<p>One of the problems ( IMO) to working in my yard even in the winter, is that I am easy prey for door to door salesmen, especially those poor kids who get dropped off with rubbermaid tubs of cheap candy.</p>
<p>Today as I was evaluating where to prune my laurel, two men in dress overcoats ( something you don’t see in Seattle very often) wanted to stop and visit to tell me about the Watchtower.</p>
<p>Now while I do have a friend who enjoys the philosophical discussion even though she has no intention of ever changing her religious viewpoint, I feel like encouraging them, is wasting my time and theirs and I just say I am not interested and hide in the house ( because some, if I stay in the yard, will stay out there to try and change my mind)</p>
<p>Ive seen this more as it approaches the Christmas holiday, usually 2 or more people will converge on my neighborhood, looking right out of the 50s with their wool coats and sometimes even felt hats. ( I also have to look twice because hipsters sometimes dress this way- only they are “ironic” )</p>
<p>I think that is what captures my imagination, because they don’t look like anyone else I know in Seattle, people just don’t dress like that here.</p>
<p>emeraldkity, I have an idea. Call your local Chabad and get some of their literature. Keep it with you while you’re outside. Try to convert them. They’ll leave soon enough!</p>
<p>In our adolescence, my little sister and I hatched a scheme to bring out ritualistic things my older sister had brought back from India and Nepal and pretend we were going to do a human sacrifice on the religious visitors. We never carried this out, of course, because Norwegian Americans from Minnesota are just too nice. My Dad was a minister too, but I think he’d have been amused at the whimsy.</p>
<p>I have engaged, as a college student, in discussions about religion, with kids who seemed like zealots but couldn’t really hold up their end of a discussion. Hit them with Buddhism and they have nowhere to go. Nowhere, because they often haven’t thought about any alternatives. That was 30 years ago and I don’t bother anymore. People believe what they want to believe–DH taught me that. I’ll let you be in my dream if I can be in your–Bob Dylan said that.</p>
<p>I wonder if the missionaries ever actually get into homes, convert people, etc on this trips</p>
<p>Always wondered about that…my Ds and I were headed to the beach ,and some Morman Missionaries started talking to me on the bus…about God, and if I wanted to learn more about their Church…I said I was going for a walk on the beach, and they said, well learning about God would be much better…</p>
<p>Does anyone actually let them in and chat? I see whole groups with little kids knocking on doors…</p>
<p>Your version of being a “bad neighbor” is very different from mine! You have no obligation to listen to folks who condescend to tell you what they believe you could not possibly have already processed mentally. They are rude and presumptuous, and while human courtesy is appropriate, neither listening to them nor having to put yourself out to avoid them is your responsibility as a “good neighbor”.</p>
<p>Check out John Safran on youtube going door to door in Salt Lake City with
a copy of Darwins “Origin of the Species” in his attempt to convert the LDS
population to aetheism. Do you think THEY showed him any courtesy? Not on your life.</p>
<p>An old friend, in his younger days, liked to spend his weekend days sleeping off whatever he had done his weekend nights. So being wakened, even in late morning, already made him grumpy. He would stomp down the stairs, tying his robe, and peer through the peep hole in the front door. Seeing missionaries would brighten him right up. He’d toss off the robe and swing open the door, wearing absolutely nothing. They didn’t come back.</p>
<p>While living in England, I answered the door to two young Mormons. Because they had an american accent and I was homesick, I invited them in. But they had to promise not to talk about religion if they wanted to enjoy our hospitality. They came over once in a while, but kept to the agreement.</p>
<p>I have Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses come to my door rather regularly. They are unfailingly polite and leave immediately when I tell them I am not interested. I would prefer not to answer the door unnecessarily, but I don’t really consider it a huge problem.</p>
<p>Many years ago when unaffiliated religious youngsters were all over college towns, a kid knocked on our door well after dark and wanted to talk about religion. My husband stepped out the front door and engaged him in a spirited debate. All of a sudden, a police cruiser sped up to our apt. house, and a cop ran up to the front door and hauled the young missionary away, rather brusquely. It seems an elderly neighbor had called the police to complain about a stranger knocking on his door after dark. My husband figures he won the debate.</p>
<p>oh if they were just coming to my door- while that is annoying, I can at least then shut the door. BUt especially during summer nights, they are out in full force, not just the missionaries, but the petitioners/ $signature collectors and kids selling magazines. I really hate getting interupted , I get very distracted and have a hard time getting the rhythm back to what I was doing- so often when I am out working in the yard ( which is a lot of work, since I am changing my yard from grass to beds), and I see them coming down the street, I go into another part of the yard and hide .</p>
<p>( we have deaf people coming to the door asking for donations for being deaf, guys that live in a local shelter asking for work- it is unending sometimes & I* have* hired a man from a local shelter- however, since I had to leave before he finished- I made the mistake of paying him-because I am such a nice guy- I even had given him a tip before I even saw what kind of job he did- joke was on me, because he didn’t even finish the job, let alone do a good job & thought I was such a sucker apparently that he came back a couple more times to see if I had any more work for him!)
