Negative reactions when handing out literature....

[cac1963]

I've had a couple. I tried to hand one out to a younger couple walking. The girl said no. But the guy she was with took it, ripped it up and threw it in the air. They both got a good laugh out of that one.

He did not bother to look at it and there was no indication what it could have been (I was wearing a plain-colored shirt).

We encountered a couple of them at the widespread panic concert this weekend. We walked around handing out what I was calling "tickets to freedom" - "here's your ticket to freedom, enjoy," which was a small half page flyer with three key topics - end the war in iraq, the drug war, the irs. Most people took them in earnest and actually looked at them but every so often they'd make a point to loudly crumple it up and toss it or throw it back toward you as you're walking away. You get hardened to it after a while, and nothing can dampen your smile as you wink or nod right back at them and keep going to the next one.

Same thing with sign waving: for every 6 or 8 beeps or waves and thumbs up you get one jerk who gives you a thumbs down or a finger around the ear loony signal. I just smile and wink to thank them for their attention and keep on making smiling eye contact with every car I can.

 

[RPTXState]

I heard a "Oh God no!" from an officer of the College Democrats yesterday when he realized we (the Ron Paul Revolution) was going to show up at their "presentation" of the Democratic debate yesterday. He relaxed a bit later on, but seemed a bit...unnerved (?) when he realized that a full 1/2 of the audience where RP supporters.

 

[Brian Bailey]

We encountered a couple of them at the widespread panic concert this weekend. We walked around handing out what I was calling "tickets to freedom" - "here's your ticket to freedom, enjoy," which was a small half page flyer with three key topics - end the war in iraq, the drug war, the irs. Most people took them in earnest and actually looked at them but every so often they'd make a point to loudly crumple it up and toss it or throw it back toward you as you're walking away. You get hardened to it after a while, and nothing can dampen your smile as you wink or nod right back at them and keep going to the next one.

Same thing with sign waving: for every 6 or 8 beeps or waves and thumbs up you get one jerk who gives you a thumbs down or a finger around the ear loony signal. I just smile and wink to thank them for their attention and keep on making smiling eye contact with every car I can.

I love this Ticket to Freedom concept. This should be duplicated.

 

[Freedom]

Here's the worst negative reaction I have experienced: "Why the hell haven't I heard about this guy before!!! You guys need to do a better job of getting his message out for the people to hear!" So I asked him if he would like a handful of slim jims to help pass out, "Sorry, I'm too busy."

 

[nayjevin]

"Get the fuck away from me."

could be amphetamines, steroids, or even hallucinogens. there's a lot more users out there than you might think. could be drugs combined with a total prick. could be a guy from a rough part of la or new york -- somewhat normal reaction around there.

ignore 'em. it's not about you or ron paul anyway - it's about them. people with bad attitudes cause themselves way more problems than they ever cause anyone else.

 

[xerxesdarius]

I was handing out slim jims and flyers at Octoberfest a few weeks ago. My colleague handed a woman a flyer and she came back two or three minutes later and handed me the torn up pieces. I have no idea why she felt it was necessary to do that, very angry but didn't say a thing.

Otherwise the response has been absolutely positive. It doesn't hurt that I generally dress snappy and bring my outgoing six year old daughter. She charms them.

 

[cac1963]

I love this Ticket to Freedom concept. This should be duplicated.

Thanks. That seemed to work better than saying "end the wars, all of them" as you stick a flyer in their hand but I alternated back and forth from that and the freedom ticket thing. When I said "end the wars, all of them" to one group, this blonde attractive woman came back with, "but I'm ok with the wars." My immediate first thought was YOU DUMB BLONDE, but I just smiled and handed all her girlfriends a flyer too so they could debate it amongs themselves and moved on.

 

[cac1963]

Not to hijack the thread but today I was sign waving on the sidewalk right outside a drugstore and traffic was seriously unusually heavy for people rushing in to get last minute halloween stuff (I guess). Right behind me were two cars made up of about 8 black chicks ranging in age from 4 to probably 30. They had been hanging there for about half an hour when I glanced back and saw the hood open on one of the cars so I asked if they needed any help. One of the older women said she needed a jump so I said I'd pull my truck down to help. When I got there she had 3 of her companions (or sisters??) grab a sign out of the truck and go stand up on the sidewalk to keep waving signs while I was helping with the jumper cables. They didn't even know who Ron Paul was, but... they do now, all 8 of them. )))

