How to Avoid Solicitors

By: Olga KuznetsovaMay 5th 2010

English 393 Technical Writing

Who, Why, and When?

Solicitors are people on the street who try to get you to do something

Audience: Anyone who wants to avoid being solicited. Educated laypeople

Why? Its annoying to be solicited When? Anytime you are outside

Disclaimer

This tutorial means no harm to solicitors

Knowledge learned from solicitors can be beneficial

Materials

Good shoes (tennis shoes or flip flops, no heels)

Sunglasses Cell phone, ipod, or any other

electronic device Book

Step 1: Weather Preparation

Check the weather outside If it is raining, snowing, windy, or cold,

you are safe If it is sunny and warm, you may be in

danger

Step 2: Route Preparation

Decide on a route around solicitors Avoid crowded streets Avoid areas where you have seen

solicitors previously

Step 3: Identification

Identify potential solicitors People that are:

Standing still Holding papers Looking at people/

making eye contact Walking up to/

talking to various people

Step 4: Avoidance (part 1)

Avoid being solicited Walk as far away from the solicitor as

possible Keep other people between the solicitor

and yourself Walk fast

Step 5: Avoidance (part 2)

Avoid looking like a target Wear sunglasses to avoid eye contact Look at phone, ipod, book, etc to seem

busy Don’t look at solicitor

Step 6: Escape

Get away from a solicitor who is talking to you Say that you don’t

speak English Say “No” or “Not

interested” Yell “Stranger

Danger” and run

Troubleshooting

Problem: When you say that you don’t speak

English, solicitor asks what language you speak

Solution: Say “No understand” and walk away

Questions?