OK, I am getting tired of the various flyers and other junk left on or near my door. Are you too?
We’ve mentioned this before here and here. I have tried various strategies – calling the companies, speaking with our elected officials, … and, bottom line is that there does not seem to be much we can do as individuals about it. So, knowing that the group is much more powerful than the individual, I am beginning the “Solicitor Hall Of Shame” here and will list the various businesses who leave their flyers on my door. Feel free to add to the list in the comments if I miss some. I (EZ) highly recommend you do not use the services of these businesses and let them know why!
So, without further ado, here they are (I’ll update this list as they leave more flyers on my door):
Krause & Sons Landscaping Phone is 703 347 9881. Their trash is… trash. A poor photocopy of a flyer that my cat could have done a better job of producing. Lots of spelling/grammar mistakes and their logo looks more like a Soviet hammer-and-sickle than the lawnmower I think it is supposed to be. But, the best (worst) part of this flyer is where they very prominently state “We take pride in making your yard look its BEST.” Hrm… they think that leaving trash in my yard improves it’s appearance? As with all the other businesses listed on this page, we highly recommend you do not patronize them. – 7Feb09
Papa John’s Running a close second to Monterey’s, Papa John’s has of late taken to leaving post-it notes on our doors. As always, we highly recommend you do not support businesses who litter our neighborhood. ~29Jan09
Monterey’s Pizza You’ve got to hand it to these jerks, they’re tenacious. I’ve even called them on a few occasions to tell them to stop leaving their trash in my yard to no avail. Two interesting observations are that (1) they always leave the same damned flyer and (2) the flyers are printed with a postage permit on them and a spot to print addresses. It would be better if they sent their trash through the mail because then they’d be helping to support our postal service. And, as always, for a number of days after they left their trash in our yards I saw it flying around our fair little block. I would be less angry about this if they paid for the litter removal. – 28Jan09
Eva Flores’ Cleaning Phone is 703 501 3586. It wasn’t enough for them to leave a single flyer on my door, no, they left two. Perhaps they think that leaving two identical flyers will make me twice as likely to engage their services? No, it actually makes me dislike them twice as much. Interesting point is that this is an Arlington phone number, not an Alexandria #. What does this mean? Well, one argument I have heard for continuing to allow unsolicited trash to be left on our property is that it helps local businesses. I find that a small minority of the flyers left at my house are Alexandria-based businesses. This is further evidence against the argument that trash (aka unsolicited flyers) should be allowed to be left on our porches, on our stoops, shoved between our doors or wherever else these morons think is a good spot. I’d like to shove the flyers up their ass…
Maximaids Phone number is 703 941 4205. This business is based in Springfield. Would you clean your house with a tampon? I didn’t think so. Maximaids needs a new name and a new marketing strategy as I highly recommend you never support a business which leaves trash on people’s doorsteps. – 16Dec08
Monterey’s Pizza Phone is 703 683 9400. Here’s yet more trash from one of the leading offenders in this neighborhood. When will they get a clue? Sadly, as long as they incur no cost to their inconveniencing me, they’ll keep doing it. I’ve repeatedly called them and told them I do not want their flyers. Perhaps I need to start talking to City Council about these jerks.
Founding Church of Scientology Phone is 202 797 9826. Hrmm… even the friggin’ loonies are getting into leaving trash on my doorstep. I wonder what L. Ron Hubbard would say about their leaving of trash on my property. Hopefully they will atone for this sin. – 16Dec08
Pond Roofing Phone is 703 573 8000 and they’re located at 2987 Prosperity Ave., Fairfax VA. Another non-Alexandria business leaving trash on my property. There really should be a law against this. Or, at least make these litterers pay a licensing fee to compensate me (indirectly through the city) for my inconvenience and their degrading my neighborhood.
