Were You Ever Robbed At the Kingdom Hall?

by Funchback 14 Replies latest jw experiences

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  Funchback

  Okay, I don't mean by "donating" your hard earned money in the Contribution boxes.

  I mean by hanging your coat on the coat rack before the meeting began only to find that after the meeting it was stolen. Or, by having your purse or pocketbook taken. Or, by armed, masked men storming into the Hall demanding everyone's money and jewelry. I mean any way at all. Please share your experience. Here's mine:

  My Hall is located in a Philadelphia suburb. We lock our doors during the meeting. There is an Attendant who sits in the lobby area during the entire meeting. Yet, one wintry day after the meeting on a Sunday, I was ready to go home. I shuffled through the remaining hanging "trench" coats only to find that someone walked off with MINE. I figured it was an accident. Was my coat returned at the next meeting? No. The meeting after the next meeting. Nope. A week later? Uh-uh. A month later? Um...NO! Some chump stole my nice coat! About six months later our Presiding Overseer gave me a coat from the "lost and found" that no one ever claimed. The replacement coat was unlined, ugly, and too small.
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  TresHappy

  Never had that problem at the KH. Guess I had an honest bunch.
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  Skeptic

  At one hall, a brother had his car keys stolen out of his coat in the cloak room. The thief slipped into the Hall and out again. The brother's car was stolen, and the thief went to his home. Once inside, his wife saw the thief and he ran off.

  Richard
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  hippikon

  I lost 20 years.

  Actually I had a witness working for me who was caught by the police robbing my shop - long story. Quite a scandal at the time. But the person involved owed money to all the elders and off course wasn't dfed. Didn't go to jail either but it was a close thing.

  Edited by - hippikon on 2 December 2002 15:31:19
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  metatron

  and why are there locks on so many doors at Bethel/Paterson?

  It isn't because ordinary 'outsiders' wander the halls!

  metatron
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  truthseeker1

  Lots of people got their cars stolen from the parking lot at my o'l KH, so they put a bunch of security cameras up to keep an eye on them, along with a monitor to watch located at the sound station. Well, one night, all the cameras were stolen. I thought it was SOO funny. Now they just have brothers walking the parking lot, making sure nobody steals cars.
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  Scully

  Well, this didn't happen to me, but it did serve as a caution for everyone about trusting the motives of so-called "interested" people.

  A young couple were located in the door-to-door work by one of the elders in our congregation. The husband came along very rapidly in his study, and his wife - who was about 4 months pregnant - was also progressing, although she seemed to have some reservations.

  Well, wouldn't you know it, he's out of work, and with a baby on the way, they were in dire straits financially. The elder decided to help out this couple with a loan, to the tune of about $2500. He also encouraged others in the congregation to give them assistance if we were able. We weren't able to offer them anything financially, but I do remember a few sisters pooling together and purchasing groceries for them a couple of times, and there was a baby shower for the wife.

  Anyway, the fellow goes through the Truth book within 3 months and then goes through the questions for baptism. He's cleared to get baptized at the next convention, which is supposed to be a couple of weeks before the baby is due. The day of the assembly arrives, and he doesn't show up. The elder tries to phone to see if the baby came early. The phone is disconnected. He goes to the couple's apartment. It's empty. The car is gone. They were never seen or heard from again.

  Love, Scully
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  emancipated

  interesting story Scully!
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  Simon

  I've been ripped off by 'brothers'. Not a nice feeling.

  The funniest case of theft in our hall though was after they bought new vacuum cleaners for hall cleaning ... and then made a request from the platform for one of them to be returned ! I don't know if it ever was ...

  We also had a case were the magazine / literature counter oney appeared to go missing (followed by a quick vote to make up the funds).

  A nearby hall made an offer on some land after saving for years only to discover that one of the elders had taken most of the money!
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  Funchback

  Wow, Simon! Your congregation was something else! LOL