Census taker came to my home today...

This turned into a huge incident. We live in a New Orleans suburb and there have been countless radio ads stating that the NewOrleans area was undereporting, so please fill out ur census form. We did that about 3 weeks ago.

About 4 PM today my doorbell rings. Now let me describe our home. 2800 sq ft brick home with a 6 ft tall brick fence around the front and side yard, and the back side has an 8 ft wrought iron fence. Our brick wall has a gate with an intercom to get buzzed in to the house same thing with the gate on our driveway. Around back there is a secondary gate around our patio, just a little 4 ft picket deal, nothing major.

So our front doorbell rings and my wife looks on the camera and sees a rather rough loooking individual on our doorstep. My wife pops the intercom and informs the man that he's trespassinf, and he simply flashes his census ID on his neck cord.

She calls me and explains whats going on. So I go open the door then the screen door and the guy immediately tries to step in. He immediately bumps into ME, A 220 LB GUY. So I step up enough to manuever him back on my porch. I told him that he was trespassing and inquired how he made it through my security gate. He stated he was not trespassing since my census form was not recieved someone was required to come to my door and do the survey manually. I explained that by ignoring my signs and failing to follow protocol he was in violation of the law.

He laughed. I told him I would call the police to remove him. He said tthe police were not authorized to remove him as his authority in this matter supercedes theirs. I inquired if he saw the beware of dog sign on my front door. He said he did. I yelled for my wife to let Precious out of the house. I told him we had to let our dog out to potty and he should leave promptly. He laughed again and said he REFUSED to leave especialy because of a dog named precious. Precious is a 110 lb half lab half chesapeake bay retriever with a nasty demeanor towards strangers. She ran through our large yard directly towards him in a very aggressive manner and he made a break for the gate. By the time he closed the gate there was a snarling dog trying to chew through the iron gate.

I instructed him via intercom at the main gate to leave the premises. He again refused and stated that I had a legal obligation to let him in and answer his questions. My next door neighbor is a City Police Officer. I called him and instructed him that I had a trespasser that refused to leave. The officer came over and instructed the guy to leave. The guy gave him the same song and dance about the law and superceding authority/ And he refused to leave.

I showed the officer the UPS receipt from where I mailed in my census form and the confirmation that it was recieved. The census taker stated it wasn't recieved and I had a legal obligation to fufill his needs. The officer then told him to leave the property or he;d be arrested. The census taker stood in the street. The officer said if he gives me any more problems to call him. I cut my spriklers on and doused him good.

The census taker then attempted to gain entry through my driveway gate. My kids are playing in the backyard with my wife and the dogs and this guy starts yelling and swearing. Finally he asked politely if I would answer the questions and allow him to scan my door. I told him I would answer the basic (short form) questions but scanning my door was not an option. He informed me that he was required by law to scan the door of everyone he interviewed. Upon repeating that this would not happen he became irate. Yelling and cursing in fron of my wife and kids. I called my neighbor again who came over and ordered him off the property. He left.

He returned about 20 minutes later. And apparently some neighborhood kids(we didn't see who *wink wink) lit the guy up with paintball guns. I mean this guy was eaten alive, 20 good hits. He called the police and tried to say I shot him with the paintball gun. The responding officer was my next door neighbor. I told him that I wanted this guy arrested for trespassing and harassment. He was removed from my property and taken into custody.

THe scary part is when the officer returned home I asked if my wife needed to give a statement. He replied no, we aren't allowed to hold him. WTF?! He told me he'd explain later. I'll update when I find out.

But has anyone else dealt with these census nazis? I have never seen such brazen disregard for the law in my life. Is there a census employee on ATS that can elaborate? Because this gestapo crap has to stop/

Okay, this guy is just a nut. Don't blame this on the process of census takers...to be honest, I'm not even certain this guy is a real census taker, the way you describe all this. He's not supposed to try an enter your home, that's not how it works at all. Quite honestly, this sounds to me like a possibly dangerous individual posing as a census taker.

I'm wondering why you didn't step outside on your front stoop to clean your shotgun.

I would have, if possible, given him a copy of the UPS receipt and told him to check his records.

Keep us posted.

reply to post by DrJay1975


Damn I miss the family farm of my youth. Not gated and all, but if anyone came to the farm and the dogs did not know them, they were kept in the vehicle.

