Sound Off: If door-to-door solicitors have a valid city license, can they ... / LJWorld.com

Sound Off

According to the Lawrence Police Department, it is unlawful to solicit at a residence or business that has a sign displayed that prohibits soliciting or trespassing. Even with a license, they are also not allowed to solicit between the hours of 8 p.m. and 9 a.m. These violations can be reported to police. Sgt. Trent McKinley, a Lawrence police spokesman, said also officers had received about a dozen calls in the last two weeks about door-to-door solicitors with licenses misrepresenting themselves as being affiliated with the homeowner’s home security company to try to gain entry into the residence to sell a different security system. McKinley said police are working with the consumer protection unit of Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson’s office to try to determine what other avenues officials may have regarding such behavior.

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Cant_have_it_both_ways 12 months ago

Hopefully, we can do this by neighborhood vs by house. I have had at least 5 this week, two of which were the home security types. Gets really old.

mdlund0 12 months ago

What area of town? I live way out on the west side and haven't seen any... yet.

SnakeFist 12 months ago

I absolutely hate when solicitors bother me at home, and I absolutely refuse to reward their behavior by ever buying anything from them. I don't mind a flyer stuck in my screen door, but don't give me a high pressure sales pitch while I'm standing in my door in my underwear. I looked for a "no soliciting" sign all over town and couldn't find one, so I finally made my own. I haven't had it up long enough to know if its really working.

Hooligan_016 12 months ago

I'm kind of surprised Ace Hardware at 19th/Louisiana didn't have one ...

superswagg56 12 months ago

23RD/LOUISIANA

collective82 12 months ago

Cottons at 19th and mass?

reverber 12 months ago

There was a guy selling them door to door last week.

Phoghorn 12 months ago

Frankie8 12 months ago

All you have do is shut the door. Why are you standing there listening to them?

gphawk89 12 months ago

That usually works. Things got quite interesting once when one of these guys tried to push the door back open as I was closing it.

luv2raft 12 months ago

That, or just don't open the door in the first place. I don't answer the door unless it's a visitor I'm expecting or the UPS guy.

Ron Holzwarth 11 months, 4 weeks ago

Oh,. I missed the "it's a visitor", and I thought it had something to do with the UPS guy.

parrothead8 12 months ago

We bought our No Soliciting sign at the 6th/Kasold Ace Hardware.

rockchalker52 12 months ago

School fund raising young ones & their blue & yellow trash bags are usually welcome. Pro tip: Just offer the trash bags & skip the catalog with the 2-year old caramel corn I could order.

50YearResident 12 months ago

Door to door soliciting should be illegal. There is no reason the City of Lawrence should allow questionable solicitors to harrass residents by issuing them a license for fraud. We, as residents, should hold the city responsible for any illegal activities of a "City Licensed Solicitor" with recourse of any and all monitary losses incured. It is a responsability of the City to insure these people are legitimate before issue of a license.

mdlund0 12 months ago

If you're looking for a police state, you should consider North Korea or Iran.

asixbury 12 months ago

Even the crap-hole Salina has made door-to-door soliciting illegal. This is just a basic right for the residents not to be harrassed.

snap_pop_no_crackle 12 months ago

If you answer the door and announce, "it's time for my enema, would you care to come in and assist?", you'll find people will tend to run away.

Katara 12 months ago

Oh, I don't know. I'm sure if those folks read your posts on here, they'd be more than happy to administer one to you.

acg 12 months ago

I used to answer the door dressed as Death. That's funny to see their faces! I've told Jehovah's Witnesses that I was a Pagan (that scoots them out of there really quickly) and then there's the classic...flip on the sprinklers as soon as they get in your yard.

asixbury 12 months ago

My dad answers the door to Jehovah Witnesses wearing his "Jesus" costume from Halloween. The looks on their faces are priceless!

jwoww 12 months ago

Just FYI - Jehovah's Witnesses are NOT solicitors. They are not trying to sell you anything. They are volunteers, giving their time to talk to their neighbors about the Bible. There are plenty of Supreme Court cases establishing their right to do this work - most recently the Stratton case in 2003.

I'm a lawyer and have relatives that are witnesses, and I can't believe how they get treated sometimes, yet still keep a positive attitudes toward others. If you don't want to listen to them, fine, but there's no need to be a jerk about it. Golden rule, people...

ksarmychick 12 months ago

The golden rule?!?! I thought that was treat others as you wish to be treated. According to me the golden rule would apply that I would not want to be harassed by someone trying to "push" their religious beliefs on me or sell me crap I don't need. I have dogs and small children and have 3 times this week had my kids woken up by people knocking at my door trying to sell me crap I don't need or try to talk to me about the bible. One by some dude in a green shirt trying to sell me windows and siding, once by some dude with home security systems and once by 2 older men with some church.
Well I believe that people should be free to pratice whatever religion they see fit, I also should be granted the same right. I would NEVER show up at a strangers door to bother them and their family in their own home to try and force my beliefs upon them.
And I have tried not answering the door but they just continue to stop by my house several times a day until they make contact. And when they make contact and I tell them I not interested-they don't go away but continue with their stupid sales pitch.

jwoww 12 months ago

So put up a "No Trespassing" sign - that way, anyone coming on your property could potentially be prosecuted for trespassing.

jwoww 12 months ago

So put up a "No Trespassing" sign. That would make them think twice before coming on your property.,

pace 12 months ago

Supposedly you can request a do not visit from the Johovah's. Ask if they are affiliated with a local church. I called the church after some were rude to me in front of my daughter. I have no interest in "getting" them, but someone saying they are from a religious organization is not an excuse from civility.

