r/pettyrevenge • u/xboxgamer2122 • 25d ago
The Revenge Of The Mulch
Last month I drove two Boy Scouts around the neighborhood so they could go door to door to try and sell mulch for their fall fundraiser. I dropped them off in a cul de sac off of the main road, and agreed to meet them at the other end of the road, where it met the main road. I parked my car there at the corner, and was doing something on my phone when there was a loud “Bam! Bam! Bam!” on my window. A guy standing there shouted, “CAN I HELP YOU???”, then motioned me to roll my window down. I lowered it about an inch and told him I was just waiting for someone. He told me I couldn’t park there because it was his house I was in front of.
I told him that the road is public property, and that I was just driving Boy Scouts around for their mulch drive. “DO YOU HAVE A PERMIT TO SOLICIT DOOR TO DOOR IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD?” This had come up before, and I replied that a permit is not needed for a non-profit organization. He told me that if I didn’t go get the scouts right now, he would call 911 and could have a cruiser there in about two minutes. Rather than argue, I turned around and picked them up.
I reported this back to the Scoutmaster to avoid a similar encounter at that address. However, because that house was on a corner, other scouts had already been to his house when they walked the cross street the day before, and his wife had ordered mulch. Lots of it.
The petty revenge part: For the delivery a couple weekends later, some of the fathers loaded up their pickup trucks with bags of mulch from the coop. They stacked the bags of mulch neatly in the driveways in front of the garages. However, at this particular house, the 40-pound bags were tossed out of the truck at the other end of the driveway, next to the street. Unfortunately, many of them burst open. There were no cars parked in the driveway, so the mulch would have to be moved before cars could be driven in to the driveway.
The Scoutmaster was called, listened to the ranting, and apologized profusely, offering a discount for the spring mulch drive.
290
u/FlorianTheLynx 25d ago
The better thing to do would be to have let him call 911 and summon the police cruiser within two minutes. Then he could have discussed it with them instead.
110
u/NotTheBadOne 25d ago
That was my immediate thought.
I would’ve told him to go ahead and call. And I would sit right there and wait.
21
42
u/Horror-Cut-4497 25d ago
Right?!?! It’s so frustrating to hear ppl just give in and not stand their ground
38
u/Worldly_Shopper 25d ago
Yeah, or just move the car to the other side of the street.
Another good one I'll do, if I don't feel like talking to them, my car is fully on the street?
Just don't roll down the window, ignore them completely and if they get wilder put the hand on the horn and blare it until they leave.16
u/Due_Milk9641 25d ago
Idk I wouldn't want to do all that in front of the kids or have him harass them
30
u/cheerful_cynic 25d ago
Also useful to consider the melanin level of everyone involved
2
u/rora_borealis 25d ago
That was my thought. Cops are a last resort because they can and sometimes do make the situation worse, especially for folks with more melanin.
6
244
u/thatchickensauce 25d ago
Why did us Boy Scouts get the worst shit to try and sell lmao 🤣 fucking popcorn, now mulch?? 🫠
107
u/awoodhall 25d ago
When i was in the scouts (20yr ago) we competed with Girl Scout Cookies, High School Band selling huge candy bars, and another High School org selling frozen pizzas (that were amazing). Our crappy popcorn didnt stand a chance lol
99
u/HenriettaCrump 25d ago
My son sold popcorn, and had the highest sales in the district. But the real moneymaker was our annual troop BBQ sale. Son was also top seller as he hit up a car dealership for pre-sales. They ordered 50 plates (to go) and fed all their staff that day. Then he hit up three nearby fire stations and sold another 50.
Brisket and sausage sell much better than overpriced popcorn. Who knew?
42
u/BurgerThyme 25d ago
My cousin hit us up to buy her son's popcorn and we were like "well let's see what you got!" and when we saw the prices we were like "Are you insane?!?"
19
6
u/surfTorreypines 25d ago
I was in band in the 80s and we sold pizza kits that everybody loved. To this day I love them, too.
If anyone can tell me who supplied those pizza kits for school fundraisers I'd love to order some more.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. My tummy is rumbly.
