Reply #24: I know a little about 'taroof'--the ritual politeness.

[MADem]

When someone shows up at your door that you don't want to entertain, if you ANSWER that door, you're fucked. You have to give them pears and cucumbers and coke and chips and sweets and sit and make mindless small talk for eons. If they say they LIKE something you own, you have to offer it to them, they refuse, you have to PRESS it on them, they refuse...but if they take it, and a few assholes will, you're fucked. You lost your item, and you can't bitch about it.

The way to avoid it is to have a mirror set up in the window so you can see who is at the gate without having to twitch the curtains and give yourself away, and then HIDE until the fuckers give up ringing the bell and go away. If you have a phone, you're a fool if you don't hook up an answerphone as well, because they will call, bang on the door, and ask the neighbors if they saw you go out. I shit you not.


That's yer taroof!!!! And it SUCKS if you don't know how to play it!