What is the best response to this?

[WitchyOoman]

OK... so I started a new business with my friend, "M".
We are selling antiques and vintage collectibles - anything from small kitchen appliances to costume jewelry to dining ware to furniture to kitchenware to collectibles of all sorts. If it's got value as an antique, vintage, or collectible - we'll sell it. We do appraisals and we take items on consignment. (I do the appraisals and decide if we take an item on consignment or not... and I do the online sales.)

So, my 'office' is the front parlor of the 1840 Victorian house we're working from. (It belongs to M's aunt.)
My office door is the first door just inside the front door, as soon as you enter the front hall.

Now, the entire first floor <span style="font-weight: bold">except for my room</span>, is open to the public, and full of items for sale to the public. My room is off limits to the public, because (1) the items there are quite valuable - the most valuable items we have - and are mostly locked up, and (2) my items are not for sale to the walk-in general public. Also, honestly, most of the people who walk in from the street without appointments are not going to spend big money; they are looking for cheap bargain items - which we do not have... 96% of the people who walk in off of the street do not buy anything. 3% buy an item or two from the rest of the house (not my room). Of the remaining 1%, who I eyeball and decide to let into my room, most do not buy my items... but I have made an occasional sale (always a BIG sale) from such a walk-in client. My clients come to me by word-of-mouth or by the Internet, and the make appointments to see a specific item that I have advertised or listed for sale or for auction online somewhere. That's how I make my sales and commissions.

SO... I need to keep my door ajar for fresh air. A very large window is opposite my door in the front hall, and it brings me fresh air that I must have. My big box fan needs fresh air to cool me down. The huge front bay window in my room doesn't open. Also, my partner, M, needs to be able to talk to me without having to constantly interrupt me at what I'm doing.

I have tried everything to keep curious people out. I have tried every polite statement 9and every impolite statement, too!)... and NOTHING works!!
I am at a loss as what to say or do! <span style="font-style: italic">HELP ME PLEASE</span>!

We put up an old movie theater velvet crowd control rope with two stands. That didn't work. People just unhook it or move the stand and walk around. Like it wasn't there for a purpose?!

Then we tried the crowd control rope with a sign. &quot;Private&quot; in English and the International &quot;Halt&quot;-hand on the sign. That didn't work either. The Haitians told me they didn't know it was to stop them. (riiiiiight) And the Hispanics told me that they thought they hnd was beckoning them to come in. (okey-dokey) All righty, then...

I hand-stenciled a nice sign that said:
&quot;No Entry&quot;
&quot;Pas d'Entrée&quot;
&quot;Ninguna Entrada&quot;
This, too, didn't work. Everyone ignored it. It was in each language, so everyone ignored it, of course. sigh People kept right on barging right on in.
And when I told them, &quot;There's nothing for sale to the public in here.&quot; -- They became enraged, and screamed at me that they could see all kinds of stuff, and what was it doing there if it wasn't for sale? I tried explaining that it was up for auction online... but they either didn't understand, or - more likely - didn't choose to understand.


I tried all kinds of polite ways to say it.

&quot;There's nothing for sale to the public in here.&quot;

&quot;The items in here are on consignment. They aren't for sale right now.&quot;

&quot;These items haven't been inventoried yet. They aren't for sale yet.&quot;

&quot;These items aren't for sale.&quot;

&quot;These items have already been sold.&quot;

&quot;These items are not for sale; they're here for appraisals only. The owners aren't interested in selling them.&quot;

&quot;These items have already been sold online.&quot;

<span style="font-style: italic">NOTHING</span> deters local residents from picking up and touching and handling everything they can get their fingers on! And they do not care if they break something, either! We have already had that happen several times. They just leave in a hurry, before the police arrive. Remember, the stuff in my room is the really valuable stuff...


<span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">So does anybody have any bright ideas as to how to deter people from entering my ajar door while I'm in my room?</span></span>
(while I'm not physically in there, it gets padlocked - even if it's just for two minutes so I can go to the ladies' room)

Thanks!

[kia027]

Re: What is the best response to this?

install a screen door with a lock and lock it.. You can leave the main door open yet lock the screen door to prevent unwanted guests.

[Gen]

Re: What is the best response to this?

adjust height as necessary (or not dwl)

[lonewolf]

Re: What is the best response to this?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">So does anybody have any bright ideas as to how to deter people from entering my ajar door while I'm in my room?
(while I'm not physically in there, it gets padlocked - even if it's just for two minutes so I can go to the ladies' room)

Thanks!</div></div>

Sign on door: &quot;CAUTION BEWARE OF PIT BULL&quot; and tape recorder playing snarling dog that repeats itself.
Also hang spiked collar and leash on door handle for convincing purposes.

