Teatime: Open door is no invitation for pamphlets
This is part of a weekly column in which we talk about anything under the sun
My door is always open as my pets enjoy looking out and I like to keep air flowing through my non-air-conditioned flat.
But pamphlet distributors mistake my open door as an invitation to throw their flyers – mostly ads for property agents – straight into my home.
Even my cats, who love to chase balled-up paper, are not impressed.
If my door happens to be shut, I would find pamphlets stuck into the gaps around my gate.
I learnt in my advertising class in the 1990s that pamphlets were an ineffective advertising tool as recipients viewed the pieces of paper as trash. I doubt pamphlets have over the years magically become the best form of advertising, especially in the digital age.
So, why are property agents still killing trees to advertise their services?
I understand the pamphlet distributors and property agents are trying to make a living, but littering at the very piece of property you hope to sell is just ludicrous.
A Tampines resident even encountered a pamphlet distributor taking a photo of her unit number to prove to his employer that he did his job.
Residents who raise this littering issue in online forums have been advised by others to put up a sign that says the flat owner is not looking to sell the property or a mailbox for all the pamphlets. The former advice does not work and the latter just creates an additional chore for flat owners instead of stopping the junk mail.
The Council for Estate Agencies advises agents to "Distribute flyers and pamphlets so that these are visible only to the intended recipient. Do not leave these items at the gates of people’s homes or on their vehicles. Not only is this unsightly, it can also lead to a littering issue."
Is throwing pamphlets into my living room not a littering issue or is it not an issue because what happens in my home falls outside the purview of Town Council, National Environment Agency and Housing Board?
While I keep searching for a solution to this problem, I will continue to scream at the door-to-door pamphlet distributors in hopes of scaring them into blacklisting my flat – because I cannot rely on my dog, who has given up on barking at littering strangers.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now