Pizzaiolo Cafe & Bar Phone is 703 894 2250. One of the few businesses leaving trash on my doorstep which is actually located in Alexandria. Too bad because I won’t be patronizing them given this fact. – 16Dec08
Larney, Inc. Phone is 703 971 4785 and address is 6224 Driftwood Dr., Alexandria, VA 22310 but don’t let the Alexandria address fool you – this business is located in Fairfax. Hrmmm… not a local, alexandria based business. – 16Dec08
Murray’s Tree Service & Landscaping Phone is 1-800-903-4121. Ooh! Murry will give me free woodchips with the trash he left on my doorstep (that’s what the card says). I can also get free woodchips… all over the place. Alexandria and just about every municipality I know of gives them away. This particular pathetic excuse for a business is located all the way out in Culpepper. – 16Dec08
Peter Glaser Construction Phone is 202 237 1235 and address is 4317 Fessenden St., NW in the District. Hmmm… another non-Alexandria business leaving trash on my doorstep. Maybe I should gather a whole bunch of flyers and leave them on HIS doorstep. Wonder what he’d think of me leaving trash on his property. You know the drill – I strongly recommend you never give this idiot a call unless you want to tell him to stop leaving trash on your property. – 16Dec08
Quality First Complete Renovation, Inc Phone is 703 444-7900 or 1-888-222-0507 or call their cell at 703-928-6655. A while back someone commented how we don’t want to hurt local businesses by not allowing flyers to be left on people’s doorsteps. Here is another prime example of how there is a misperception. An awful lot of businesses who leave trash on our doors are not local (Del Ray or Alexandria) businesses. This one is a good case in point. I did a little googling and found they are based in Sterling, VA. They left not one but three seperate pieces of trash on my door today advertising drywall, painting, housecleaning and landscaping. Their motto, printed on one of the flyers is “If you want quality job call.” Hopefully for them their work is better than their grammar or their flyer design/printing. – 4Nov08.
Monterey’s Pizza Phone is 703 683 9400. They’re trying something new. Instead of leaving trash on my doorstep they left a printed post-it on my door. Trash is trash no matter where you put it. Their trash mentions something about “At Monterey’s we are happy to SUPPORT YOUR ADDICTION!!” (note the caps and double exclamation points are theirs, not mine). That’s nice. Not only do they leave trash on our property but they’re helping junkies from going straight. “Uh, hi… I’d like to order a large pizza and a nickel bag for delivery…” Yeah, right… As with everyone else on this list, we here at NelsonAveGang urge you to let them know we don’t like their trash and also to not patronize dumb businesses like this. – 24Oct08.
Domino’s Pizza North Old Town OK, let me ask you – if you wanted to show people how much you appreciated them, would you throw trash all around their yard? I didn’t think so either. So why does Domino’s Pizza North Old Town think that leaving their trash on our yards shows their “appreciation” of us? They claim on the flyers left on our fair street today (7Aug08) that this is a “customer appreciation” flyer. Personally, I don’t like Domino’s pizza and have never been a customer of theirs and do not plan to ever be given the trash they left on my door today. I’ll call them tomorrow to explain to them how much I “appreciate” their never doing such a dumb thing again.
Ray’s Maintenance & Ray’s Welding Ray’s phone number is 703 960 1571. I strongly urge you to hire someone who is actually licensed and experienced to perform repairs or work on your home. I get the feeling that Ray isn’t the most professional around. – 22Sept08
City Masonry What I am finding is quite interesting is the high volume of flyers we receive for businesses which are not based in Alexandria. Some people will argue that we should allow flyers because it helps support local businesses. Perhaps we should outlaw flyers for any business which is not based in our fair city. City Masonry is a great example since they are based in TEXAS. Though, to give them credit, it is probably some sort of franchise. I recommend you hire an established local business instead on some fly-by-night group that has nothing local except a 703 area code phone number. In fact, why not call them to complain about the trash they leave on our porches? Their number is 703 870 1422. – 22Sept08
Cerro Verde Nice full-color printing by Five Star Printing (443-790-4565). I mention this because Five Star Printing is not an Alexandria-based business. Cerro Verde certainly is in Alexandria but I won’t be patronizing them given the trash they left on my doorstep. – 22Sept08
Dahn Yoga Sometime in the early morning hour (around 6 or 7am) someone left a flyer for Dahn Yoga under a brick on my porch. I was a little miffed not only because they left their trash on my porch but that they moved the brick from it’s nice and neat pile into the middle of the porch where I, sleepy as could be, almost tripped over it. I called and spoke to the manager, Lee and expressed my displeasure at trash from her business being left on my porch. Their flyer claims to, among other things, offer “Brain Education.” Given the stupidity of their advertising, maybe they should try some old fashioned “brain education” – it’s called school. I highly recommend you do not support a business like this.
