Answering a rhetorical question?

[Roe]

I would not have answered the young man.  But I WOULD have gone into the store, asked for a manager, and reported what the young man said.  I doubt store manager would have taken kindly to that young man speaking to/about his customers that way.

Ditto. I would have given a heads-up to the organization they were fundraising for, too.

Yep.  This is what OP should've done.  The teen was most definitely out of line.

[Twik]

As I left the store (less than 10 minutes later) the same boy to ask me the first time asked me again.  So I answered "Sorry, you already asked me.  I'm still not interested.  Good luck."  Again, with the smile. 
The boy made a face at me and then turned to the other boy and said (quite loud enough to be heard by everyone around, including me)  "{Diety}, how are we supposed to know if some stupid {ahem} was asked or not."

Yes, they were rude for making that comment loudly enough for others to hear, but they are probably young and frustrated and trying to do some good for their cause.

I would give them a pass.

A pass for speaking in obscene terms about people simply for not giving them money? I think not. They should be grateful for those who *do* donate, not hostile to those who don't.

[rashea]

No pass from me. I was a Girl Scout. We asked everyone on the way in, and assumed they were smart enough to figure out that we were still there on the way out if they wanted. Actually, we rarely asked, since we set up a table, and that was enough.

I would have talked to a manager. I rarely buy from people like this because I hate feeling pressured to buy something overpriced that I don't want anyway. But, if they are rude, I feel like they should be called on it.

[ettiquit]

As I left the store (less than 10 minutes later) the same boy to ask me the first time asked me again.  So I answered "Sorry, you already asked me.  I'm still not interested.  Good luck."  Again, with the smile. 
The boy made a face at me and then turned to the other boy and said (quite loud enough to be heard by everyone around, including me)  "{Diety}, how are we supposed to know if some stupid {ahem} was asked or not."

Yes, they were rude for making that comment loudly enough for others to hear, but they are probably young and frustrated and trying to do some good for their cause.

I would give them a pass.

A pass for speaking in obscene terms about people simply for not giving them money? I think not. They should be grateful for those who *do* donate, not hostile to those who don't.

POD

Maybe the OP can clarify, but I read "stupid {ahem}" as "stupid b****".  If that's the case, then in no way should those kids be given a pass.  Maybe the OP didn't need to say "you already asked me", but I don't see how it was rude to do so.  It may have clued them in that asking everyone going in AND out of the store was a bit much. 

[Knitterly]

As I left the store (less than 10 minutes later) the same boy to ask me the first time asked me again.  So I answered "Sorry, you already asked me.  I'm still not interested.  Good luck."  Again, with the smile. 
The boy made a face at me and then turned to the other boy and said (quite loud enough to be heard by everyone around, including me)  "{Diety}, how are we supposed to know if some stupid {ahem} was asked or not."

Yes, they were rude for making that comment loudly enough for others to hear, but they are probably young and frustrated and trying to do some good for their cause.

I would give them a pass.

A pass for speaking in obscene terms about people simply for not giving them money? I think not. They should be grateful for those who *do* donate, not hostile to those who don't.

POD

Maybe the OP can clarify, but I read "stupid {ahem}" as "stupid b****".  If that's the case, then in no way should those kids be given a pass.  Maybe the OP didn't need to say "you already asked me", but I don't see how it was rude to do so.  It may have clued them in that asking everyone going in AND out of the store was a bit much.

To clarify... yes, that was the term he used.

Also, I was in and out of the store in a bit under 10 minutes.  If I'd been gone for 15-20, I could understand how they might not recall asking me.  Still, in my view, if you've asked everyone going in, I still really think it's a logical step to presume you've asked everyone coming out.  If it were a big store with multiple doors, not such an easy assumption.  But this was a small store with a single set of doors.