The "Hit Me Up" season is upon us...

Date: November 10, 2007

It's coming.  The holidays.  We only have numbered days until the dingalingers show up outside of the grocery stores in their santa suits and otherwise.  But you know, these days it seems to be all year around.  I find myself checking entrances and parking based on where I won't be accosted...

Remember when Girl Scout Cookie time was around March?  We'd pay our dues, order our cookies and then a few weeks later, they would bring them to us.  But now they seem to be hitting us all year around.  A few weeks ago they had staked out both exits of Lucky, pushing cans of nuts.  Today it was popcorn. 

What you have to do is an exit strategy.  It's almost an atheletic event - you have to get ready to exit and study your tangents--angles are everything.   What do I mean?  Well, if you exit straight out the door - you walk straight through it and your body is facing straight out the door, you are going to be hit.   It's kind of like shooting pool:  Let's take a look.

Determine their position.  Are the on the right or left?
If they are on the right as you walk out the door, you need to take an exit that is a diagonal line from the inside on a nice diagonal going to the left.  This makes you already turned 3/4 away from their concession by the time you reach it.  If they are on the left, then you need to do the opposite.

The only time this doesn't work is if they double team you, i.e. they have one person standing on the opposite side of their concession.  Then, you're on your own.

Now I'm not saying that you shouldn't give for the holidays; I'm not badmouthing charities or non profit organizations - don't get me wrong.  I just feel that we are being constantly hit up 12 months a year now and it is overkill, IMHO.

That said, happy pre-holidays!

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