 

[RonPaulFever]

Not to hijack the thread but today I was sign waving on the sidewalk right outside a drugstore and traffic was seriously unusually heavy for people rushing in to get last minute halloween stuff (I guess). Right behind me were two cars made up of about 8 black chicks ranging in age from 4 to probably 30. They had been hanging there for about half an hour when I glanced back and saw the hood open on one of the cars so I asked if they needed any help. One of the older women said she needed a jump so I said I'd pull my truck down to help. When I got there she had 3 of her companions (or sisters??) grab a sign out of the truck and go stand up on the sidewalk to keep waving signs while I was helping with the jumper cables. They didn't even know who Ron Paul was, but... they do now, all 8 of them. )))

Wow! Stuff like that reaffirms my otherwise shaky faith in humanity.

 

[Geronimo]

I tried handing a guy a slim jim and he tazed me.






Ok. That didn't happen, but I thought it was funny.

 

[CAKochenash]

I tried handing a guy a slim jim and he tazed me.






Ok. That didn't happen, but I thought it was funny.

will you help us restore liberty?...and don't taze me bro...k, thx.

 

[Buzz]

There are miserable, depressed people out there. They often take it out on strangers instead whatever/whoever is tormenting them. Get used to it!

It's funny, but the negative reactions I get when handing out fliers actually keep a smile on my face.

 

[nayjevin]

Not to hijack the thread but today I was sign waving on the sidewalk right outside a drugstore and traffic was seriously unusually heavy for people rushing in to get last minute halloween stuff (I guess). Right behind me were two cars made up of about 8 black chicks ranging in age from 4 to probably 30. They had been hanging there for about half an hour when I glanced back and saw the hood open on one of the cars so I asked if they needed any help. One of the older women said she needed a jump so I said I'd pull my truck down to help. When I got there she had 3 of her companions (or sisters??) grab a sign out of the truck and go stand up on the sidewalk to keep waving signs while I was helping with the jumper cables. They didn't even know who Ron Paul was, but... they do now, all 8 of them.

somebody hire this guy quick!

nice work man!

 

[smtwngrl]

Here's the worst negative reaction I have experienced: "Why the hell haven't I heard about this guy before!!! You guys need to do a better job of getting his message out for the people to hear!" So I asked him if he would like a handful of slim jims to help pass out, "Sorry, I'm too busy."

OMG........how sad.

Well, at least that's another person who will be voting for him.......unless he's too busy to vote.

 

[MS0453]

Wow! Stuff like that reaffirms my otherwise shaky faith in humanity.

Seriously. That's just a great story.

 

[campaignjunkie]

Thumbs Down

A few weeks ago during rush hour I had a guy honk at me and give me a really strong "thumbs down." But I take it as a sign that at least he knew who Ron Paul was! We still have loads of people who haven't even made it that far.

 

[nayjevin]

There are miserable, depressed people out there. They often take it out on strangers instead whatever/whoever is tormenting them.

this is the crux of the issue, IMO. people are unhappy, and are always looking to unload negativity.

it's like being poor, and always wanting to become more dependent on a nanny state. the strategy has a negative impact on others, and doesn't effectively solve the root problem.

sales taught me that a person's attitude doesn't have to effect yours. i can't say i'm 100% effective, but i know it's about them, it's not about me.

 

[koob]

lmao i tried giving a slim jim to a guy once--and let me tell you this guy looked 'fringe'--and he said that he never voted that all elections are rigged that it's all a scam. and he refused to take one. idiot.

 

[ADGettis]

I think mine might be the most inexplicable example. We were canvassing a neighborhood in Missoula on a Saturday around 11am. An older lady answered her door, we gave our usual pitch (which had proved to be effective with almost everybody else so far), and she said, "What you guys are doing is really inappropriate. I'm serious. You are trying to take away people's right to vote."

Huh? We told her that was certainly not our intention, asked her if she would at least look him up for herself (she said "no"), and then thanked her and left.

Believe it or not, the woman a few blocks down with a "Keep Abortion Legal" sign in her front window was more receptive to a conservative pro-life Republican sales pitch than the old bag was!

 

[Corydoras]

I haven't had any experience worse than a guy making a nauseated face and saying, "Politics is NOT something I'm into."

But I can say from sales training is that you can just tell yourself that a negative person is just having a really bad day. And leave it at that, and forget about them. After all, they really MIGHT be having a terrible day!