Help Us, Mr. Police Officer! It's a Man Selling Children's Books!

NewsChannel9

In the town of Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee, some citizens had a bit of a—what? Yes, there's a town in Tennessee called Soddy-Daisy. Read up about it here. It's okay, I had the same reaction. (If everybody else already knew about this place, please just humor me.)

Anyway, in this town of Soddy-Daisy (I literally cannot stop saying "Soddy-Daisy"), citizens have been tormented by the scourge of a recent college graduate trying to earn money by selling children's books door to door. Fortunately, the police have put a stop to one Armando Navo, whom NewsChannel 9 in Tennessee took great pains to explain for some reason (and show, complete with his license plate number), is from Texas:

A door to door salesman is causing uproar in Soddy Daisy.  That salesman, a 23-year-old from Texas, has now lost his right to do business in the Soddy Daisy city limits. 

"It seemed unprofessional for us.  Instead of asking for the parents or people that were home, he was talking to children. He was approaching children and asking if he knew of any other houses in the neighborhood that had kids living there," said Nate Mayo.

Mayo was at a family barbecue and saw the stranger talking to children who live in the neighborhood.

"I actually went out to the front yard and I asked him if he could leave, we weren't interested in buying anything, and he was very pushy towards me, and he wouldn't take no for an answer," said Mayo.

NewsChannel 9 journalist Jerry Askin actually tracked Navo down, and he apologized if he came off as pushy. What he was doing, though, was perfectly legal it seems. He even had a license from the city of Soddy-Daisy to do business in town. But no longer: According to Askin's report, the police department has revoked Navo's license, and Askin was not able to get an explanation as to how, exactly, the police were able to do so.

The company Navo sells books for, Southwestern Advantage, posted a response to the story under NewsChannel9's report, complete with a link to Navo's Facebook page. The page shows pictures of him with happy families and kids enjoying the books he's sold them. But apparently not in Soddy-Daisy.

(Hat tip to Echo)

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Soddy-Daisy says sod off. For the tots.

[Copernicus]

This would make a great movie.

Change the drifter's name to Armando Rambo or something like that.

Maybe have a big fat sheriff.

[Clich? Bandit]

I am typically the reluctant optimist about humanity. Ever the defender of the sanctity of human existence.

But, while I know Steven Pinker to be correct about our most peaceful time in human history, I am beginning to believe that may be a bad thing. If people actually understood what a true threat was we would not see this shit. Add to that all the purchase that the PC and trigger warning crowd get in pop culture. A mere 200 years ago people lived HALF as long!

My god people are dipshits.

[Libertymike]

Pinker is not correct and any asseveration to the contrary is pure poppycock untethered to the reality that in the last 150 years, governments / nation states have murdered hundreds of millions of peeps.

[Acosmist]

Really? He doesn't consider that? Because he seems to think he did. And the facts seem to think so.

[Kevin47]

When you sell books to children, you are assaulting their imaginations.

[Freedom Frog]

Eh. Not sure I want someone hawking books to my kid anyway. Not for any kidnapping type reasons or anything. But my kid doesn't have any money. So all he's doing is using the kids to soften up the parents. Dick move. But he IS a salesman so its to be expected.

Although you gotta love how you need permission (license) to be a door-to-door salesman. Kinda ridiculous how you need a liquor or real estate license too, but that's another thread.

[Libertymike]

No, the dick move is exhibiting oppositional defiance to the cornerstone of free enterprise:

SALES

[Libertymike]

FF, it is not a dick move.

Selling is one of the most important elements of free enterprise. If you don't like what the guy is selling, you do not have to buy and you can tell your kids NO.

[Freedom Frog]

I'm not saying he shouldn't be allowed to do any of this, or have his 'license' taken away.

What I am saying is that kids can't buy shit because they have no money. I find it obnoxious.

He's the guy talking shit at the game booths at the state fair. Of course its legal, yadda yadda. Its just annoying.

[AlmightyJB]

Probably seemed easier to yank his license then to search the mountains of tennessee for a missing salesman from texas.

[Libertymike]

Its not as if I have never been annoyed by a pushy salesperson - its happened many, many times.

I am annoyed at those women in the department stores who approach you and ask if you want to try some perfume.

Heck, I get annoyed by those fat, ugly girls in a strip club who approach you and ask, "would you like to contribute to my dance" or "do you want a private dance with me"?

So, forgive my rant - but I once sent a pair of Mormon missionaries into my parent's house on my way out one day during the summer between my junior an senior years in college. These two guys were in their white shirts and dark blue pants on a hot, humid day in late July.

[Denise]

That's the problem he wouldn't take no for an answer! My husband had to get rude with him to get him to leave our house!

[Brandon]

"This is someone I don't like, so it doesn't bother me that he is being abused by government agents." Very principled.

[Freedom Frog]

I didnt say anything close to that.

[Libertymike]

Agreed, you did not.

[Live Free Or Diet]

There's a county in northern Virginia named Fauquier. Try saying that name aloud a dozen times without being tempted to add "Mama."
Smiled, didn't you?

