wasn't the first house on his schedule. He looked a little "shell shocked," so I invited him up to my door and allowed him to give me his sales pitch. I just warned him ahead of time I had no money, but would call him the moment the clouds part and money starts raining down from the skies over my head. I've been checking the weather - nothing yet.

[NuckingFutz]

Do not feel bad. There was an attorney in Round Rock, Texas who fired three rounds as her census worker. Lucky for both of them that the atty was a lousy shot. This was on the local news. Apparently this Atty has been slowly loosing her mind in the courtroom and now this!

[notz]

Hey, I thought I'd weigh in and tell you I am the CENSUS LADY! It's a temporary job for me and I need the money......we're both out of work.

I don't badger but I do have to bug people to help me. Why, you ask? Help me close the case. Continuation of this job depends upon my 'productivity'. The end of the census is nearing and I'm trying to do well enough to stay a worker rather than no work at all. Don't be hating me now! There's a lot of pressure to produce.

[NuckingFutz]

Notz, you be careful out there!

nucking: would you mind putting a trigger icon on your initial post if that's still possible? i found it a bit triggering. thanks.

notz: so you're the census lady! lol, don't worry, i won't hate and i won't generalize to all of you. just don't be a census stalker.

[notz]

I hear ya bloom! And Ms Nutz too!

I got sum street cred...

[Shangrala]

I can understand your frustrations.

Happened to me, as well, although not until well after all the repeated questionier packages we received in the mail from Census Bureau and then the many repeated phone calls. Until finally, visits to the door. And it was how they knocked...well, it wasn't a knock..it was "boom boom boom"....pause...."boom boom boom".

I'm in the middle of cooking, and got sick of hearing someone pounding at my door, so I answer..with spatula still in hand and towel in other..clearly I'm in the middle of something.
He insists that I take "just a moment" of my time and answer some questions for the census. I tell him politely that I can't atm, I'm busy cooking. He insists that it'll ONLY take 10 minutes of my time. Again, i repeat, "I'm sorry, but I'm in the middle of cooking. It'll burn". He then responds with, "Can you perhaps turn off the stove for a moment...this will only take 10 minutes of your time".

Well, needless to say, I exploded. I told him to get lost and slammed the door in his face.

Not 20 mins later. He returns again, "boom boom boom". (I guess he calculated my cooking time would be done by then). Fortunately, I knew the knock, (or pound), and ignored him. He repeated his banging a few more times, then left a lil reminder hanging on the doorknob to contact him so the interview can be conducted over the phone...(lol..one of my pups pulled it off the doorknob and tore it up for me...lmao).

About an hour later, he returns yet again. This time hub was out front mowing lawn, (he was a sitting duck...lol). Seems the guy got his questions answered. But not by me.

Shangrala

[KathyM]

Yesterday my son and I noticed a man lurking around our neighbor's house across the street. A single mother lives there, so we kept an eye on the man. We ruled out evangelist and solicitor because they would have given up after a while. This guy was persistent, and even got the next-door neighbors involved - like in your case. I was certain it was a census worker. My son wasn't so sure....until the man crossed the street and headed over to our house.

My son and I raced each other to the door to find out who was right. HA - I was right! He was a very nice census worker just trying to do his job.

This was my belly laugh for today---still chuckling----thank you all soooo much!!!!!!!!!----------------------------------------Theo

[Ft1980]

I don't know what is wrong with letting someone know that you need space ..

[Shangrala]

Originally Posted by Ft1980

I don't know what is wrong with letting someone know that you need space ..

In these circumstances, it's not so much of letting someone know that you need space. It's a matter of them respecting you enough to give it to you when you clearly request it.

[Aunt Donna]

My husband answered what questions he wanted to when the census man came by here. He thought some of the questions were none of his business. He point blank told him if he wanted to know anything else, he would have to visit me where I worked. I never saw the man. LOL

Originally Posted by Ft1980

I don't know what is wrong with letting someone know that you need space ..

it wasn't wrong that i was letting the census stalker know that i needed space but how i did it. i shouldn't have yelled at her. i lost my cool.

[eskielover]

Very Interesting........

I got the census questionnaire in the mail & I filled it out & sent it in & haven't seen a peep out of any censes takers.

One of the girls in our riding group is a census taker, but she said that she only goes to the ones that didn't fill out the form.

Hope the stalking stops....need to put on your invisibility cloak......lol.

Originally Posted by eskielover

One of the girls in our riding group is a census taker, but she said that she only goes to the ones that didn't fill out the form.

that's how i would think it would work but this lady seems to be hitting every address. i was a good little citizen and sent mine in on time. i think my neighbors have as well and that is why they are ignoring her notices but then she just keeps coming back and making a pest of herself.

Hope the stalking stops....need to put on your invisibility cloak......lol.

ahhhh, i must dig it out of me closet.

[bachir]

i had one show up just today. to be honest the whole thing creeped me out. i'm suprised i even opened the door. never again

[sunrise]

Bloom, I was outside talking to a neighbor and the census worker came by and began asking us for information on a neighbor who hadn't filled out the form. Where was this family, were they out of town, what times of day were they at home, etc. It kind of creeps me out there are strangers on the prowl asking for this detailed information about my neighbors. What if she is also a thief and looking to break in and rob the house?

My 19 yo daughter applied for a census job and I was really reluctant for her to take it. I know they want you to be really persistent in trying to track down people who haven't filled out the forms yet, including accosting neighbors. And I felt there was no telling who she would meet, who might yell at her, or even attack her (she's a small young thing, very cute and appealing). She got the job but fortunately could not work the 25 hours required a week. Phew! (If she did get the job, I was going to insist she take Mace spray with her on her rounds to protect from aggressive or hostile individuals--just in case.)