[WitchyOoman]

Re: What is the best response to this?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: lonrwolf</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">So does anybody have any bright ideas as to how to deter people from entering my ajar door while I'm in my room?
(while I'm not physically in there, it gets padlocked - even if it's just for two minutes so I can go to the ladies' room)

Thanks!</div></div>

Sign on door: &quot;CAUTION BEWARE OF PIT BULL&quot; and tape recorder playing snarling dog that repeats itself.
Also hang spiked collar and leash on door handle for convincing purposes. </div></div>
Well... I <span style="font-style: italic">DO</span> own a pit bull/boxer mix - we call Rufus a POX - dwl - but does the stupid dog really look scary to you?!

Rufus is the red dog at my knees. The shaggy silvered-over black dog is my now-deceased legendary Midnight. This pic is 3 years old.
Rufus hasn't gotten any scarier looking... if anything, he's goofier looking.







Anyway.my partner and her brother both own huge male pit bulls, and both dogs weigh in at about 160 pounds apiece. (Each dog eats 22 ounces of steak for his supper each and every night!)
That's not the problem. The problem is stupid people who think that signs (and dogs) do not apply to <span style="text-decoration: underline">them</span> - only to <span style="text-decoration: underline">everyone else</span>.


Oh! How I miss my Midnight! Midnight wouldn't let anyone past him to get to me - no one! (not even EMS) He was The Best Dog Ever. And he wasn't trained as a guard dog; he did that naturally! He was only trained for S&amp;R... and he was great at that, too. He also 'took the hit' for me a few times. sigh I really miss Midnight. Still. I can't get another dog. I can't consider one. No dog can meet Midnight's standards. When I worked in the church alone, Midnight kept me company ad protected me... and he never made any kind of mess inside, either. Didn't even spill his water bowl! Even Father S agreed that my dog was even better behaved than his own dog inside. When I worked in the Diocesan offices, Midnight was loved by everyone; no one had anything negative to say about him. When Midnight accompanied me to Starbucks and waited patiently outside for me to come back out to sit with him at one of the outdoor tables, I always had a small taster's size cup of coffee for Midnight - courtesy of the baristas - and almost always a little something for him to eat.. usually a scrambled egg. When Midnight waited for me outside the post office, someone was always petting him when I came back out. At ShopRite, the deli counter peeps always gave me the ends of meats and cheeses for Midnight... and the produce manager always had some overly-ripe veggies or fruit for him to eat. And the GM had a bottle of water for the dog to drink. Most of the diners hereabouts freely and happily handed me a plateful of food for Midnight that I could dump into his traveling dish and water into his traveling bowl, so he could eat and drink when I did. Everyone loved Midnight. And everyone mourned his passing, too.

Anyhow, having a &quot;frightening dog&quot; isn't the problem. It just wouldn't help. No one here fears pit bulls, coz everyone here owns a pittie. And we all know that pit bulls are just big lovable babies. dwl

[WitchyOoman]

Re: What is the best response to this?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kia</div><div class="ubbcode-body">install a screen door with a lock and lock it.. You can leave the main door open yet lock the screen door to prevent unwanted guests. </div></div>
I'm gonna look into this. This would be perfect, if it'll work.

My door opens inside (the door swings into my room). So I'd have to install the screen door so that it opens out into the front hall. If we can do that without interfering with the swing arc of the front door <span style="text-decoration: underline">or</span> with entry of people into the house, then it's the perfect solution!

[WitchyOoman]

Re: What is the best response to this?

Today, we had a few interesting responses to the situation.

One man entered the front door, and immediately tried to enter my door - which was tied halfway-open/halfway-shut with plastic rope looped from the padlock hasp to th inside doorknob. (easy for Mr Witchy and me to undo from inside the room, but impossible for someone in the front hall to figure out quickly and blindly) Naturally, the door moved about an inch and the rope caught up tight, suddenly barring his access.

I looked up from my desk (facing the door) and smiled at the man.

&quot;Yes?&quot;

&quot;What is blocking your door?&quot;

&quot;My rope. How can I help you, sir?&quot;

&quot;Why is your door blocked? Who are you?&quot;

Hmm. This is my house that you walked into, mister. It's my room, and my door. So who the &lt;censored&gt; are you?
*still smiling*

&quot;I'm sorry. I didn't catch your name, sir? How can I help you?&quot;

&quot;Where is Miss M---?&quot;

&quot;Miss M---? I'm sorry, but I don't know any Miss M---. What address were you looking for?&quot;

&quot;Who the hell are you?!&quot;

Mr Witchy turned and gave the man the hairy eyeball stare.