Marino’s Pizza & Subs It is sad that we have to add Marino’s to the list – I’ve never eaten anything from them but they do have a cool color scheme. But, when they leave their trash on my door, I get mad. I called them and they said they would take the entire block off of their list but something tells me to doubt that. Interestingly enough, the flyer says “Printed by Five Star Printing 443-790-4565″ – perhaps I should call them tomorrow.
Date added: 08 July 2008
Environment Virginia Not long after I got home late from work today I saw a flyer from this group on my door and saw someone claiming to be a representative of theirs knocking on the neighbor’s doors. I asked him what he is doing and where is his permit. Although he claimed to have one, he was unable to produce it. I called the cops and hopefully they went and found him. He was quite rude to me (not the first time someone’s been rude but I’ll be sure to let the organization know this tomorrow when I call them).
Date added: 10 June 2008
Hector’s Place I returned from work today to find a business card for this restaurant laying on my front porch. I wonder how they would feel if I just randomly threw trash in front of their door.
Date added: 31 March 2008
Comcast & Ben Enterprises I spoke with Victor (571 484 8994) and his manager, Alex Villasenor (571 991 6582) of “Ben Enterprises”. Apparently, this firm is based in Texas (note – not an Alexandria business) and a contractor to Comcast. I have heard that an argument for allowing flyers is that it helps promote/support Alexandria businesses. How does this benefit our city? Two people who do not live in Alexandria working for a Texas-based company which is a subcontractor for Comcast. Hmmm… sounds pretty fishy to me.
Date added: 24 March 2008
The Gentleman Plumber, A division of Harry Braswell, Inc. (website is www.thegentlemanplumber-va.com)
This hangtag was nicely printed – two color, glossy paper and a complete waste of my time because I do my own plumbing. Hopefully if you don’t do your own plumbing you will use someone else’s services. I’ve noticed R&B and Kesterson’s don’t put unsolicited crap on my door.
Zpizza (website is www.zpizza.com)
Maybe a new restaurant? Or one who’s desperate for new business? Well, they’ll not get any of mine.
Mario’s Painting (No website; phone is 703-830-7996)
This was an interesting hangtag because it advertised three businesses (Mario’s and the next two). One of them being the company which makes/distributes the hang tags. Mario’s painting looks pretty sketchy to me since he promises to do much, much more than painting but he doesn’t seem to be able to use a spellchecker.
Virginia Cleaning Plus (No website; phone is 703-543-4359)
Not much to say… another cleaning business. I wish they’d stop dirtying up my neighborhood with their unsolicited flyers.
Lucky Bag (website is www.luckybagcfd.com)
This is the company which prints/distributes flyers. I haven’t called them yet but I urge you to call them and tell them you no longer want their trash being strewn about your yard. I’ll update this posting after I call them.
Tsim Yung (No website; phone is 703-518-8880)
Hmmm… what’s worse than bad faux Chinese food? Maybe the flyer they left on my door. They need to hire a graphic designer. Not that I’ll be dining there but they do indicate they do not like MSG. UPDATE (9/22/2008): We received another flyer from them last week.