Jehovah's Witnesses with stalls in train stations

[Baxenden Bank]

I don't want anyone in my face selling me anything. God, glazing, Greenpeace or accident claims (couldn't think of a 'g'). Full stop.

I don't want them phoning me up, at any time.

I don't want them knocking on my door, at any time.

I want to live my life without unnecessary interference from anyone. If I want a product I am perfectly capable of approaching a seller in person, by phone or email. When the phone rings I want it to be someone I want to talk to (hallelujah for free caller display). If there's a knock at the door I want it to be a friend, neighbour or delivery person (praise the lord for spy holes in doors).

I'll give a polite 'no' to a big issue seller or a 'homeless' person sat there looking for loose change, other than that it's the thousand yard stare. The problem now is that, if you genuinely need help or directions, people do their best to avoid you assuming that you are one of these sales pests.
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I heard about a dyslexic Vicar who sold his soul to Santa!

Didn't he choke on his own Vimto? :roll:

 

[Oswyntail]

Rude? Perfectly valid personal view. It's called Freedom of speech, (of which many Religions would attempt to deny us). There is no indisputable evidence to make me change that view.

I would not wish you to change your view, which may well be valid. But, IMHO, it is an abuse of Freedom of Speech to be gratuitously rude, which many who disagree with religious views are.

 

[Evvy73]

Most Police Forces and Local Authorities offer signs you can stick on the outside of your door. We have one similar to this, which can always be amended to include "And Religious Callers" (or whoever).
We may have just been lucky, but so far we haven't been bothered.
You can usually get them from the Police Station or your local Council Offices.
I've also got both home AND mobile numbers recorded with TPS which has helped cut down on the cold calling.

 

[Aldaniti]

Not quite the same but somewhat related:

I worked at a supermarket previously and we had a Big Issue seller outside, we asked her to move along as she had no ID, if she had then we would have had no issue with her being there as long as she was polite to customers. She was quite belligerent and only agreed to move on when I threatened to call the police. The lady produced an iPhone and five minutes later was picked up in a brand new BMW SUV.

This was incredibly annoying because the Big Issue is a valuable source of employment and money for some of those in society who desperately need both, but this lady appeared to be part of nothing more than a scam.

If they work so many hours a week, the Big Issue sellers are then entitled to certain benefits. In my neck of the woods there seems to be a scam under way with Romanian women standing outside shops most likely to be frequented by soft-touches who'll give. Follow them at the end of the day and you'll see them collected in quite decent cars, probably by those running the scam. Chuggers are as bad, and the increasing number of talentless X-Factor wanabees with a guitar.... in fact many high streets really are becoming littered with beggars of some description - and it needs sorting.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

In fact many high streets really are becoming littered with beggars of some description - and it needs sorting.

I have been reading how beggars in England were treated in the 15th century and three of the punishments were:-
Being whipped out of town
Being branded on the forehead with the letter V
Being put into slavery for two years.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

I have been reading how beggars in England were treated in the 15th century and three of the punishments were:-
Being whipped out of town
Being branded on the forehead with the letter V
Being put into slavery for two years.

Is that all three or a choice from ?

 

[cjp]

I have been reading how beggars in England were treated in the 15th century and three of the punishments were:-
Being whipped out of town
Being branded on the forehead with the letter V
Being put into slavery for two years.

Why "V" ?

 

[Baxenden Bank]

.... in fact many high streets really are becoming littered with beggars of some description - and it needs sorting.

What does Mary Portas, queen of empty shops, think of these people? Is she for or against assorted street obstacles?

 

[Wyvern]

As a compassionate, tolerant sort, whipped out of town sounds good to me Paul!

I like to think we are a bit more civilised now, though with the coalition needing to distract from its execrable handling of the economy, it needs people to scapegoat.

Certainly as far as the Big Issue goes it's helped a lot of people to get back on their feet with an address to quote when applying for jobs.

Dont forget neoliberal theory requires a level of unemployment to keep inflation down. As Norman Lamont put it, it's a price worth paying.

Another argument for Universal Basic Income. What a shame we no longer have the Quakers and the Unitarians of the nineteenth century who considered that with wealth came civic responsibility.

 

[GatwickDepress]

Why "V" ?

V for vagrant, perhaps?

 

[Aldaniti]

I have been reading how beggars in England were treated in the 15th century and three of the punishments were:-
Being whipped out of town
Being branded on the forehead with the letter V
Being put into slavery for two years.

As a compassionate, tolerant sort, whipped out of town sounds good to me Paul!

