A friend who lives on Elgin was approached by the APX saleman, and she turned him down (she had a very similar encounter to mine - very pushy, inappropriate questions, etc.). She watched him chalk a red X on her sidewalk. She said to him, Why are you marking my sidewalk? He replied that it was NOT her sidewalk, it was public property. To her credit, she kept her cool, and questioned him again, and he said he was marking her house so his colleagues would not bother her. There's the answer. What I intend to do with that info I am not sure. The mark on the sidewalk may be public property but it indicates MY house and MY property, and I still don't like it. If I have to keep my walk shoveled in winter and cleared of debris in summer, I think I have some say in what else happens there. Thanks for all your responses and support. Apparently the sales guy is aware of this listserv, or at least that the neighborhood is aware of his company's sales tactics. Maye they'll get fed up and leave HP. One can hope...