To ‘be out’ when the Jehovah’s witnesses come back

[Lauriepop95]

As a background sort of story, I’m a super anxious person, I people please constantly and it is something I’m trying to change in the new year. There was a thread on here a few months ago about times you’ve been too polite to correct someone and therefore ended up with the wrong item (think it was about fish and chips)

Anyway, a month or so ago 2 Jehovah’s witnesses came knocking on my door. I was going out at the time and they could see this, they were really lovely ladies. They said they’ll come back another time and I said yep okay as I was trying to get DD out of the door and all the bags etc

Didn’t think anything of it

Well yesterday I got a knock at the door, it was the two JW. They handed me a leaflet and started explaining it, it was extremely windy and cold and I couldn’t hear what she was saying with the wind so loud. So I said they could come into my hallway. They were there about 10 minutes and I explained I wasn’t religious at all and I wasn’t really interested in learning about it.

They didn’t take no for an answer and started prying as to why I didn’t want to. After a while one of them said they will be in the area on Monday afternoon so will pop back for a longer chat.

I said I’m out Monday and I work 9-5 weekdays so sorry I can’t. She said “well I can come tomorrow evening I suppose! I couldn’t think of an excuse quick enough.

I feel that they wouldn’t take my “not interested” as an answer and I need to be a hell of a lot more assertive. But I really really struggle with this.

My only other option is to go out with DD for the evening (go to my mums or something) but then that’ll only be a temporary fix as they’ll come back another day.

How can I politely buy firmly get them to leave me alone? I have already told them I’m not interested and they are still coming. I feel incredibly uncomfortable at the thought of telling them sternly to leave me alone but I may have to suck it up and do it.

AIBU to just hide if I see them coming?

Anyone have any stories about encounters with JW?

Really if it were me I’d be firm with them. However if you don’t want to do that then I would ignore the door. I wouldn’t hide though, I’d make it blatantly obvious that I was in, I’d look out my window to see who it was and then very pointedly leave the door unanswered. They’ll get the hint eventually.

@ManonBlackbeak

Haha. I always tell them I’m Catholic (I am anyway so not lying) and they scarper.

A friend did this and then emailed the local office to say I've changed my mind please take me off your visiting list and they were fine with it and didn't pester. By all means say you're gay or a blood donor or whatever

I quite openly look out of the window to see who's knocking and then ignore them if it's JW/Sales/surveys etc. People like this are very well used to being ignored, they won't take it personally. Just ignore and don't even feel remotely bad about it. You are not interested, you're in your own home, it's your choice who you allow to disturb you, and you don't have to feel guilty for saying no. You also don't need to explain why you're saying no. You won't be the first who's said no to them, you won't even be the first that day or even the first in the last hour.

I am normally the type of person who ends up in silly situations due to being too polite to correct someone but I’ve got no issues with telling JW/Mormons a firm “not for me thank you” and closing the door, it’s really the only way as otherwise they will keep trying to convince you.

Well my Grandfather used to tell them every time that he’d had blood transfusions in the past and would likely need them again in future

My mum once told some that I had been saved by a blood transfusion when I was born and that she wasn't interested. They told her she could repent her decision to let me have it! Whilst I was standing next to her.

So what if they can see you in the house? that doesn’t mean you have to answer. Not answering sends them a very clear message. Just don’t answer.

Answer the door naked except for a hooded black cloak with a red pentagram painted on your forehead and holding a kitchen knife (if available squawking chicken for added effect) grin maniacally and invite them in....

Seriously you had it the first time "I'm not interested"

You just forgot that it's also the answer to all further questions

I once asked some that knocked if they accepted Jesus as their lord and saviour, and then told them I regarded them as under the influence of Satan if they wouldn't say the Lord's Prayer and the Creed. They left immediately and I yelled after them that I would pray for them. I must have had some kind of flag put on my address after that as we never had another knock (9 years going strong).