&quot;Don't speak to my wife like that! You walked into our house. You need to tell us who you are, if anyone needs to identify themselves around here!&quot;

still giving this man the hairy eyeball

me, still smiling

&quot;What address did you think you were entering, sir?&quot;

&quot;Look. I'm not gonna argue with you while I stand out here in your front hall, lady! I want 123 Main Street! That's the address on this house!&quot;

&quot;Yes, it is... but there isn't any Miss M--- here. And the owner of the house is on the back porch, painting - but she isn't Miss M--- either. Walk straight back through the house and onto the back porch, and you'll find Mary out there. But she isn't Miss M---.&quot;

&quot;Well, can she - or you - talk to me about renting this whole facility?&quot;

&quot;Facility? It's not a facility! As you can see, it's a <span style="font-style: italic">single family home</span>. And, as you can plainly see out front, it's for sale - just write down the phone number and call the realtor. That's what we pay her for... But I can tell you now that the place will not be rented out for any reason whatsoever.&quot;

He walked to the back of the house. Mr Witchy and I heard raised voices in a loud argument. I knew that my parter and her brother were back there. I would never have let her face this difficult man alone. We heard his footsteps on the hardwood floorboards coming back up front. Sure enough, he slammed his fist on m door, cussed me rudely, and slammed the front door screen door on his way out.

[WitchyOoman]

Re: What is the best response to this?

As soon as I parked in the driveway and unlocked my room, a woman followed me into my room. Actually, she kinda scared me. I hadn't seen - or heard - her coming up behind me.

She wanted to know if she could please see the old dolls that she had been told that I had locked up in my room. She is a doll expert; she repairs damaged dolls and resells them. So, right off the bat, I knew that she knew more about most of the dolls I had than I did... I'm no doll expert. Something about this woman gave me the <span style="font-style: italic">REAL</span> creeps!! I couldn't put my finger on it

So I told her that I needed a few minutes to let myself in and get my things set up, so if she could please give me 5 minutes alone, she could then come in and have a look at the dolls I had. I closed my door to stash my pocketbook away, etc. I asked Mr Witchy to please set up my laptop for me. And I let the creepy doll lady back in...

She immediately went straight for this one doll - I knew she was quite old, but she was damaged pretty badly: broken forehead and chipped cheek... clothes that were clearly ready to fall right off of her. Now, I don't know a lot about dolls, but I DO know PLENTY about antique textiles! These doll clothes were unlikely to withstand even the gentlest of hand-washing in a basin. And I told the woman so. She agreed with me. We discussed textiles and cleaning techniques for a few minutes, and the woman warmed up to me a little... but she still gave me the willies. I just couldn't shake that awful feeling! The woman wanted to pay me $20 for this damaged old doll. Honestly, I was pretty certain that the woman was getting a good deal, somehow... but I also knew that I wasn't going to be able to unload that doll anywhere else even for half of that money. So I made my decision.

I agreed to take the $20 for the doll under two conditions:
(1) the lady bring the doll back after she restored it so I could see the doll fully restored - for the sake of curiosity
(2) that the lady give me a little help in identifying and valuing ome of the other dolls I had for sale
I figured to at least get some assistance out of the deal... maybe strike a relationship with her. Even if she did make me feel so darn uncomfortable.

The woman accepted my terms. Handed over a twenty dollar bill immediately, cradled the doll in her left arm, and started right off with telling me about 5 minutes' worth of lecture about each doll in my room!! I have 39 dolls in my room right now... well, 38 after she paid for hers. She spent that much time teaching me about those dolls I've got for sale! That alone made the deal i struck well worth it to me!

Yet, still... she gave me the willies! I couldn't figure out why!

She gave me her business card and her personal cell number. She lives locally. She even suggested we get together for lunch. She likes me! (shudder)

Finally, she asked me the Big Question; &quot;Don't I make you feel... uhm... bothered? Don't you feel like I'm creepy or something?&quot;

Caught between the proverbial rock and the hard place, I went with the best policy - honesty. &quot;Eh... well... yeah... a little... WHY?!&quot;

&quot;Because I don't blink much. I have advanced stage Graves disease.&quot;

OMG! I realized that it was true! And I wanted to <span style="font-style: italic">KICK</span> myself! I had the medical training to know what I was seeing! But I was so darn wrapped up in business that I just hadn't put two and two together to equal four! Doh!! How stupid of me!

So I made a new friend, first - and a new business contact, secondly.