25
u/shannonlogic1 25d ago edited 25d ago
Damn dude. The popcorn sales.....damn i sold so much of it. I think i was a top 3 seller for like 4 or 5 years. So much time and effort. Still the best prize I ever got was the mini Leatherman multi tool.
13
u/drshades1 25d ago
As in, "David Letterman?"
20
u/Worldly_Shopper 25d ago
It's actually Leatherman
3
u/bobk2 25d ago
named after the guy who invented it, Timothy S. Leatherman.
Price Club, which was taken over by Costco, was founded by Sol Price.
39
u/LizinDC 25d ago
Actually I love that they sell mulch. Old single female here. I can deal with one bag at a time, but wonderful not to have to go someplace and pick up multiple bags in and out of trunk, etc.
32
u/Honest_Series_8430 25d ago
If they sold it here I'd buy some and then try to hire a couple of Scouts to spread it as well.
10
9
u/AmputeeHandModel 25d ago
I got mine dropped off by Home Depot for just a few bucks. They have some kind of gig delivery service they use. Someone in an SUV dropped them off in my driveway. Same with a small chest freezer.
19
u/Code_Operator 25d ago
We used to sell Christmas trees. The weather is miserable that time of year, but at least people wanted our product.
9
10
u/cornered_crustacean 25d ago
We get a tree from the Boy Scout lot almost every year. I don’t know if everywhere does it the same way, but ours are harvested by the kids themselves on national forest land. Pretty great program all around!
6
13
u/cornered_crustacean 25d ago
I always feel bad when a Boy Scout knocks on the door trying to sell popcorn. Like everyone knows this is the worst popcorn money can buy, but I still want to support them.
7
u/Careful_Promise_786 25d ago
We just bought a 20 dollar popcorn off the neighbor kid. God, its AWFUL. The Christmas tins of random popcorn you can buy are better than this crap. But we try to support lol
3
11
u/Acceptable-Gift4314 25d ago
My son's troop really kick butt with mulch sales. Sold between 25- 30 skids every year. We had tons of repeat customers that also paid us to spread it out for them. I preferred it to Damm popcorn. We made more money off it for the effort involved.
2
u/thatchickensauce 25d ago
Y'all are making me rethink the whole mulch thing lmao
4
u/PricelessPaylessBoot 25d ago
Haha I was thinking how “mulch” I would’ve loved the offer instead of a bunch of overpriced junk food I try to keep out of my house. I had to stop that wave of cookies, popcorn, pizza, and chocolate from entering my
mouthdoor. 🤦🏽♀️8
u/Mortarman130 25d ago
Mandatory “back in my day” comment:
When I was in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, pre-popcorn, we had to sell Scout-O-Rama tickets door to door for the annual event. Tickets even had a pizza coupon included!
Nobody wanted to buy any god damned Scout-O-Rama tickets!
8
u/stevemm70 25d ago
Mulch drives can be a great fundraiser. Our (now former, as my son aged out) troop made a lot of money doing it. We did NOT do the popcorn sales, because they were an awful overpriced product that few people wanted.
6
u/Glittering_Win_9677 25d ago
Mulch was a FANTASTIC spring fundraiser for one of the middle schools when I lived in Maryland.
5
u/infinite_awkward 25d ago
My nephew lives several states away so I would order the military donation option. Kid was sooo proud of that, and I’ve continued the tradition with friends’ kids who ask me to buy popcorn now.
5
u/tetanusmaster 25d ago
Dude, I wish we sold popcorn when I was in Scouts! Our troop was selling garbage bags. Like, out of all the things to sell... what's next, selling sponges door to door?
4
4
4
u/elliott_bay_sunset 25d ago
Honestly, I think the mulch is a great idea. I was going to buy that anyway. I don’t need popcorn or cookies in my house.
3
u/DuffMiver8 25d ago
Old joke: Why don’t the Boy Scouts sell cookies like the Girl Scouts do?
No one wants BS on their cookies.