(I'm not religious myself, it was just a good way of making them leave me alone for good)

These threads always go the same way. People trying to outdo each other with the “hilarious” and “witty” things they do and say to JW.

You all know you can just ignore them or say “no thanks” and shut the door, right?

Some of these replies about Satan are hilarious

I told my mum about it and she’s fearsome too, she actually invites them in and questions them on why they are trying to tell her what to believe in.
Perhaps I should invite her to mine tonight haha.

You all know you can just ignore them or say “no thanks” and shut the door, right?

It doesn't always work though. Back whenI had my first flat, I had to shut the door on one as he wouldn't shut up. He continued to preach after I shut the door. All the ones I've had since then have been happy enough with an "I'm not interested" though. I used to tell them that they believed I should have died as a baby which generally made them shuffle away but I don't bother now.

I have friends who are JW. None of this^ shit ever happens.

Contacting the local Kingdom Hall and asking to be taken off the list sounds sensible. If you do it by phone, write out what you want to say and make sure you say it. And get the name of the person you speak to.

JWs are trained to be outrageously pushy and will always take any polite conversation to be an invitation to continue trying to sell their rather peculiar religion.

Also, for any future encounters with uninvited guests or sales people or similar, do you have a door chain?

By “this” I mean all the “hilarious” Satan and dogs and come in for a theological discussion crap people claim to do.

They started to bother my mother who was vulnerable due to the beginnings of Alzheimers - I was regularly finding copies of Watchtower in her house.
Luckily one of them had left their chapter's main number written on one copy (or whatever their main church is called, don't know the terminology).
I phoned them and told them that my mother was registered with the police as a vulnerable woman -I'd done this after some phone fraud - and if they didn't stop visiting my mother, I would contact the police to report them with harassment.
They removed my mother's address from their list of people to 'visit' and I got them to remove my address as well.
Not heard from them since!

Tell them to bore off

If they come back just open the window in the lounge, tell them you are not interested now, please leave, close window, draw curtains

Then find the number for the main Kingdom in London ( it is on the net as I did the following). Call them, tell them you are fed up of them knocking and you want it to stop. Then then work out which local kingdom it’s likely to be and get your address put on a list

Works for me you literally see them walk past my address

I have friends who are JW. None of this^ shit ever happens.

Lucky you. Clearly others have different experiences. I've had experiences ranging from "wanker" to "perfectly pleasant". Normally the latter, to be fair.

JW are so rude.

Try and find the courage to answer the door and tell them to fuck off OP. You can do it!

Don’t even engage.

Open door, they start their spiel, slam door.

Job done.

They are like bailiffs! Don’t let them set foot over the threshold. I answered one on a Saturday morning in my dressing gown (sometimes I don’t bother getting dressed until I need to as I hate wearing clothes and shoes unless it’s really cold lol!) and he said, “Oh, I can see it’s perhaps not a good time” as probably I was hanging out of my dressing gown a bit but then proceeded to put his foot on the threshold. IME religious men are the worst perverts, so I told him to get off my property and not come back, and in fact I had to force the door shut on him. I felt a little bad about it as he was probably about my dad’s age.

And why do their “churches” not have windows? WTF is that about?

Many years ago when I was less assertive this happened to me for weeks, they came every Wednesday (I only worked weekends then, sahm during week).

You need to open the door and say thank you for explaining, I have read your leaflets (I used to always accept them) but this does not suit my family. Have a good day/afternoon/evening.

If they protest, a further "no, I'm sorry I don't wish to hear any more, thank you"

These door knockers are like salesman, they won't take no for an answer. I've had em on the doorstep a few times (I work from home) and told them I wasn't interested I was busy. They came back again and I told them no, I wasn't interested. They said they would come again and this time I had to be semi-rude, asking them what part of not interested didn't they understand and if they knock on my door again, I will be even less polite.

People are welcome to their beliefs, I just get angry with them when they try to shove it down my throat.

Time to tell them to get on their way if the bother you again.