British TikToker Shares the Five Classic Ways to Avoid a Street Salesman That We're All Certainly Guilty Of

Have you ever been minding your business walking down the street when you get charged by some extroverted PETA volunteer with a clipboard in their hand and judgmental looks waiting in their back pocket? They nearly knock the Airpods out of your ears with a shrill, “Do you care about the lives of Leatherback Turtles?” opening line. Sorry, Suzy, it's not that I don't care about turtles, but you've simply assaulted my personal bubble and now I hate you. One TikToker created a video detailing the top 5 ways to avoid interactions like this that we're all 100% guilty of using. 

u/wearejoketv

The guys are We Are Joke TV, a live comedy channel, took their experimenting to the streets to try out some of the best techniques to avoid street salesmen. Frankly, nobody ever wants to talk to a street salesman– either you don't have time, you don't care to hear what they say, or you simply hate signing random petitions in public. Which of these techniques are you using? 

1. Fake foreign language

Sorry buddy, but saying, “Sorry I don't speak English”… is English. However, the message comes off pretty clearly with this one. Just because you speak the same language doesn't mean you need to converse for any reason out on the public streets. 

2. My transport is departing

The visible confusion of the clipboard volunteer is pretty clear. Once again though, this certainly gets the message across that you simply have no time to speak to them. This is debatably the most polite option available to passersby. 

3. POWERWALKING

This one could be a personal favorite. Although you make eye contact with the street salesman, there's nothing they can do but watch as you pass at an inhuman rate. You could always argue that you were in a hurry, naturally a fast paced person, or clinically insane. 

4. The fascinating phone call 

We've all done this one walking into a Target before. You see the high school kids selling exorbitantly priced candy bars out there for charity, but you know you can get the same Snickers at checkout for only $1. Sorry kiddo, I have a VERY important phone call so I don't feel guilty about attempting to save 50 cents. 

5. Screw you

When in doubt, middle finger out. This is a tried-and-true classic and is pretty much always an option when you're in a pinch. Nobody wants to be solicited on the street without their consent, so this feels entirely appropriate…. right? 

FULL SKETCH