Dodging attack dogs and avoiding amorous women is all in a day's work for super census man Ivan Smith.

His easy doorstep manner gets results and means Mr. Smith is sent where other enumerators fear to tread.

His trademark red shirt has become a well known sight as he plods his Pembroke beat.

And as a veteran of the 1991 census and more recent housing survey, he has learned a trick or two about getting results in some of the tougher areas of town.

He said: "Preparation is the most important thing. You have to establish yourself in the neighbourhood.

"I go into my area one or two days before I start enumerating in a high profile way and I always wear a bright red shirt and introduce myself and say what I'm doing.

"I wonder through and all the drug dealers and prostitutes get to know me. I don't want them thinking I'm a john or someone who wants to buy from them.

"You get to know the lookouts for the drug dealers with their beepers and cellulars.

"You get the peepers who are incarcerated in their own homes, so it helps to lay the groundwork so they know what you are doing.

"To them you might talk about the weather or whatever. I know when I am not wanted and I will talk through the window if I have to. I do a morning, afternoon and evening walk. That's why I am so successful.

"I ask around to find out who is working night shifts, who works days and who works evenings. So I know Mr. Brown won't be back until nine o'clock because those are his hours. I get to know people's names. Bermudians like that. I say `Mr. Brown, I understand you work late that's why I am calling at 9 p.m.' "I look out for people. I might flag someone down, jump in the car and do the survey there.

"You have to get their confidence and play their game so you have to be patient.

"My supervisor could not understand how I can do it so quickly but if you spend three hours preparation you can save ten hours work in the field.

"You identify all the houses and the derelict apartments.'' Mr. Smith's easy manner also speeds the questioning process.

He said: "If you get a rapport, you can save a lot of time. You chat to them.

If they tell you their husband has died, you already know they are a widow.

"Some people can answer ten questions in a single sentence.'' And there are ways of getting even the most reluctant people to talk.

"Last week this woman said she was very busy with housework so I said okay, you dust and I will do the vacuuming, so then she agreed to be enumerated.'' However sometimes even Mr. Smith's smooth technique can backfire.

He said: "One time I knocked on the door and the lady let me in and then went away for a long time.

"I called out and she came back and chastised me and asked why I was still there. It turned out she thought I was the architect who had come to design the kitchen.

"So then I tried to enumerate her and it turned out she was the cleaner.

Neither of us was who the other thought we were. We both ended up laughing.'' But while he spends his time tracking down elusive people, Mr. Smith is always keeping an eye out for dogs who may be after him.

He said: "The moment you hear dogs, you don't want to go in. In one particular home, they had a hundred foot drive way. I didn't see the dogs and there were no signs. I just heard something behind me.

"I was trapped. But as I got in, these two huge Rottweilers came at me and I couldn't get out.

"Luckily the owner was in and he subdued the animals but if the owner had gone on holiday I would still be there now.'' On another occasion, it was a dog owner that was the threat.

"One dog was tied to a pole so I challenged him because I wanted him to know me and not hassle me next time.

"But a guy came out with a machete and I thought that was it. But he was more upset the dog hadn't bitten me. We did the enumeration right there in the yard.'' Mr. Smith, who stressed he was a happily married man, has also got into a few romantic scrapes.

He said: "I told my wife on two occasions that if you hear Mrs. X is after me, then rightly so.

"One single lady, who was very attractive to say the least, kept saying how hot it was and started removing her clothes.

"I said I was only doing my job. She ended up naked and I ended up doing the survey outside her door.

"One deaf lady fell in love with my voice. Her friend wanted to leave us alone together but when she got up to leave I did too.

"I stood outside trembling. I said I wasn't planning on that.'' However not all propositions have been so innocent.

"One lady wanted me to pay her for doing the survey. Although she claimed she was a chamber maid, it was clear from the $2,000 leather couch that this wasn't her only source of income.

But despite the hookers, drug dealers and dangerous dogs, Mr. Smith, who has a regular job at the airport, gets a kick out of meeting people and getting the census done.

He said: "I like to be part of something. It's a community service.'' Trouble shooter: Census enumerator Ivan Smith was specially chosen to track down information in Pembroke's toughest areas.