It was kind of funny when any sales people showed up. I remember one that rolled his window down and asked me to call off the dogs. I asked who he was and he told me that he needed to see my father. I asked again who he was and this time he told me he was a salesman.

I told him the dogs were for the purpose of eating salesman and asked if he had seen the sign "no salesman & no trespassing" posted at the end of the driveway. He said no and I told him to take a look at it on his way out.


I am really beginning to worry about those GPS numbers they are taking. Coded to everyone by their name and address.

Oh well, 1984 is just running a few decades behind schedule.

we germans have census year in 2011 and there will be a obligation to give information. There are a lot of people who went to the courts and sued the state for doing that but there were not succesful.

I could tell you a lot of stuff about things like that going on here. I'll make a thread about it today a think

They came here to the farm to get information from the workers. I told her that she was parking in my spot, and I asked her to move to a different area. She instead moved where she pleased, and parked in someone else's spot. These people are out of their mind.

Today I hear a knock on my door and I look out my window and see some little girl with what appeared to me Census forms in her hand. So what is the minimum age for Census enumerators? I have no beef with young people out there doing their jobs but this person did not look old enough to be in the workforce and she was not wearing a Census badge. I suspect some Census worker out there getting their children to knock on doors. A big no-no.

wow that is quite a crazy experience.... I didn't know those people have some immunity to laws that anyone else would not have.. That is just asking for abuse, as you experienced today.
I also did that census when they came to my door last week, and just today a different person came by and asked if I was someone and they gave a name not belonging to em, and I told them they had the wrong place because I had already done it a week ago. They then wanted me to do the thing again saying the last person must have made a mistake...
These people are total kooks if you ask me...
That guy is lucky he didnt come to my place because he would have been hauled away in an ambulance or a hurst, no joke

These people would otherwise be unemployed. They came here expecting to find lots of workers. As if it's harvest season or something.

Easy stuff here...

Wife answered the door. I was already on my way to the door as well...

She stepped back pulling open the door. Our inside porch light was on even though it was very well lit without it.

I said who turned on our light? (There's external access as well for those really dark nights but it was broad daylight.)

Lady claims to be from the census; I easily view her lanyard with ID (she was already expected at our place since I dragged my feet filling out the 20+ questions.)

She asked a few irrelevant personal questions to break the ice...

Vacation Home or Regular Residence? I'm OK with that.

Can I have your name and phone number here? ... I gave her the number of people living in our home... Can't count the fishy and other pets.

She asked another irrelevant question... while I interrupted her; again stating the number of people here.

She said OK that's fine; I said, We're not the kind of people that are going to answer all of those questions that we'd heard about and she sensed the door was going to slam if she got pushy...

So, fairly uneventful.

My wife was pleased that I growled like Alex Jones at the census gal ...

Setting the correct undertone from the beginning does wonders for communication.


[edit on 5·19·10 by DrMattMaddix]

I would have probably just stared at him for 20 minutes.

He would have left happily after 2.

great job btw.

Copy and save the following link :

Courtesy of The US Census Bureau
www.census.gov...

This dude should've backed off when you showed your USPS documentation proving that you sent out your census.

Next time this happens to someone, get the person's name, employee identification number (this is on the id that is on the lanyard on their necks) call your local Census Chapter and report this dude to his boss. This sounds like a scammer as during Census time known and previously unknown identity theft rings are out in full force.

Your local chapter can be found here :

Courtesy of The US Census Bureau
www.census.gov...

Give them as accurate of a physical description as you possibly can (Age, race, hair colour/type/length, weight, height, build) and report them to the Bureau they will make a record of your call and the fact you have it on tape does help your case out especially if it's got audio capabilities as well. Get a copy of the tape of the incident in question, bring that to your local Census Bureau Chapter and they will handle it from there. Trepassing charges may be filed as a result and the person will lose the job definately.

They as with any Governmental entity is NEVER allowed to force themselves either onto your property, into your private residence. The United States Census Bureau takes matters like this extremely serious.

You however are not allowed to draw a weapon upon any Census taker as that is a violation of Federal Law under the Assault or the threatening of a Federal Employee in the commission of their work. The same protections that United States Postal Service employees have the same applies to Census as well.

