AHE               Neighbourhood Watch News            June 24 2005

               Proposed NO-GO area for cold-calling salesman

Look in the Nottingham Evening Post Thu 23 June 2005.  They reported that there that there is a national scheme to make certain areas NO-GO Areas for Cold-Calling Salesmen.  (And I suppose I mustn't be sexist, so I'll include woman.).  The Evening Post highlighted the fact that a number of rogue-traders have fleeced elderly folk for very sub-standard work.  Things like resurfacing old driveways, and replacing slipped or missing slates or tiles.  Often the work is totally unnecessary.

The golden rule is easy to say, but when slick-talking scam-merchants get  an elderly person in their sights, it needs quite a lot of resolve to be rude to these people.  It's always the nice folk that get swindled.  But that's what these criminals work on. They are astute enough the spot people who might be aggressive in return, and give them a wide berth.  There are a few ways that allow a diffident person to respond to an approach by one of these people without being rude or aggressive.   But it generally require statements that are not true, and again, most folk are not happy telling lies.

Personally I have noted that a lot of hot air is generated about these sort of schemes.  When they are introduced, they are only half-hearted.  Just look at Neighbourhood Wardens.  I don't say that they are totally useless, but if they had the power of arrest, and the yobbo spent the night in an uncomfortable cell before being hauled up in front of a magistrate who had the power to pass a meaningful sentence, the system MAY be made to be effective.  It'll almost certainly be the same with this scheme.  Notices and placards will be stuck up telling about the scheme.  The Council will have to fund the expense out of Council Tax.  The notices will get covered in graffiti, and after a couple of years the next "wonderful scheme" will be announced, and the failed old one forgotten.

Is there any wonder that the public get disillusioned?