[Tonio]

And the Virginia city of Norfolk is pronounced by the locals, to rhyme with "luck".

We are the girls from Norfolk High,
We don't drink,
We don't smoke,
Norfolk!
Norfolk!

[Copernicus]

There's a great youtube vid of a spelling bee where a skinny ginger boy has to spell negus (sounds like niggas). The word gets said about a dozen times between the boy and the judges. Very funny.

[GILMORE]

"In the town of Soddy-Daisy"...

Oh, I know this one. its where the Grumpus steals the Dinklegropper from the Higgenloops?

[Episiarch]

I wonder what they would do to someone selling ice cream to children.

[flye]

Shoot the children's dog?

[AlmightyJB]

I'm pretty sure the ice cream is where everyone gets their hillbilly heroin from so he's prolly ok.

[DEATFBIRSECIA]

+1 Nice Dreams. Sort of.

[Denise]

Actually......we know the ice cream man. Soddy is a small town were everybody knows everybody. Neighbors are like family and the ice cream man knows the kids and know him! Sad you'll never know what it's like to live in a small town!

[Rich]

NewsChannel 9 journalist Jerry Askin actually tracked Navo down

Please don't tell me Jerry's tag line is "Just Askin".

[Dances-with-Trolls]

Yes, there's a town in Tennessee called Soddy-Daisy.

I will see you one Soddy-Daisy and raise you an Intercourse.

[David Wall]

I'll see your Intercourse and raise you a Blue-Ball. (See neighboring town on our link.)

[Dances-with-Trolls]

Blue-Ball, huh? Sounds like you need to make a road trip to New Beaver.

[Hyperion]

See my post below, I one upped all of ya.

[Marquis of Fantailler]

Maybe, but I would be remiss if i didn't mention Bumpass, VA.

[Hyperion]

He was approaching children and asking if he knew of any other houses in the neighborhood that had kids living there

Well, that is not the wisest of things that someone could go around doing, it does come off as sort of creepy.

[AlmightyJB]

I was kinda happy this didn't require a swat team.

[Robert]

However, it is a tactic I might've recommended online at a youth football coaching forum to people trying to recruit players.

[Hyperion]

Soddy Daisy ain't nuthin. Here in Murlan, we have this:

Big Assawoman Bay

[Brandon]

I'm not clicking that.

[Dances-with-Trolls]

Meh, not touching that, prolly has crabs.

[AlmightyJB]

How about Beaverlick, KY which is just down the road from Big Bone Lick State Park.

[AlmightyJB]

The park is at the intersection of Beaver and Big Bone.

[Dances-with-Trolls]

Winner.

[creech]

It's an old joke about the Amish farmer telling the lost English tourist that the road to Paradise runs through Intercourse. And, yes, there is a "Christ's Home" in Paradise right on the Lancaster Pike.

[Alton Knutson]

Been to Soddy Daisy several times to work at the Sequoyah nuclear plant.

[AlmightyJB]

How is Chattanooga? We go to to Smokys but never get that far south.

[Alton Knutson]

Chattanooga generally sucks big dick.

[JWatts]

I disagree. Up until last year, I attended a weekend convention at the Chattanooga Choo Choo hotel. It's nice with a conveniently placed local brew pub. And the electric trolley is next door, so you can ride it to the river side district.

[Stickler Meeseeks]

The aquarium is pretty cool.

[SIV]

Chattanooga is a fine town

[Denise]

Chattanooga has the largest fresh water aquarium, the largest art collection in the south and so much more. Chattanooga was voted top 45 places in the world to visit by New York Times. Sounds like it "sucks big dicks?" REALLY!

[JWatts]

The article seems to have missed some points. The company the salesman was working for is SouthWestern based in Nashville. They specialize in getting college kids to sale over priced books door to door.

They've done it for a long time and they send kids all over the country. Indeed, I did it the summer of 1992, in Rice Lake, WI.

It's virtually certain that Soddy Daisy has had a SouthWestern book salesman come through every summer for years. Obviously most of them don't ever get their license revoked.

But more importantly, other interesting TN town names:

BuckSnort, Bell Buckle, Bugscuffle, Christmasville, Wartrace, etc.

[The Bearded Hobbit]

Truth
or
Consequences

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T.....New_Mexico

... Hobbit

[Mike Laursen]

T'er,C doesn't count. They changed the name of the town on purpose as a publicity stunt.

[darius404]

The serf's sales-privilege was revoked by the local feudal lords.

[aahoward2]

The problem here is not the he was selling door to door. I live near this community and he's been all over. He goes to people's houses as late as 9:30 and won't leave. He goes back to the same houses repeatedly after being told no and asks inappropriate questions about people's children.

[DRC111]

I live in an area outside of Chattanooga - not Soddy-Daisy - and the same guy has been around - pushy isn't the word for it. And you may not have a problem with a stranger walking to your side yard to talk with your 6 year-old instead of coming to the front door but I do.

[Denise]

This guy came to my house at 10:00 p.m. after being told no earlier in the day. My son is not allowed to talk to strangers and certainly isn't allowed to be photographed! I would hope any descent parent would teach their children the same thing!