Looking back it kind of went by in a blur of faces. The only thing that really sticks out are the terribly bad mingled in with a couple good.

I don’t remember the first person that answered the door for me. I remember being very nervous the first day. I brushed off inexperience with a nervous laugh saying that I was new to the census.

I think it was the second day that I got the first door slammed in my face. A lady came to the door earlier in the day, looking hungover wearing a bathrobe at 11 AM. She told me to come back later because her husband would like to talk to me as she was much too busy doing nothing apparently.

Gladly I came back later (going out of my way) just to have a door slammed in my face. I learned later that making an appointment with the respondent to come back later in the day never worked out for me once.

It was the first day in the rough part of town that someone came out of their house belligerent with me. It was very hot that day and I saw a woman sitting on the grass in her front yard that I needed to speak to. She didn’t speak a lick of English and I had no idea what language she spoke as I’ve never heard it before.

Thankfully this woman had a 10 year old son who spoke perfect English. I tried to communicate with him what the census was about and why I was at their house but it was very difficult to explain. They had a very large family and when I was about halfway through the boy ran into the house to ask his father something.

The man followed his son outside the house and gestured angrily at me while yelling. I had no idea what he was saying but I’m sure it wasn’t a friendly greeting. The boy told me that his father was very angry. He told me I needed to delete all the information I had on them. Please leave my dad is getting very upset and I’m not sure what he will do.

I left frightened for the family’s safety more than my own. I wondered if the boy and his mother would get in trouble for talking to me. I could almost understand the dad’s anger though. Imagine if someone ‘official’ looking showed up to your door and started asking personal questions if you do not speak the language nor have any idea what the census is. I was a threat. He was only trying to protect his family which I can respect.

But I have no respect for someone who treats a census employee (or any worker) like garbage just for their enjoyment. It’s like they deliberately didn’t fill out their census so they could harass anyone who comes to their door.

Mean people just suck and you never knew what you were going to get when you knocked on the door.