Salesmen, When You're Not in a Hurry

These days, it can seem like there are two types of people: cultists and people being recruited to join cults.

Fortunately, as Miss Manners reminds us, the etiquette rule concerning answering when spoken to does not constitute an ironclad contract for a prolonged engagement:

Know, first, that etiquette does not require you to engage with them endlessly. These people are counting on you knowing that in most situations, it is rude not to answer when spoken to -- and on you not wanting to be rude. They are further counting on your either not recognizing their own rudeness in pressing the conversation or your not knowing how to get away.

This line of reasoning culminates in the all-purpose escape clause: Thank you, I'm not interested, which Judith Martin amusingly suggests can be used even in reply to such apocalyptic-sounding attempts to induce unearned guilt as, Don't you care about the future of our planet?

All I can add is that, oftentimes, proselytizers and other salesmen set up stands, such as within or outside commercial establishments. A long time ago, before my spine had calcified, these used to fill me with dread, especially if I saw that they were unavoidable.

No more.

Now, I see them as alert beacons that remind me that I am busy man. The one thing better than having to break off an unwanted engagement is being able to preempt one, and spotting a salesman in advance is great for this purpose. If I can't simply bypass the stand, I can be ready to assume a brisk pace, smile, and say, Thanks, but I'm in a hurry.

Ideally, the vendor/fund-raiser/proselytizer will festoon the stand with signage announcing the product or cause. I always take notice and on some occasions even take an interest. But if I can't tell what it is on sight, I am always too hurried to delve into why someone is taking such pains to spend any amount of my irreplaceable time.

-- CAV