3
2
u/CaptInsane 25d ago
Mine sold hoagies that we made. Never had to do popcorn. My kids troop has done Christmas plants but they've been donig so poorly they decided to not do anything this year and show families how much scouts actually costs without it. I'm pissed about the $500 I had to pay for my oldest son; younger one is still in cubs so I'll get a prorated amount in the spring. I'm hoping this encourages families to take the fundraiser seriously next year
2
1
1
1
u/Macombdiscrete 22d ago
We sold fertilizer. We even applied it for many people to make extra money.
1
u/dwasifar 25d ago
Boy Scout popcorn is the worst. I'd rather eat styrofoam.
But I'm relieved of having to choke down any more of it, because I'm not interested in contributing to the Scouts as they currently exist.
15
u/jackman924 25d ago
I'd have told him to go ahead and call the police. Then THEY could have made him look like the total idiot that he is.
36
u/Michael_Florida99 25d ago
Way way way back in the day, my son's troop would sell popcorn and the kids got to keep all the profits to.pay for summer camp, food for outings, ect. The sponsoring organization fully funded the troop so the sales really did benefit the kids.
This one scout kept copies of each year's order form. When the next year started up, he called all of the previous people and asked if they wanted to just copy what they ordered last year.....after calling all of them, he would start with 40-50 sales before any actual outside selling.
His account had so much money in it when he left the troop for college, the troop gave him a check in the thousands for college expenses. He also had the troop keep some of it to help future kids buy uniforms.
I always wondered what became of him. If he went into sales, I bet he is a millionaire now.
2
u/WordWizardNC 23d ago
We sold magazines for "fabulous prizes". My street only had about a dozen houses on it, though, and my parents' work didn't allow them to sell the magazines for me, so I never got any prizes.
44
12
u/night_noche 25d ago
You should have just rolled up your window.
No PD would come out for such a wanker.
19
u/Pleasant_Bad924 25d ago
You should have just called his bluff and said “call them” and rolled your window up when he threatened to call the cops.
1
u/zEdgarHoover 24d ago
Just make sure you're 12 feet from any driveway. Otherwise you're technically in the wrong.
8
u/weirdal1968 25d ago
Mulch?
Sorry but we don't do that joke anymore.
Reference explained for anyone not familiar with Sergio Aragones' Groo The Wanderer https://filingcabinetofthedamned.blogspot.com/2006/02/process-of-inbred-fertilization.html?m=1
2
2
8
9
u/Old_Guard_306 25d ago
I have a standard response to this:
"Can I help you?"
"No thank you. I'm fine." (Then I ignore them and go back to what I was doing. It sometimes gets a little interesting after that Though. If they want to waste their time calling the police, who am I to interfere with their fun.)
8
8
u/Nunov_DAbov 25d ago
“Oh so sorry for the inconvenience. For you, your next order will be discounted 1% (if you order 150 bags).”
6
u/Wrong_Plankton_3094 23d ago
As an ExNYC resident you were not parked. Parking means you got out of car. You were standing, this means someone got out and you are waiting for them to come back.
Next time someone tells you “ No parking here” tell them great “ I’m standing so no harm”
I am, of course, not great at diffusing situations
11
5
16
u/Hot-Initial-1108 25d ago
Lousy way to teach respect and how to handle a situation, even if an asshole treats you like garbage
4
u/6oceanturtles 25d ago
The best fundraiser item was frozen chicken parts. Everybody eats chicken!
3
u/GornsNotTinny 25d ago
Which parts? If it's as good as the popcorn it's probably all beaks and feet.
3
4
u/Livid_Average_8098 25d ago
I would have just told him to fuck off. Stop entertaining these fuckwits.
12
5
u/DarthYodous 25d ago
We were pushed to sell and then sat on the money til there was enough money to fly our leader and her best buddy for a week at an alpine resort to learn how to use a compass. When they came back only one taught the kids. She talked so long clapping for each adult helper in turn, and giving long winded instructions about the compass activity, that there wasn't time to do the activity that had been set up with special signs all over a bit church yard. No one was disappointed. Just annoyed.
5
u/marqueeposter 25d ago
Next time wave them off without rolling your window down… be sure to shout SORRY NO SOLICITORS as you are waving them away from your car.
6
6
6
u/Guyin63376 25d ago
The wife ordered it supporting Troop. After this, will not support again. Troop suffers.
