Post-Schna-ulations

Scent of a Woman

A few weeks ago, I waiting for the bus in front of Starbucks, sort of leaning against the window half asleep. Some guy comes over and asks me if I'm feeling okay. I sort of give him a 'why are you asking me' look and just respond that i'm tired. The conversation continued roughly as follows:
HIM: Well, you looked sad.
ME: no...just tired.
HIM: oh, do you work here.
ME: ...yeah...
HIM: What do you do?
ME: Research (I should have said i play around with people's brains. Dammit!!)
HIM: Well, I work for .....

He proceeded to then tell me how he sells designer perfumes (out of a messenger bag) for low prices. He told me I looked like an angel (yep, he's selling something) and I should smell like one too. Apparently I was pungent or something. He pulled out several perfumes and had me smell them (two of them made me sneeze and one made my eyes water) and kept asking me what I wear. I told him I had a perfume I was happy with, and he then tried to get me to buy a 3 gallon bottle of it (well, not really). He tried to tell me my perfume cost $75/bottle, when I somehow only pay $35 (yes, i'm cheap) and the bottle has so far lasted me 7 months with less than a third of it gone. There was nowhere to run. I was too tired to protest. I showed NO interest and barely feigned politeness. Then (hallelujah music and the parting of the clouds here), the bus arrived.
I told him sorry, that was my bus. Good luck and sorry if I wasted his time, to which he responded: Well, you did, but that's okay.

Jackass.

You can hang up on telemarketers or tell them to take you off their lists. You can shut the door in the faces of door to door salesmen (or not even answer the door in the first place). How do you avoid the guy who corners you at the bus stop? There's nowhere to go! I don't think I could POSSIBLY look intimidating enough that people wouldn't approach me. I guess I am an easy target. True, I never actually BUY anything, but I just can't get rid of them!! I even get stuck talking to the Mormon missionaries on the bus (though here I have some defense, in that they can't tell me anything I haven't heard before, and anticipation is key in situations like that!).

Any suggestions (not involving firearms or any other weapon..i'm not a very violent person by nature)?

posted by Schna @ 1:37 PM