Im thinking of getting cards made up that say something like-
Beware! I have ADD and can’t be interrupted! Plus! I HAVE A BIG DOG!</p>
<p>Depending on my mood, I deal with door to door solicitations, politcos, and religious zealots by</p>
<ul>
<li>answering the door nekkid or</li>
<li>listen to the opening speel, and then explain I’m just the carpenter but will<br>
gladly listen all day if they’re willing to pay $40/hour or</li>
<li>tell them I’m a Druid</li>
</ul>
<p>I’ve found each method to be equally effective.</p>
<p>Now for kids with candy bars or girl scout cookies, I’m a sucker. Usually five bars of candy, and 2 cases of cookies, weighted heavily to thin mints and do-si-dos.</p>
<p>Me, I like to explain how I’m an atheist and a member of the Unitarian church, which preaches “Faith, Reason, and Tolerance.” I then ask them whether their church preaches that I should be converted. If they say yes (which they always do), I tell them that is intolerant, and ask them to leave.</p>
<p>When I was first out of college, I lived in a basement apartment in a u-shaped building—one day I answered the door and listened to the watchtower-ladies’ “speech”, and realized that I couldn’t get rid of them because I was too nice. When I finally made up some excuse to shut the door, I was so relieved. Then, they started coming back, like every 2 weeks. Same 2 ladies in their flowery dresses and clunky high heels. If I saw them walking up the sidewalk from my window, I’d go hide in the bedroom. If I missed their approach, and saw them through the keyhole, I didn’t answer the door. I was a prisoner in my own apartment! Finally, they stopped coming back, and I learned that if I didn’t want them as life-long friends, that I needed to be a bit more forceful about not being a good listener to them.</p>
<p>I’ve had missionaries from the LDS Church and Jehovah’s Witness Church at my door more frequently recently as well. But they haven’t been rude or forceful. They’ve asked if they could give me literature and I always take what they have to offer and thank them… and they move along to the next house. I’ve found this is the most expeditious way to end the encounter. I don’t think they are supposed to be intrusive, so you may want to contact someone with their organization if they are crossing a line.</p>
<p>The door-to-door bit I mind very much is the magazine van crews. That is a despicable business both for homeowners and the kids these vultures trap into so-called ‘employment’.</p>
<p>What great responses! DMD77, as a birthright UU, I appreciate your approach. I read somewhere-was it CC? that part of the purpose of the LDS obligitory mission commitment for the young is to solidfy the faith in the young missionaries. Conversion of us heathens have less import.</p>
<p>My mom used to engage Jehovah’s Witness representatives in conversation, buy or take the Watchtower and Awake. Her eclectic approach to faith is another topic. As a Unitarian kid who read everything that entered our house, those publications scared the bejeesus out of me. I expected the devil to appear in front of me when alone in the bathroom for quite a time. </p>
<p>These days I dismiss the religious quite quickly, though feel for them in our lefty neighborhood. Little tolerance around here. After knowing college age kids who have ended up door to door collecting for social activist groups, I’ve learned a bit more about how they work, and it’s rather brutal employment. If feeling sympathetic, I give them $5 to help meet their required daily totals, and cut off their spiel mid stream. </p>
<p>EC, your neighborhood sounds particularly bad. How about an old fashioned sign saying NO SOLICITORS! Someone bothers you, point to the sign.</p>
<p>I kinda ‘feel for them’ too great lakes mom. Especially the Mormon young men. I have a teenager and I know he is not so filled with the Holy Ghost that he’d rather walk miles getting doors closed in his face than hang around the house messing with itunes or the bandhall with friends. ;)</p>
<p>I agree with the ‘no solicitors’ sign idea too. In our state, these signs don’t have legal ‘teeth’, but at least having one there is a quick conversation ender and moves door-to-door types down the road.</p>
<p>My kids first piano teacher was Morman. She never tried to convert us, but her son was getting ready to leave for his mission. He was a really sweet and gentle young man. When we have Morman missionaries come to our door I just tell myself that they could be this nice young man. I always tell them that I’m not interested in converting, but I invite them in for a break and offer them food and something to drink. They are always really nice kids and I admire their committment and courage.</p>
<p>I’ve used Chedva’s suggestion…well, a variation of it. I truthfully tell them that I was raised in the Jewish faith. They leave. It’s just too far for them to come. Then <em>I</em> go inside and call all my neighbors to tell them NOT to answer their doorbells. I do not like door to door solicitation for ANYTHING…and religion tops the list.</p>
<p>I’ll bet they are bogus. The Deaf community in most places in fiercely independent and self sufficient and would never resort to begging. Those “deaf” people pushing pencils on you in airports with a note asking for donations are almost always hearing people running a scam.</p>
<p>Our LDS (Mormon) friends have told me that a 2 year mission is considered successful if it results in just ONE sincere conversion. I’ve changed my attitude about these missionaries after learning this. A lot of these kids are 19-20 years old, away from home, lonely, and appreciate a friendly reception. I send them on their way quickly, but am sympathetic to the pressure from home and church that they are under to go on missions. They don’t expect you to convert right there on the doorstep, after all.</p>
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