Trust. It is hard to come by in this day and age. Everyone mistrusts just about everything. And with the Internet and the tons of information available to people these days, who can blame them? But I’m getting ahead of myself.
I live in a small town. Really small town. Don’t get me wrong. I chose this town on purpose. I’ve lived near New Orleans for most of my life, so living in a small town was a dream of mine. But being in a small town means you have to deal with small town rules. One rule is I have to park on the opposite side of the street every Tuesday. Why? Because the street cleaner comes by. Street cleaner. That’s how small the town is. They have a street cleaner that visits every street. Another rule that I recently found out about is that have to have some form of sign on my fence gate to let people know a dog might be back there. Here’s my dog:
I just didn’t think a “Beware of Dog” sign fit for this particular canine. Do you? So I went looking for a different kind of sign. I found one. AVM Publishing puts out dog in yard signs. And I mean that literally. They say “Dog in Yard” or “Dogs in Yard” and come in brown, blue, or green. (Color is not a personal preference for me, but my wife loved the blue.) Comes with brass screws or plastic cable ties depending on what you need. Both are weather proof. (Listen to me. I’m starting to sound like an advertisement.)
There was only one problem. They don’t accept credit cards. They only accept checks. However (and this is a big “however”), they don’t ask for payment up front. They sent me the sign before I even paid for it.
“Wait. I think I’m going blind here Mike. I swore you just said they sent the sign without even having payment for it.”
Well, that’s not exactly how I said it, but you’re right. They call it the “Good Karma Policy.” They ship your sign and expect you to send your check just as fast. And speaking of fast, I had my sign in two days. It actually got here before they even received my check. Trust is so refreshing. I swear, if I ever need another sign like that, I’ll definitely do business with them again. I mean, shipping before payment. For the common consumer, that is unheard of. I wish more people would trust each other like that. Of course, I also wish more people would give reasons for that trust too.
But check it out. Here’s the sign on my gate:
Now the city is happy. I’ve followed their rules without making my cute, fluffy, little white dog seem like a monster. “Dog in Yard” sounds so much better than “Beware of Dog,” don’t you think?
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By Stine on May 9, 2008 | Reply
So nice to hear that it happens over there too… Here’s hoping that they never get a reason to change their policy!
Mind you - yhey’re not fluffy. Just small.
Great sign! Those little fluffy things can be vicious - I call my father’s two the “floor piranhas”
Stines last blog post..What?
By RollerKaty on May 9, 2008 | Reply
Cute dog!
RollerKatys last blog post..My Little Pony
By Debbie Lane on May 9, 2008 | Reply
trust, that is nice. They will do well, after all, not only are you a dedicated customer now, but you have told how many others?
By Sue Doe-Nim on May 9, 2008 | Reply
I had a dog that looked just like that and at 8 pounds he was still a mean ole sumofabitch.
Sue Doe-Nims last blog post..Friday Confession Unanswered Prayers
By Nanjodogz on May 10, 2008 | Reply
Cute dog, great sign — I’m a small town gal too — love small town living!
Nanjodogzs last blog post..Bella The Boston Terrier - Mommy I Want This One
By Kelly on May 10, 2008 | Reply
Awww! Your dog is adorable!
I would rather live in a small town than in suburbia. Recently, my husband suggested we build a new house out in a nearby rural area. I screamed for three days. GAH!!
Kellys last blog post..Doodle Week Day 3
By felinesophy on May 10, 2008 | Reply
I love the way you wrote down for the title posting here, very provocative;) I thought you’re going to discuss how socializing or communication over the internet, whether it is trustable or not, hmmm….
felinesophys last blog post..Learning Behavior: who’s imitating who?
By Kristen Brooke Beck on May 14, 2008 | Reply
Oh man! You so should have gone with the giant “Beware of Killer Attack Dog from Hell” sign. Then underneath it you need a smaller sign in an Old English font that says something like, “It’s got teeth. Look at the bones.” (Sorry, the Monty Python bit just seemed to fit.) Then shove one of those bloody Halloween decoration human legs through the fence.
Come on… you know you want to.
Kristen Brooke Becks last blog post..Stop Legalized Murder in the USA
By Elle on May 14, 2008 | Reply
Love the sign… eminently civilized!
Elles last blog post..Senseo Update
By Saphrym on May 15, 2008 | Reply
Yep. I love my dog and I like the sign. Although, Kristen, your idea is intriguing. I might just have to… *walks away mumbling something about dogs and nosy neighbors*
By viveca on May 22, 2008 | Reply
your puppy looks like my new little pup, Albert!
vivecas last blog post..Old Friend New Friend Week - 5 Energy Boosting Reasons to Be A Friend
By Entrepreneur on Jun 30, 2008 | Reply
I remembered this post from a while back when i was writing my post about a Chinese person going way out of her way to return a lost camera she found to someone from Singapore.