[edit on 19-5-2010 by TheImmaculateD1]

Yeah, i had them come to me too. It was an actually pleasant experience. I talked to the lady through the screen door. I may have invited her in, but my puppy tends to be all over new people, especially if they don't demonstrate a commanding presence. (a black lab/wirehair mix, 4 months old/45 # already )

Anyways, it was pretty easy. I seen it coming and had myself all set and gave the minimum amount that she needed. Gave my birthdate and approximate birthdates for my girl and her kid. No names whatsoever. She was more interested in ages, how many people, and what race were living in the house. And if we rented or owned. She was friendly and reasonable. And it took all of five minutes. Hardly any real identifying information was given, other than birthdates and our 'ethnicity'.

Back to the original poster, sounds like you got a guy who is either; power tripping(maybe cause you were giving him a hard time, or dude is crazy), or a true scammer. The OP does sound like he went a little too far with the whole trespassing bit and the cops. It should be his right though, I mean, it is his area. Its quite possible that that standoff was created by equally adversarial personalities.

That being said, I don't agree with the OP's reaction, even as shady as it sounded to him. But, its better than what happened to this guy, an honest census taker.

"It was a bizarre and gruesome discovery in a remote section of eastern Kentucky: Bill Sparkman, a 51-year-old teacher and part-time worker for the United States Census, was found two weeks ago hanging from a tree with the word "Fed" scrawled on his chest in felt tip pen."

www.cbsnews.com...

^^^
I'm sure there had to be a thread on that one for sure. Crazy country we got here. People do love their privacy.

Originally posted by dfens
But, its better than what happened to this guy, an honest census taker.

"It was a bizarre and gruesome discovery in a remote section of eastern Kentucky: Bill Sparkman, a 51-year-old teacher and part-time worker for the United States Census, was found two weeks ago hanging from a tree with the word "Fed" scrawled on his chest in felt tip pen."

www.cbsnews.com...

^^^
I'm sure there had to be a thread on that one for sure. Crazy country we got here. People do love their privacy.

I'm pretty sure that case turned out to be some bizarre suicide/hoax, or that's the last I heard. It was a very strange case, but probably not what it seemed at first.

reply to post by DrJay1975


You sir are a much more patient and gentlemanly indivual than I, and for this I give you kudos. I would have lost my cool almost instantly and would've gotten myself in big trouble! He would have been eating my fist almost immediately! You handled the situation very well I think considering how pushy and rediculous this naz..er...uh...federal employee was being. I may have not done any census related stuff so far (I think) and I am also pretty sure that I will not be either.

I wonder if it is related to the thread about the sex offender getting the Census job. I would link that story, but I don't know how.
You mentioned you had kids, I just wonder if it could have been the same guy because he seemed really relentless. I would think that someone that determined would have some sort of alternative motives.

reply to post by LifeInDeath


Yes, the bottom of that story will probably never come to any conclusion.

According to the investigation, they came to the conclusion it was a suicide.

Some twisted individual that thought causing a huge conspiracy with his death.

That itself is a huge frelling conspiracy itself. What kind of twisted mind would do THAT?

Funny heh. About a week and a half ago I had one of the census members out on my property, and I almost live in the middle of nowhere. They were going to all neighboring houses cause someone didn't have a mailbox but had a trailer with a fence around it, and barbed wires around the top to keep animals and people out. Had my buddy over who is a police officer and he just stood while I talked to the lady. She just wanted to know if we knew the place and if anyone lived there; but alas we moved out here (my folks) and haven't befriended anyone who lives nearby lol. Seclusion I guess was the goal and we almost got it. Outside of her visit and a few bible thumpers, we don't have any problems but oh how I wish I would answer the door with the shotgun for kicks lol.

Cheers! and I am curious why they were unable to arrest this man. Not saying he wasn't trying to do his job but he didn't go about it respectively. Hate people on their high-horses sometimes.

I think you just had a jerk come by your place. I had them come last week. He was a nice guy. We did the entire thing on the front porch and he never asked to come in. Took about 5 minutes and then he said he was done with what he needed me for and would do the rest in the car.

The two things on the thing that were curious is that he asked me what the status of my house was. Mortgage, owned free and clear, rented. I asked him why that was relevant and he did not know - I believed him.

When he went through the race portion, he specifically asked me if anyone was hispanic. He did not ask me about specific other ethinic groups, only hispanic. I asked him why and he said that he was instructed to specifically ask about each person and if they were Hispanic. Got a bit humorous when he asked me if the one twin was hispanic when we already covered his brother. He just laughed and said that he was just doing what he was told to do.

Other than that, no big deal and he was a nice, professional gent