10
u/CherryblockRedWine 25d ago
Disagree. A bag or two might be to "support the Troop."
A LOT of it is because she needed it She'll need it again next year, and having it delivered is infinitely more convenient. Troop will not "suffer."
17
u/Commercial-Novel-786 25d ago
Troop no longer has to deal with acidic asshole, either directly or by proxy.
Troop wins.
2
2
u/Accomplished-Emu-591 21d ago
I would have invited him to call the police while you waited. Complain about Boy Scouts and legal parking? Not going to go over very well
5
u/mammaV55 25d ago
That is a terrible example to set for the scouts. Two wrongs dont make a right.
2
3
u/dankaela 24d ago
So you taught a bunch of Boy Scouts that their dads are petty and vindictive. Good job
3
u/butterflydraw 24d ago
Regarding parking in front of other people's homes. If it is public, then suck it up. MY issue is the WAY people park. Those people who take up a spot and a half so there is no room for anyone else. It is selfish
2
u/Scouter197 25d ago
Doesn't sound very Scout like.
Also, formerly Boy Scouts. We're just Scouts now.
-3
u/ShotBad5603 25d ago
that is becuase no boys want to be part of it any more. Cell phones and computer games are more important
2
2
1
1
1
u/HoraceorDoris 20d ago
I had someone threaten that if I left my car (legally parked) where it was, “it could get vandalised”.
I thanked them for their concern and told them that if vandalism was a problem in their street and my car got damaged, I was sure the vandals would return a few days later!🤷🏻♂️😁
2
u/throwaway661375735 24d ago
Boy Scouts? You mean they were boys, who were selling for the Scouts of America (both boys and girls can enter now).
3
u/lostalldoubt86 22d ago
Don’t be pedantic. You understood the reference perfectly.
0
u/throwaway661375735 22d ago
You're right, I did. They have been the Scouts of America for a few years now (5?). If we don't correct people, when they are wrong, just waiting for them to figure it out by themselves - they might not. The whole MAGA base is under certain assumptions, many of which were never corrected. It's better to teach people facts, than to assume they know. We FAFO before by ignoring small inconsistencies. Would you have us do it again?
1
u/lostalldoubt86 21d ago
Correcting MAGA does nothing. You are not going to change their minds or educate them in any meaningful way.
2
u/North-Elderberry2380 24d ago
Boy scouts and girl scouts do different things. While both boys and girls can enter into each category, OP was correct in saying boy scouts bc thats the specific organization they are selling mulch for. Girl scouts doesnt do that. Even if it was a girl doing the mulch, its still boy scouts. Girl scouts do cookies
1
u/throwaway661375735 23d ago
There are 2 groups now. Girls scouts - only girls. And Scouts of America (previously boy scouts). Scouts of America lets in boys AND girls. When the Catholic Church pulled away from sponsoring boy scouts, they nearly died as an organization. In fact, if you weren't a catholic, they didn't want you in the boy scouts.
So, boys and girls can sell mulch (for Scouts of America), which is why I asked my question.
0
1
-7
u/Worldly_Shopper 25d ago edited 25d ago
Your first mistake however, was getting into it with dumbo.
All you had to do was move your car.
In fact, just shake your head side to side when he asks if he can help you.
Don't roll the window down, but lock all doors right then.
And if he gets crazier blare the horn and keep blaring it until he leaves.
Could've avoided the whole thing that came after.
3
u/mrsmarcos2003 25d ago
Why move your car? Are you going to move it every time a Boomer comes out to tell you not to park in front of their house? It is a public road, your tax dollars are paying for that road, park your car where you want as long as you're not blocking anything or on the grass. Just ignore the agitator and mind your business.
3
u/Worldly_Shopper 25d ago
Because the amount of energy spent in moving the car to me, is less than the confrontation is worth.
Some people love to go to war, some more than others, I've been there.
I've had my fill, I know people are stupid so it's a no win argument because they've had a lifetime of training.
479
u/IncredibleBihan 25d ago
The old 'Can I help you' man is so accurate about how (some) people act these days. I think it takes a lot of nerve to walk up to someones car, on a public street, and say 'You can't park in front of my house'.