I got yelled at today.

[DoggieStylesAustin]

Not by a customer though. As some of you know my business is very new and I am doing everything I can to bring customers in. So it was really slow today I decided to go promote my shop. I had some flyers to pass out and started at the local grocery store. I was putting flyers on cars. No big deal everyone I talk to was real nice and either ask questions about grooming or wished me luck with my business. Then I was almost done I decided to finish up the flyers at a local mall. It is basicly closed down but there is still many businesses around it. I had almost finished puting out all my flyers when this man in a really nice suit with a bluetooth in his ear came running up to me saying Mam I am going to call security you can't put flyers out here. I said I am sorry I didn't know. He said you are going to have to leave now I am going to call security. I said hey no big deal I said sorry you don't have to be a jerk about it. He yells I could have just called security on you I am not being a jerk. I was like good grief really. What is your problem I am just a small business owner trying to make ends meet. Call security if you want I am leaving anyways. I have been a customer here myself many times so chill out. He was just such a jerk will about half an hour later my phone rings and it was the property manager telling me not to put flyers on cars in their parking lot. I said Okay I won't I thought we already discuss this. It just made me so mad that they could be such jerks about something so small. Like they have nothing better to worry about. That mall has been on the brink of going out of business for a couple of years now. Wal mart is taking it over soon to build there and I must say I am glad now. Everyone else I talk to today was nice and friendly and understood I was just trying to help out my business. I mean geeze take the stick out of your ass. Sorry but I just wanted to vent for a minuet. I didn't mind leaving but they didn't have to make such a big deal out of it. You would have thought I was breaking the law or something. Geeze.

[BeeJL]

The man probably considered what you were doing littering. At least that is how it is taken where I live and no one supports a business that litters.

[lightning]

Actually, in some states it is against the law to leave advertisments on people's cars , etc. To be on the safe side, I would inquire with the town/ city as to the legal aspect of this so you don't run into the same situation again and possibly face fines for not knowing the law that pertains to this.

[Hello Kitty FTW]

This has come up before.

There are ordinances in place to prevent people from putting flyers out like that. You are a small business, but so is he, and all those flyers on the ground he now has to clean up or potentially face fines from the city. They may have been jerks, but they have their own backs to protect, too, and had a right to be that way.

[Particentral]

In most areas anymore there are ordinances against flyers being handed out. I also would say, you were rude to him first,,, and if you treated me like that I would call security as well.

[jlb0831]

yep.. It's illegal to put flyers on cars in my area.. Your lucky you didn't get fined.. But keep in mind, that you still could if someone took your flyer that you put on their car and reported it.. I've seen it happen.. Cars are personal property and I beleive it's considered "Defacing Personal Property".. Could be wrong about that..

Stephen: And sometimes in leases it says the landlord must not allow it or tenants get irked, and sometimes it's just plain against the law as you said. The landlord can get fined as well for allowing it.

[Fast Ellie]

First things first, you had no right putting the flyers on people's cars in a shopping mall. doesn't matter if you are starting a new business. The business owners renting space in a mall have to pay common area maintence fees to the owner/manager of the mall. Generally, the renters are responsible also for their area in front of their stores. So when you put the flyers on the cars most people will just throw them on the ground. This creates litter and extra expenses for the renters of the store and will eventually drive up their area maintence fees.

When I rented my shop in a mall believe me I chased people just like you off the premises in front of my shop. Way too many times I had to send a employee out in front of my shop to clean up the litter left from flyers.

