Possible new MO: Fast Food "Surveys"

[nicolodeon]

Hey fellas. Just a fair bit of a heads-up.

I was washing my old clunker in front of my house last Saturday, when two persons - male and female - approached me, asking questions whether my family eat at fastfood joints frequently, particularly Pizza Hut, McDo, Shakeys and Jollibee. Since my family and I really don't eat that often at fast food joints, I told them no. However, they kept pestering me with the same question. It was not a good day for me so I finally asked WTF was their hoopla on fast food joints anyway. They told me they were conducting a survey in who eats at fast food joints with their entire household.

I smelled a fish.

I did a quick look-over at those two and I tell you, they don't look like bonafide representatives of any reputable firm doing surveys. The guy was sporting sunglasses (although I faintly saw his eyes always scanning the surroundings), wearing shorts with basketball jersey over a white short for a top. He was wearing a baseball cap. The girl who, according to the guy, was the actual "surveyor", didn't even look prepared for a survey: she only had a pencil and a really small notebook. With surveys, one is usually presented with a set of questions. Just to strengthen my hunch, I asked for IDs. Both said they have IDs but left it at home.

Hmmmm...

I politely shooed them away.

As I was tidying-up, a neighbor of mine approached me and asked if I also agreed to a survey. I said no. I asked the same question to him and his wife. They said yes, they agreed to a survey but cut the survey short when they got suspicious of the two people when they allegedly asked the following questions (in the vernacular):

1. "When you eat out, do you all go out to eat - nobody is left at home?"
2. "When do you usually eat out, any particular day?"
3. "How many vehicles do have?" Note: Now WTF does the number of vehicles owned have to do with a fast food survey?
4. "How much is your household income?"
5. "Based on your observations, do most of your neighbors and their families all eat out on the same day as you do?"

After that last question, my neighbor politely asked them to leave and according to him, those two people were a bit hesitant because they still have "questions" to ask. Also, he said that the guy who was sporting sunglasses hardly spoke a word: he was just "observing the surroundings", so to speak.

Hey guys (and gals), I might be crying wolf here but in my point of view: better be safe than sorry.