Saw 1st District County Supervisor Jimmy Smith the other night. The subject drifted into knocking on doors while campaigning. He described one time he was talking to people and noticed a neighbor who was watching the discussion while standing in his garage. After he spoke to the people at the house he was at, he started to go up the driveway of the person in the garage, and when he saw Jimmy coming, he hit the garage door button and closed it while watching Jimmy come up the driveway. I told him about knocking on doors one time and seeing Bonnie Neely at the door next to me on 7th St. She waved. What are the odds?
My wife would have to say her worst experience was accompanying me in Fairhaven. We were target knocking registered voters and had come to the end of one of the blocks where a pile of cars and garbage were protected by a pack of dogs. I was just knocking at the next door neighbor and Robin followed with a clipboard in hand. The dogs at the next house were barking and this huge guy came out on the porch and yelled “what the F*** is going on?” I yelled from the next house that I was just knocking on doors in the neighborhood. He said, “Oh, yeah Mother F***er? Go sick-em guys!” I stood between Robin and the dogs that came toward us. “C’mon, Mother F***er! You make it to my porch and I’ll buy whatever you have! C’mon Mother F***er I dare you.” I thought about it quickly and Robin and I did a hasty retreat as he animatedly yelled and waved for me to take the risk. A lady who recognized me and lived at the house came over and took my leaf and went over to the house. The next day I was at work telling my crew mates the story in detail. One of the guys was not laughing and asked me where this had happened. I told him and smiled and said, “That’s my cousin, I’ll make him buy a spaghetti fund raising ticket.” Just goes to show you how small this area can be.
11 hours ago
15 comments:
That's your typical Sand Dweller for you.
Might be a good subject for one of the local papers: Humboldt's Deep, Dark Secret: The Sand Dwellers
My father hated going door-to-door during back in the early days of anti-Vietnam war efforts. He described one experience "I could hear the multiple latches on the door opening, one by one, and and then the door creaks open as I'm overwhelmed by a huge waft of the odor of rancid bacon grease. A spider stuck its head out the door and with a smoking induced hoarse voice snarls "whadayawant?!!!!"
My father wasn't meant for public relations.
My mother also described an experience of a woman who could barely speak English literally pushing her off the porch yelling, "Go to back where you came from."
Still, it made a huge difference. They got a lot of people to the meetings in those early days, before the nutcases took over the movement.
Just out of curiousity, Eric, which "nut cases" are you thinking of?
In my days as a Humboldt County anti-Vietnam-War activist, my own relatives called me a nut case (the ones that didn't call me a Communist.)
Hey wait a second! Are people from Trinidad sand dwellers also?
No Richard, those are Surf Monkey's.
How many surf monkey's does it take to change a lightbulb?
It takes one surf monkey to call express personell service - they dispatch a van of sand dwellers to take care of it.
The dwellers will also take the bad light off your hands, as old bulbs make for good crack pipes.
I'm always friendly and polite with the folks who are canvassing in my neighborhood, no matter what side of the issues they're on or which candidate they supporting.
I appreciate their willingness to participate, and it's too bad that some people are so hostile.
"Old bulbs make for good crack pipes?" Quick! Someone alert the President!
ust out of curiousity, Eric, which "nut cases" are you thinking of?
Progressive Labor Party hacks. RCP members. People who think it's cute to roll marbles under the police horses, burn flags, and act like idiots in front of a media camera to discredit the whole demo. People who push for violent revolution, or side with genocidal maniacs in other countries. That sort of thing.
Heck, to all of us from Eastern Humboldt you're all a bunch of Mossbacks and Fog Crawlers.
I wouldn't mind if Richard or Jimmy Smith knocked on my door. The ones who piss me off are the Jehovahs Witnesses that won't take no for an answer when you tell then you are not interested. Next time they knock I'll send them to Samoa or Fairhaven and perhaps that pack of dogs will take care of them.
I hear this complaint often, but I've never had Jehovah's Witnesses, nor Mormon's behave rudely in any way when they call at my door.
The Catholics and the Jews don't even bother to show up. What's up with that?
Carson Park Ranger, I don't mind when the JW's knock on my door, but I do mind when they won't go away when I tell them I am not interested. I have to shut the door in their face while they continue to try to convince me to listen to their pitch. Whem someone tells you they are not interested, it is RUDE to push yourself on them.
Maybe the Catholics and the Hebrews don't feel that going door to door is the right way to get out their message, and I thank them for that.
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