[DoggieStylesAustin]

It is not illegal in my area to put flyers out people do it here all the time for all sorts of things. It is illegal to put bandit signs on the roads here but not to put flyers on cars. I have had a great response to putting flyers out like this and most people are very understanding and as a general rule they don't litter the streets with flyers here. Austin is for the most part a friendly city and people like to support the local business as oppose to the big box stores. I was well with in my right to put flyers out for my business in this manner and was in no way breaking the laws here. After talking with a couple of other business owners here about the what happen they said if they feel that way they should post a sign saying you can't put flyers on cars in the parking lot or something. Wow I am suprised at the response I got from you guys on this. If you are offended by a little piece of paper advertising a business then you need a life. really. It is like my own property manager said they acted as though I was putting porn on the cars and it was obsurd for them to act that way about it. They said don't do it and I stopped end of discussion that is my point there is no need to be hateful. Most people can appreciate a small business trying to get by. This guy was not a small business owner he was just a jerk that happen to be in the parking lot talking on his bluetooth. If you think I am wrong for saying he was a jerk well then oh well I guess you are all just better then me. Whatever!

Particentral: How is it that you think I was rude to this man? I said I was sorry he was the one yelling and threating to call security on me.

[RudyRoo]

A better idea would be to go to small business and introduce yourself and ask if you could leave a few flyers or cards. Beauty salons, florists, resale shops etc. I hate it when someone sticks something on my car, plus in most areas you have to have permission from the property manager before you start putting stuff out or you could get fined! I hit a bunch of apartment complexes one day, all the managers were nice & let me leave stuff or post it on their board.

[DoggieStylesAustin]

And one more thing the next place I handed flyers out there was a security guard on duty he even talked to me and ask how I was doing. He didn't seem to care that I put some flyers on some cars. This isn't NY or California with all the messed up laws this is Texas and most people here still have rights. We don't make everything a law because of a few bad eggs. Most people still have respect for others here and I in no way disrespected anyone that didn't disrespect me first! My small flyer was not damaging anyones car either get real!

[dbarcreations<3westies]

Don't mess with Texas!

Hey I'm in California and we get flyers on our cars all the time. I didn't think you were rude to the dude and I wish I lived in texas. Actually Arkansas, that is where all my family lives. High Five!

[PuppyFluffer]

Personally, I hate flyers on my windshield, but I certainly wouldn't get my knickers in a twist over it. Look at it this way - you probably made him feel very authoritative and important. In fact, you most likely made his day! Now he has something to brag about while he sucks up Fuzzy Navels with his buddies at the bar in Applebees after work!

Your good deed for the season is out of the way, and all you had to do was show up! Seriously, hun - don't lose any sleep over it. Also, you may want to pick your battles a little more carefully. It's not nice to have a battle of wits with an unarmed person...

[Particentral]

You said : He said you are going to have to leave now I am going to call security. I said hey no big deal I said sorry you don't have to be a jerk about it. He yells I could have just called security on you I am not being a jerk. I was like good grief really. What is your problem I am just a small business owner trying to make ends meet. Call security if you want I am leaving anyways. I have been a customer here myself many times so chill out.

You led me to belive you really said these things. If you did, you were rude IMO. I would have said, Sorry, didn't realize it was a problem I am leaving now! It soudned from what you posted that you talked back.

In my area you would have been arrested. It is ILLEGAL and enforced.

[windywaycavaliers]

Well,, between the bluetooth AND the suit---I would expect this type of reaction.
I understand that some people just throw these on the ground,,and I see how that could be littering and adding to this problem,,but it IS up to the people who get a flier to do the right thing and not just throw it on the ground,,and if they do its not your fault.
When reading,,I think you were trying to do something good,,and well meant.
I have been to Austin,,it is a great city,, around here, I would get pelted with rocks if I did fliers...but it is different in each state and city and town..
Also, if a flier were on my car,,I would read it, and put it in my car and not get upset about it. In fact, if it were from a business whose services I might ever need, I would probably keep their number. I would not personally think the person who stuck it on my car was a litterer, or one who owned a littering business--that is assuming a bit too much of the actual intentions of another...
some people really freaked out on this thread...calm down people!

[windywaycavaliers]

You said : He said you are going to have to leave now I am going to call security. ...
In my area you would have been arrested. It is ILLEGAL and enforced.

Fercryingoutloud.
Everyone can just relax. That's MY two cents.