While I was planning my exit strategy I tried to avoid FS like the plague because, as someone else already wrote, I did not want to bring anyone into an organization that I couldn't wait to get out of! Fortunately, I quit cold turkey a few months after making the decision to fade so I only had to "play" FS a few times; usually I just didn't go out and more or less defied anyone to ask me about it. No one did.
After about three weeks I realized I had to make an appearance so as not to arouse suspicion. So I arranged for my daughter (who was also fading) to call me on the phone at about the time we got to the terrritory. I have the kind of job where I can be called in to work under various circumstances, so I just pleaded a work emergency and took off. One time I arranged the car group so there was an odd number. Then I split everyone up and said I'd work by myself - which was a relief to the others because most dubs hate that. So I just went to each door and pretended to knock/ring. I spent as much time at each door as possible. I walked slow and stopped on the sidewalk to take out a notebook and write down the not-at-homes. In this manner, I could while away the time until people started heading back to the car(s), which was a signal we were going to coffee break. The coffee break lasted nearly an hour, as usual, as everyone was hungry and needed to eat. After that, I said I had to get back to the house to take care of some things. The other time my wife and I went out with another group, in separate cars. We parked our car around the corner and volunteered to work a whole block, all four streets. I suggested the other group (of four) work a street in the other direction. After fake-knocking for 15 minutes, we went back to the car and went home.
In retrospect, I don't feel guilty at all. We did our job - which was to be seen. That's all FS is, you know. A chance to show the other dubs that you are a loyal soldier. It's not a life-saving work at all. It's a face-saving work.
