Gas Pump "Witnessing"....Is this a thing?

by Bob Loblaw 34 Replies latest jw experiences

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  Bob Loblaw

  I've seen this twice now within a month. A car group hanging out at a gas station. One of the cult members jumps outs of their car and runs up to a "worldly" gas pumper, arm stretched out, tract in hand, and here comes the juvenile at best question.

  It's really a smart way to go on their end because they know they have to get in and get out. People are in a hurry and there isn't much time for debate or scripture flipping. It's like tract bombing a public space. Is this a "society" encouraged thing?

  I encourage approaching these car groups and letting them know that people are aware, unhappy, and devastated with the atrocities of the "two witness rule" and the "no blood" rule. Maybe explaining to them that they are involved with a criminal organization will at least scare them off of public turf.
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  Cold Steel

  It used to be that the JWs tried getting into your front door. Now they just want to give you a Watchtower and other promo material and bug off before you can say anything. It's a major change in strategy and says a great deal about the group psychology. What about this? Is this an official change in policy at the top or is this simply a spontaneous decision of the membership? The JWs who come by here are usually black, nicely dressed and come in two or three cars. They go from door to door, hand out literature then pile back in their cars and I suppose go to a nice restaurant. But they bring their youngsters, hand you the material and beat it before anyone can ask questions.

  BTW, do they have to pay for their publications or does the outfit pay for it?
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  Lostwun

  Oh yea when I was a jw we used to do that form of preaching all the time. Gas station witnessing was a given everyday to start off our time in the mornings. Most would tell us to F##k off.

  The strategy was to try to catch em while they were pumping gas so they couldn't run off easy. A few gas stations even banned the jws from soliciting there as people would start to complain. Its a very common practice where im from
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  Aprostate Exam

  I was a jw that pioneered and hung around bus stops with my youth friends. We sometimes waited in the car with other brothers and sisters waiting for the next bus round of people, all the while we talked about going to juarez to party and booze up. You know those poor deprived youth are thinking immoralities all while they camp out waiting for people to hand a track to. Poor bastards, I was one once.
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  berrygerry

  We did this forever and a day ago.

  Even discussed it in Pioneer School.

  Pioneers would do a night shift of service, hitting 24-hour stores when the clerks had no customers and were bored.
  
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  millie210

  Its considered a great way to get your time started or to keep it going after a break or whatever.

  I personally think JWs love that type of interaction because it is guaranteed to be short.

  This whole "witnessing" thing goes against human nature. It is more of a hardship for some than others.
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  ToesUp

  This gets their time started. They couldn't give a rats ass about saving anyone, it's all about the TIME!
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  Darkknight757

  Like Toesup said. It's all about time. The pioneers at my hall not only hit the gas stations, but they also hit people in apartment complexes.

  One sister loves it when it snows. I didn't get it until one morning last year we were out and she accosted those who were scraping their cars off from all the snow that was on them. This tactic was pretty stupid because it was butt-assed cold out and they were upset they had to scrape their cars.
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  Da.Furious

  If not mistaken this is a known technique to count hours when you are going to a far away territory. Usually used by foreign groups or congregation when they need to drive 1 hour or more to get to the territory. Based on a directive they can count only one leg in their report. So by handing a brochure this indicates time starts and they can count ministry for the drive and no time wasted!
  

  It is all about counting time!
  
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  jookbeard

  another useless lazy way of counting hours, I remember one pioneer told me he'd start out some mornings at 3am to target 24hr gas stations, but the only people he could usually speak with were the staff, and in London and the surrounding areas all the staff who work in gas stations are from the Asian sub continent Indians,Sri Lankans,Pakistanis and Bengali's and and needless to say he wasn't very successful in making disciples!