 

[Hellfire]

When I lived in London I often came across an Irish bloke on the Central Line. He'd board around Shepherd's Bush then proceed through all the carriages holding a small wooden cross over people and blessing them. I hope he had a ticket

 

[londiscape]

Many years ago, when I was attending a conference in York, I was approached by two young Americans with badges stating that they were "elders" and being somewhat unpressed for time, decided to answer their queries with searching reverse queries which took them aback.

We had a load of those around the SW London area last summer. I believe they're Mormons. Young chaps in sharp suits and distinctive American accents approaching people in the street. I did chuckle quietly on seeing one of them with a badge labelling him as an "elder" when he didn't even look old enough to shave.
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I would not wish you to change your view, which may well be valid. But, IMHO, it is an abuse of Freedom of Speech to be gratuitously rude, which many who disagree with religious views are.

I would have to disagree - I think it's bad manners, at worst. Abuse of freedom of speech would be using it to incite people to commit crime.

There should be no "right to not be offended" - IMO those who espouse religious dogma are more likely to fall under the category of "professionally offended" to the point that offence is deliberately taken in order to shut down rational debate and prevent the challenging and refuting of said dogma. Freedom of speech must be paramount in order to defend against this tendency.

 

[6Gman]

They also have the uncanny ability to find out where people with mental health problems live. It's not unknown for CPN's (Community Psychiatric Nurses) to give 'em a ring to tell 'em to leave someone alone.

Outside Manchester Picc the other day they (ie the JWs) were offering "The Truth About Mental Illness".

Looked dodgy to me!

 

[merlodlliw]

I met two of the tribe from St Lake City (Mormon) in the 60s,it was outside Rhyl Station, both were around 18 on the look out for trade,they stopped me, and gave the usual speel.

I asked them two questions to get rid.

1.Why are you in the UK and not fighting for your Country in Viet Nam.

2.What is your religions drop out rate in percentage terms.

I stunned them both and moved on. My third was going to be,what was their opinion on the Mormon founder having so many wives,

 

[Hornet]

When I lived in London I often came across an Irish bloke on the Central Line. He'd board around Shepherd's Bush then proceed through all the carriages holding a small wooden cross over people and blessing them. I hope he had a ticket

Used to get an Irish bloke with a cross turn up at our door. Turned out he was the local Parish Priest!

If you want some real Religious Loony Tunes, go to a Motorcycle Road Race in Ireland. Sit at the side of the road (a la the Isle of Man TT), and listen to the older members of the crowd get more and more overtly bigoted, the more drink they consume. It's a real eye opener. Especially fun when they ask you what religion you are, and you tell them straight, (in your best understated English accent), God doesn't exist. You can almost see their brains going into meltdown when they try to compute the logic and accent. Makes for an interesting interlude between the races as they take pity on you/try to convert you/try to ply you with drink.

 

[3141]

V for vagrant, perhaps?

V for vagabond.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

V for vagabond.

Correct...I wondered who would get that one...

 

[Gareth Marston]

I met two of the tribe from St Lake City (Mormon) in the 60s,it was outside Rhyl Station, both were around 18 on the look out for trade,they stopped me, and gave the usual speel.

I asked them two questions to get rid.

1.Why are you in the UK and not fighting for your Country in Viet Nam.

2.What is your religions drop out rate in percentage terms.

I stunned them both and moved on. My third was going to be,what was their opinion on the Mormon founder having so many wives,

We get a couple of young Mormons a few times a year in Newtown sometimes they use the train, you can spot them a mile off thanfully.

 

[Busaholic]

Used to get regular callers in Blackheath of Mormons - their U.K. HQ was in the area. Down the road in Hither Green it was always JWs, regularly including a ticket collector from HG.

 

[Clip]

Ah yes, forgot the square was NR property. Elsewhere they stand on council pavement, at my station it is to the millimetre.

Best one I've seen was at Ealing Broadway, who yelled "you will be!" when I said "sorry don't want a leaflet".

As for "targetting" people, I dont think they do deliberately. But distressed people are always more open to hearing about salvation.

that's a pretty good comeback to be fair

 

[fairysdad]

Outside Manchester Picc the other day they (ie the JWs) were offering "The Truth About Mental Illness".

Looked dodgy to me!

Yeah, they were outside of London Waterloo last Thursday as well. I wanted to engage them in a conversation about what they believed about mental illnesses, particularly as there is a bit of history of depression in my own past which I know to be just that, an illness - not down to anything I've done to upset God, or anything like that (I believe I know what the root cause of it was, but that's something I'm not willing to go into on a public forum!). It was just a shame I had a train to catch after fighting with the self-service till in Sainsbury's... (which, no doubt, was also due to something I'd done that had offended God... /s)

 

[Oswyntail]

....
I would have to disagree - I think it's bad manners, at worst. Abuse of freedom of speech would be using it to incite people to commit crime.

