So this salesman stops by my house yesterday...

[AustinG35]

So I made the mistake of leaving the garage door up (open) and I got a knock from the young kid working with a local pest control company. First thing he comments on how nice my “G” is (trying to build rapport with a potential customer, etc.) we cut to the chase, I listen to his sales pitch, and politely tell him that I currently use a competitive pest control company that also doubles as my lawn care service. And while my current servicing company was a little more in cost than this sales guy's company was, I had been using them for several years and had no interest in changing. I close the door, he starts to walk down the driveway, and I then walk back into my computer office, I am compelled to peak out the window. I happen to catch him discretely lean down, and it looked like he dropped something into the edge of my yard next to the sidewalk. At first, I thought that maybe he dropped something, but it looked like his hand moved from the ground up and he appeared to quickly put something into the side pocket of his cargo shorts. I thought it was odd, I knew that he didn’t steal anything from my yard, so about 10 minutes later, I went out to water the lawn, and happened to go over to where he had stopped. Down on the sidewalk next to the edge of my yard and driveway was a 6” letter “X” clearly drawn in pink chalk…So now, I’m asking myself, why would he do that? Here are the only scenarios I came up with:
1. He marked my house to remember which houses he had stopped by in the neighborhood (although I’ve never seen that type of behavior before on my front drive from any of the other solicitors over the years that I have lived there.)
2. He may have “marked” my house for theft.
3. He may have “marked” my yard for pest sabotage.

So what do you think? Should I be alarmed? Am I being too paranoid? Anybody out there used to be or is currently a door-to-door salesman and could shed some light on this behavior? Wished I had just closed my garage door, and I would have never opened my front door.

[THX723]

That's sounds pretty shady!

Hopefull it was nothing negative. I'd keep an eye open on this one. Remove chalk mark ASAP and mark it on your neighbor's instead!!! Okay, kidding w. the last bit.

Although, one would beg if it was something shady, wouldn't he have more easily and discreetly wrote your address down?

[superdude]

number 3 doesnt seem plausible.

did he come in your house? maybe if he realized ur home does/does not have security, that can be possible, but unlikely.

i say scenario 1 is the best bet, in case some other salesmen comes to your neighborhood, he knows where and wherenot to go

[AustinG35]

Oh yeah, I took a brush, some 409 and water and cleaned the chalk mark off. He never came in the house, but he may have been able to see into the living room behind me and saw that it looked pretty nice, plus he saw the shiny clean black G35 coupe and my wife's shiny clean '05 Jeep Grand Cherokee in the open garage. And he should have heard the alarm chime when the door opened. I have been leaving the garage open to vent in the afternoons and early evenings when I get home because it gets so hot in there from the heat of both cars being in there.

[superdude]

well then robbery may not be it at all, i say option number1 is probably it.

maybe the mark told em NOT to rob ur house? haha

[GZire]

I'd clean the mark off.

I think more than likely he's just indicating that he made his pitch at your address and you were a no. Possibly a check to bring the heavy hitting sales pitch after throwing the minor leaguer at you.

[SDG35619]

Dude you can't ever be too sure these days. Why not file a police report? Not nessesarily dial 9-1-1 but report a non emergency report. What if by a strange chance, houses have been burgularized and the chalk is a lead?

All I'm saying is there are some shady people out there, and for money most would be involved in things like this.

[uhohNumber2brb]

ask your neighbor is something similiar happened to them

[Zoomzoomers]

If you still remember the name of the company that he was representing, give them a call and ask. Sometimes the most direct path is the easiest. Go pick up a mad dog from the pound and let him go to town in your yard. That should placate your restless nights.

[superdds]

have a little fun with it...erase what he wrote and write "XXX6969XXX"

[crimsonxredrum]

Originally Posted by superdds

have a little fun with it...erase what he wrote and write "XXX6969XXX"

hahaha thats funny, i would be careful about it, isnt it illegal to write on someone elses property? even if it is only chalk, and i'm sure that the sales men are dropped off in different sections as to avoid something like the another person going to the same house... i would be careful and the mad dog idea isnt to bad

[Zoomzoomers]

Originally Posted by superdds

have a little fun with it...erase what he wrote and write "XXX6969XXX"

Better yet, get a doll and make it look like the kid. Hang it in effigy and do all sort of crazy shit on it. That should give them the idea no?

[GZire]

Originally Posted by SDG35619

Dude you can't ever be too sure these days. Why not file a police report? Not nessesarily dial 9-1-1 but report a non emergency report. What if by a strange chance, houses have been burgularized and the chalk is a lead?

All I'm saying is there are some shady people out there, and for money most would be involved in things like this.

Police don't give a crap. Hell if you get into a car wreck they don't give a crap unless a certain material damage threshold is met.

[Zoomzoomers]

Originally Posted by crimsonxredrum

hahaha thats funny, i would be careful about it, isnt it illegal to write on someone elses property? even if it is only chalk, and i'm sure that the sales men are dropped off in different sections as to avoid something like the another person going to the same house... i would be careful and the mad dog idea isnt to bad

Well, the sidewalk/curb is actually owned by the county and it's not a part of anyone's residential property.

[roneski]

Check your neighbors houses see if you see any more marks. If there are several (as you'd expect most people to decline) then it may a mark indication that you were not interested for other salesmen canvasing the neighborhood. If you have the only mark on the block then be on your guard.