Street Corner "Witnessing"

by Darth Yhwh 38 Replies latest jw experiences

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  undercover

  Oh man...I remember parking lot witnessing. This became a big fad in the mid 90s. It was sold to us that since no one was home on Saturday's anymore, we'll go where the people are...the shopping centers and malls.

  I remember sitting in cars watching as people came and went and planning our attack with SWAT team precision. We would watch for the slow and weak of the herd, usually older ones who couldn't move very fast.

  Then we got word that the shopping center owners weren't happy with us as we stopped people from coming into their stores, so a new directive was handed down...approach people as they were leaving the stores only, or those sitting in cars waiting on someone.

  I lost count of how many people I startled when I walked up to their car window when they weren't expecting anyone.

  Then some of the shopping centers started posting signs, "no soliciting", "no trespassing", "no loitering", "no canvassing", etc. When the signs went up, I stopped doing parking lot work. I hated it anyway. I felt like I was bothering people. I know how I feel when kids try to sell me candy bars or doughnuts whenever I leave a store. How much more irritating is it to be bothered by someone trying to proselitize to you?
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  greendawn

  Poor naive victims having to stand on the street or go from house to house to promote the interests of an organisation that deceives and exploits them. Actually doing street work is less irritating to the public than knocking at their doors. They were led to believe that they will save others and themselves through this vain preaching.
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  justsomedude

  Actually, that was my favorite kind of service. I realized that I was never going to have much success in the d2d stuff, because I really didnt care enough to try that hard. I'd put in the time sure, but I realized that anyone who was taking the mags was just trying to get us to go away anyway.

  The street work was nice as it just gave you the chance to get to know people in your car group as your cruised around for a few hours. I knew that we werent going to have much success, but if I had to go out and hock magazines, that's the way I preferred to do it.

  If you didnt have someone along that wanted to talk about the troof the whole time, it gave you a chance to see if maybe there was something you liked about the people in your hall. I made quite a few friends that way, though they're all lost at this point.
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  Darth Yhwh

  It shouldnt have suprised me to see this guy standing there. I have heard of this type of "witnessing" going on but never actually engaged in it myself. If you can call standing on a corner and stairing at your shoe laces engaging?
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  Quandry

  undercover

  I remember sitting in cars watching as people came and went and planning our attack with SWAT team precision. We would watch for the slow and weak of the herd, usually older ones who couldn't move very fast.

  That was hilarious!!! And an apt description, I might add.

  I hated parking lot work.

  Once, my group went to the local Wal Mart where people were coming and going. When I saw someone coming out, and walked toward them, they'd see me (weren't we easy to spot dressed up as we were with a book bag) and hurry to the car. I'd then head for another person, only to see them hurry away. Eventually I felt like a duck in a shooting gallery, going back and forth. Ha!
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  Threestars

  "Streetwork" was always better for me since I would usually just try to stand there with my face hidden as much as possible so that no one would drive by from school and recognize me. I remember I used to hold the mags up to cover my face. At least until my Dad or some other self-righteous bozo would insist that I smile and greet people and try to engage them in idiotic conversation. That was still better than the humiliation of going to the door, though.

  Once, when I was really young, I actually did wear one of those sandwich boards while out in service at an assembly.
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  MidwichCuckoo

  Jim-TX - that's hilarious. danny, now THAT'S what I call street witnessing
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  greenhornet

  I remember a congregation was "rest stop" witnessing at a interstate highway. How low can you go!
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  PinTail

  Oh yeah, I remember back in 1973 me and my friend Jeff went down town Ogden, Utah to stand on the corner, and this very fine lady came walking towards me and Jeff, just then, all of the sudden Jeff sneezed real hard and his false teeth flew out of his mouth and landed on the side walk right at the feet of this beautiful dish of a women, her mouth just dropped open, being the kind of guy Jeff was back then he just walked over and picked them up and put them back in his mouth Jeff was a real maroon. Then near there, all the sisters would go to a cafe called Freads Berger Chalet, for coffie, and the owner would get real mad, he would say you people take up all the chairs and booths and all you eat or drink is coffie and toast jam and then leave those stupid magazines. Ha ha, what fond memories.