Whenever I walk somewhere, and someone hands me a flyer, it's like they're telling me, "Here, you throw this away."
- Mitch Hedberg
The adverlitter epidemic seems to be getting worse in my neighborhood.
If you haven't heard the term "adverlitter" before, it means an advertisement that's really litter. This includes flyers, doorhangers, and other advertising garbage. Roving bands of hooligans leave their adverlitter on your doorstep, your driveway, on your car's windshield, or even try to stuff it into your hand while you walk down the street.
Who is buying anything from these guys??
Somebody has to be or I'd imagine they'd stop littering.
This week, someone left adverlitter for a house painting service on my doorstep. I found an offer for a free termite inspection in my bushes. There was also a baggie full of rocks that contained a flyer advertising a yard maintenance company. Ironically, their service list includes hauling trash.
Many of these adverlitterbugs are shameless. I once called a realitor who left a piece of trash (a.k.a. marketing flyer) on my doorstep and asked him to stop. His response was, "Many homeowners in your neighborhood enjoy learning about exciting real estate opportunities, so I'm going to keep doing it."
For the record, none of my neighbors will admit to being the least bit excited about this yahoo's real estate opportunities.
What can we do about it? Don't buy anything from adverlitter. That means I won't be calling Corky's for a free termite inspection, I definitely won't be calling College Works Painting for that free estimate, and Khe won't be getting any of my yard care business anytime soon.