AreUNorml 12 months ago

are they not soliciting tickets to heaven?

beatnik 12 months ago

i just tell them to get off my porch and shut the door

MurphyCat 12 months ago

I just don't answer the door.

Pywacket 12 months ago

That's great if you don't have an infant or toddler you've just gotten to sleep or if you're not a night worker trying to sleep or if you don't have dogs who go crazy whenever a stranger is ringing the bell or pounding on the door... If you do have any of those circumstances (or others that mean you can't easily ignore the disruption), it's irritating and possibly messes up your whole afternoon.

collective82 12 months ago

Just answer naked they go away. Works every time!

Renaissance 12 months ago

back in college about 10 years ago, I delivered for a sandwich shop and had a customer answer the door that way once at the Apple Lane Apartments (15th & Kasold). Needless to say, it did not encourage me to go away.

weiser 12 months ago

My two German Shepards love it when they come to the door. They don't stay long though for some reason!

grammaddy 12 months ago

Dear Solicitors; I am fine with the God I have. I love the vacuum cleaner I already own. I'm okay with my cable package. I already donate to the ACLU. All of you kids selling candy, feel free to knock. The rest of you: SCRAM!!

pace 12 months ago

City soliciting license is called transient merchant. If you have a solicitor who can not show their licence, do your neighbors a favor, call the police and report the activity. License information can be found at http://www.lawrenceks.org/city_code/system/files/chapter06.pdf Article 8. Transient Merchants The licensee is suppose to have photo id and a back ground check. Most salespersons say their business has the license, they usually don't. KC Star solicitor lied. Each person is suppose to have one. I heard the commission changed the requirements a few years ago, I knew the old rules but don't know what may have changed.

AreUNorml 12 months ago

I once opened the door to a very nice young lady selling magazines; she remarked positively about the aroma emanating from my home, so I invited her in for a session. I ended up buying too many magazines that I never actually read.

pace 12 months ago

No, but I think you can spritz them with water if they don't leave when asked. Opps spouse says not that either.

Pywacket 12 months ago

How about if you have a sprinkler placed strategically near the porch--and when you peek out through a curtain and see a stranger at the door, you sneak out the back way and turn on the water?

rtwngr 12 months ago

Just answer the door and say no thank you. There is no need to be rude.

Pywacket 12 months ago

@ mdlund0~ What you're saying is that someone's "right" to knock on doors and try to foist products of ideology (religion) on people should be valued more highly than the right of people to enjoy peace and quiet in their own homes.

I disagree and would welcome a law against soliciting. The homeowner should have the right not to be disturbed by someone they have not invited to their home or who has no other unavoidable reason to come by (e.g., to deliver a package or conduct census interviews).

A lot of people sleep days and work the night shift. Others have babies or toddlers whose naptime is a godsend to the parent. Many have dogs who will go nuts if a stranger shows up. People might be ill and trying to get some shut-eye. Once wakened for some clown's attempt to sell brushes or Jesus, the nightworker, infant, or sick person might find it difficult to get back to sleep.

Any time one person's rights are pitted against another, someone is going to have to compromise or not get their way. It does not make it a "police state" if the people who prevail in this circumstance is the homeowner and not the solicitor.

Pywacket 12 months ago

Oy; editor, edit thyself.... That last line should read, "...if the people who prevail..... ARE the homeowners and not the solicitors."

Orwell 12 months ago

Why don't we handle this like the no-call law – only enforce it better?

Establish a city No-Knock List. Anyone can choose to add his/her address.
Add a requirement that anyone securing a city transient merchant license obtain a copy of the city's No-Knock List, at the solicitor's expense, and honor its limitation on solicitation.
Violation of the No-Knock list results in revocation of license and ineligibility of new license for X months.
There are probably constitutional limitations on enforcing this against religious or political solicitation, but responsible entities should voluntarily honor the list's request for privacy.

This should be the solicitor's obligation, not the resident's. Our courts recognize a "right to be left alone."

del888 12 months ago

so·lic·it [suh-lis-it] verb (used with object) 1 .to seek for (something) by entreaty, earnest or respectful request, formal application, etc.: He solicited aid from the minister.

2 .to entreat or petition (someone or some agency): to solicit the committee for funds.

3 to seek to influence or incite to action, especially unlawful or wrong action.

to offer to have sex with in exchange for money.

Ron Holzwarth 11 months, 4 weeks ago

For exactly one day I had a job selling magazines door to door. It was very interesting, and I learned a whole lot in only that one day.

One of the most interesting things I learned was that quite often it's lots of fun to be a door to door salesman. But I was told you shouldn't have fun until your sales are good, because it takes time to have fun.

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