Business Slow at JW Literature Trolley

by Athanasius 20 Replies latest jw experiences

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  Athanasius

  Yesterday I stopped at a local shopping center to pick up a few things. I arrived at 9:45 AM and two JW ladies had already set up their literature trolley and had opened for business. But I didn't see anyone stopping by and taking advantage of their free literature. So I visited one store and purchased a few items, but as I was leaving here comes two more JW ladies with their trolley.

  I visited a couple more stores, then stopped at a thrift store that has a huge selection of books. I spent over an hour there, so It was 11:30 AM when I left the store and stopped and visited the first JW literature trolley. It was attended by an older JW lady and a teenage JW girl. So I asked them: "How is business?

  Surprisingly the older JW lady was honest about the public's lack of interest in their work. Because in a rather dry tone she replied: "We gave away a Watchtower this morning."

  So, pointing to the other JW literature trolley only thirty feet away, I said: "Looks like you have some competition."

  To which the JW lady explained: "They have Spanish literature. We also have Spanish literature, so please take what you like."

  Not being a Spanish speaker, I took one of their English Watchtowers and told the JWs that I was surprised at how thin it was. To which the older JW said printing costs forced them to reduce the size of their magazines.
  

  Both the JWs looked bored, and didn't seem at all excited about what they were doing. Still one would have thought they would have been excited because in two hours they had given away two Watchtowers. Now both JWs could record a Watchtower placement on their time sheets.
  
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  dogon

  I see these idiots at flea markets and other places and have yet to see anyone stop buy. They don't even act like they want to talk to people. Its a place to book time is all it is. JWs know they are full of shit.
  
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  respectful_observer

  There's a cart that appears outside of my building from time to time. Lots of foot traffic (hundreds of people walking by an hour), yet I've never seen anyone stop.

  I have heard some colleagues ask each other what on earth its all about after they walk by, but no one ever seems to know. There was recently a mag/cart poster on teenagers and my colleauges were completely flummoxed as to what this group was all about...."are they raising money for a charity?" "Why are they handing out stuff for teens? This is an office building, no teenagers here?!" It never even crossed anyone's mind that this was a religious thing.
  
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  ShirleyW

  Title of the post, Business Slow at JW Literature Trolly, is like saying the sky is blue.

  Tell us something we don't know.

  They gave out 2 rags that day, that's probably the most they handed out in the last 12 months.
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  blondie

  It reminds me of how the WTS talks about how the Israelites gave lame, injured, defective animals for sacrifices as if that would forgive their sins.

  So many jws give only the semblance of a whole, healthy spiritual sacrifice, go through the motions. Well, as the WTS reminds them they will reap what they sow.

  Blondie (just using their own words to hang them with)
  
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  SnakesInTheTower

  Hell, I pass their KH taking my son to HS in the morning. Cart manned by usually 2 sisters, talking to each other. Only foot traffic they have are teenagers parking at the church next door and walking back to the HS. SAME students EVERY day. LOL.

  Snakes
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  blondie

  I live in a large university town. If a jw was a student there, they could sign up to have a table with literature and sit there. But they could not go up to the people and talk, the people had to come to them. This was 30 years ago. I wonder if the no approach policy grew out of this or other university policies. I tried it just one day and gave up my spot after one morning, a morning of students going back and forth, no one stopping. The time flowed slow as molasses and was happy to get back to having a conversation with people. Yes, I really had conversations, it helps if you aren't an automaton and wooden.
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  smiddy

  I dont see any JW carts in my neck of the woods ,I live in a seaside town of about 6000 people and one congregation of JW`s with possibly 60-80 publishers from surrounding areas if that and mostly old folk.
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  freddo

  Where I am there are two or three "Metropolitan" carts in the busy hubs of the town fed by the circuit pioneers and other ubers and then each of the congregations has their own cart arrangement in their local shopping centre.

  Back in 2012 or whenever it all got started I expressed the view that there wasn't much interest and was told by the service overseer that people had to get used to seeing us and then they would show interest. By about 2014 there was a bit of a buzz in the hall about how people were now friendly. More like the local slackjaw came up and spoke to the sisters from time to time.

  Now it is just a way of "getting in time" - as Blondie said "using their worst sheep as sacrifice" before going to the coffee stop.
  

  Utter waste of time and probably counter productive now. No extra "bums on seats" in the KH - no increased memorial attendance - no wonderful examples on the circuit assemblies.

  One look at the smiling automatons on jwborg is going to drive away all but the most mentally needy and less useful members of society isn't it?
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  Crazyguy

  I saw a couple of guys late Saturday with a cart. They were on the Main Street of the town but tucked back a little . You could tell they were wasting their time. Zombies.