Certainly bad manners. But is it a proper use of Freedom of Speech to blanket an entire group as "weak minded" when many among it are, in fact, highly intelligent? The "It's my opinion and I have a right to express it" routine is often more intolerant of true freedom than those it seeks to oppose.

....There should be no "right to not be offended" - IMO those who espouse religious dogma are more likely to fall under the category of "professionally offended" to the point that offence is deliberately taken in order to shut down rational debate and prevent the challenging and refuting of said dogma. Freedom of speech must be paramount in order to defend against this tendency.

I don't think that is limited to religious folk! And I know plenty of religiously minded people who never take offence, whatever they are called. (I try to be one of them). And I actually agree with you. I suppose I am suggesting that, alongside the right to FoS, there is the duty to use it wisely.

 

[Kite159]

There is normally a pair of religious folk at the bottom of the stairs leading to Basingstoke station, no idea which one they are advertising though as I normally have a train to catch

Although not on the station itself, they cover a lot of passengers from the town centre up towards the station.

 

[St Rollox]

To be fair to the Mormons, if your into the whole family tree thing, their the guys to talk to.
Chances are your entire family tree is sitting in Salt Lake City.

 

[stut]

While we are on the subject, has anyone come across the fundementalist Exclusive Bretheren and their tracts.

Yes, they have a large church on the outskirts of Biggleswade, and were due to open a free school nearby. They seem non-proselytising, though, and very much keep themselves to themselves - you do see the odd headscarf around town.

It seems quite cult like to me, but that could be my ignorance. And religion, of any flavour, should not be the defining characteristic of any school in this country.

 

[doningtonphil]

Most Police Forces and Local Authorities offer signs you can stick on the outside of your door. We have one similar to this, which can always be amended to include "And Religious Callers" (or whoever).
We may have just been lucky, but so far we haven't been bothered.
You can usually get them from the Police Station or your local Council Offices.
I've also got both home AND mobile numbers recorded with TPS which has helped cut down on the cold calling.

Just to be pedantic Evvy73, I am not sure that notice would particularly relevant to Jehovah's witnesses calling as I don't think they sell anything (it would have to be amended to specify no religious callers - or 'no callers' if you want a particularly quiet life)

From what i have seen of them standing by their little trollies whether it be in London, New York Paris or Derby is that specifically they DO NOT approach you or speak (apart form the occasional greeting), at the very worst they might be holding out a watchtower for you to grab on your way past. I suppose it is annoying if they are blocking a door or pavement though, but can't see too much harm being done
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Yeah, they were outside of London Waterloo last Thursday as well. I wanted to engage them in a conversation about what they believed about mental illnesses, particularly as there is a bit of history of depression in my own past which I know to be just that, an illness - not down to anything I've done to upset God, or anything like that (I believe I know what the root cause of it was, but that's something I'm not willing to go into on a public forum!). It was just a shame I had a train to catch after fighting with the self-service till in Sainsbury's... (which, no doubt, was also due to something I'd done that had offended God... /s)

Hi fairysdad. I think that is the point of them holding out magazines so you can grab something to read without having to stop for a chat. And just to put your mind at rest, it's nothing to do with your upsetting God (depression that is, can't be too sure about your strife at Sainsburys!!!)

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I think that is the point of them holding out magazines so you can grab something to read without having to stop for a chat.

I am so, so, tempted whenever they do this semi-obstuction tactic when I am out with my 8 year old son to accept the magazine and immediately take it apart, in their sight and earshot, and use it to show my son how to fold a paper aeroplane...

Maybe one day I really will do that...

 

[doningtonphil]

I am so, so, tempted whenever they do this semi-obstuction tactic when I am out with my 8 year old son to accept the magazine and immediately take it apart, in their sight and earshot, and use it to show my son how to fold a paper aeroplane...

Maybe one day I really will do that...

I am sure most have had that done, but with over 50 million watchtowers printed each month, I am not sure they will miss it. More effort than it's worth on your part I'd say

 

[Requeststop]

My reply to the Jehovah Witnesses has always been short and sweet.

I'm a Jehovah's By-stander. I don't want to be involved!

There is a meeting house just below St. Erth station but I cannot remember if it is for Jehovah's Witnesses, 7th day Adventists, or the Quakers. Come to think on, the Quakers Meeting house is just before the station in Penzance.