No, I Don’t Want a Free Sample and NO, You Can’t Ask Me a Question

We live a very short distance from this gigantic mall:



While I've never measured it, I believe if you walk the complete length of the mall, it's at least a mile. That makes it a great place to get a little indoor exercise while also shopping or grabbing a bite to eat.



There's only one thing that completely obliterates any enjoyment you might possibly get from being in a mall. (Yes, the mall is my happy place!)

Picture it. You're walking along, enjoying your day, inhaling the delicious aroma of Auntie Anne's pretzels and new clothes...


When all of a sudden, a hand is thrust toward you. It's a sample. And some kiosk salesperson wants to know if you want one.


Of course, you say "no, thank you," because you're polite. But the kiosk salesperson isn't through with you just yet. There's one more thing on the script they all use.



Sometimes I say, "No, thank you" and sometimes I keep walking. As polite as I am, I figure the first, "No, thank you," should do it. My stepdad suggests this answer to that question:


If there's a way to get around them, I haven't found it. This article suggests looking poor, while this article recommends feeling sorry for them. 

I wonder if annoying kiosk people are contributing to the death of the indoor shopping mall. I haven't yet seen annoying kiosk people at the many outdoor lifestyle centers that are replacing them. I have a feeling once indoor malls are completely gone, kiosks will pop up at lifestyle centers, too.


How would you deal with being harassed every few steps while shopping or trying to get from Point A to Point B?