Contrary to what you might expect, most people are gracious and kind when you knock on their door – although strange things do happen. People would open the door in their underwear and stand there for a moment in plain view before saying, «Oh, let me go get my bathrobe on.» Worse, there were guys who’d open the door and say, «What do you want?» and then stand there in their thighty whiteys listening intently the whole time I gave my spiel!
There were unpredictable moments, too, when people’s dogs would unexpectedly come chasing around corners. Mary or I would wind up sprinting back onto the sidewalk or over to the next yard to get away from a territorial pooch. We quickly emphasized with mailmen. One big dog actually lunged at me, and I defended myself by sticking my stack of brochures in his face. He ended up biting the stack and left teeth marks in the pamphlets! I didn’t toss them; I just handed them out with apologies for the bite marks. My budget was limited – what else could I do?
Tim Pawlenty (2011) – Courage to Stand: An American story (s. 101-2).
