How to handle unsolicited religious callers?

[allthingsinmoderation]

I am working from home today ,well working from my bed due to a broken ankle.
I had a sleepless night due to discomfort and not in the best mood.
Just had 2 women knock (very persistently) at my door, so i struggled down stairs and was greeted by 2 smiling gurning stepford wives dine up to the nines asking me "How due you view the future"?
i was discombobulated from lack of sleep i think and almost entered into a discussion about world events but something about them was weird and i managed to blurt out that i was busy working, they were undeterred and went into a full religious speech. i stood my ground and and maintained that i didnt a have time to discuss,they wanted to make an appt to return and i felt pressured .
When i tried to evade,they pressed further.They werent rude or impolite just doggedly persistent and unnervingly odd looking.
After a while (felt like forever) they thrust some pamphlets into my hand and left.
AIBU to be annoyed by the intrusion?
Or should i be more tolerant?
How is it best to handle these people?

I literally just close the door

'I'm Catholic' usually sees them off!

I do tire of this.
we used to have it endlessly and my poor DH who WFH just couldn’t concentrate, it was that often.
more charity work if I’m honest rather than religious…but it was relentless.
My DH was always firm but very nice about it. He’d often explain he was working which I think was his downfall because Often they saw that as opportunity to come back later. he’d say no but they still did.

one night they knocked on my door about 9.30 pm. I was livid. I mean who knocks on someone’s door at that time of night. I answered it because it was that time of night…i thought my neighbours needed help or something.I told them they absolutely cannot come on my private property uninvited at this time of night. I don’t know the laws about that 🤣 but that’s exactly how I felt. They went sloping off my drive but still managed to shout out some cheek about it’s a free country, they can do what they want ( which is possibly true 🤣)

I complained to their charity. First time I’ve ever done that. Didn’t go anywhere, didn’t even get a reply.

after that incident, we put up a “No Cold Calls” sign. Didn’t think it work but it absolutely has! Have had one group call since and I wasn’t in actually …but could see on my house cameras that they had seen the sign and were googling what it meant. And they still get it. They stood discussing it for a good 10 mins on my drive . Whilst I think really, what has education come to…I get it’s probably my generation, not theirs.

anyway absolutely get a sign!!!!

Tell them you devil worship

I don't believe the OP, obviously a goady troll, nobody on MN answers the front door!

“Hi. I’m Jehovah. How are we getting on?”
(works better if you have a long white beard, but I guess you could keep a false one by the front door)

In your case I wouldn't have even opened the door. The only time I would was if I was expecting a parcel but I'd still have looked outside the window.

I certainly wouldn't have opened the door and let them get on with their spiel. Who does that?

I just say “no thanks” and shut the door (if I even bother to open it)

You can buy a No Cold Callers sticker for your door. If they get past that just say you’re Jewish that usually ends the conversation.

I think you’re the one being odd here. Do you think there’s a cut off point in the day, after which it becomes illegal for someone to walk up your drive and knock at your front door? Annoying, absolutely. Illegal, no.

Callers can walk up your drive to your front door. Only if they stay on your property after you ask them to leave or return despite you telling them not to, or they disobey a ‘No trespassing’ sign, are they trespassing or harassing you.

Yes this!

We had loads of JH at our old house, I would try and dismiss them politely but they are so persistent. The first time they called at our new house I said abruptly "we are a Jewish family" (we aren't though my surname sounds quite Middle European) and they've never been back in 7 years. They must have a list and cross people off. Result!

This is the second thread I’ve read about this in 2 days which is strange because last time I remember this topic coming up there were 4 threads within a few days. 🤔

Anyway, just say no thank you and close the door.

If its JW, contact the local kingdom hall and tell them you don't want callers. My son once thought it would be funny to engage them. They used to call asking for him. I tried No, told them he was working(true) he'd left home. NO!They would insist on leaving a watchtower for him, id literally follow them out and put it in the recycling. It took covid to get respite. I told the Hall(now conveniently at the end of my road), that we did not want callers.

"No thanks." Close door. They're there unsolicited AND unwanted. I'm not engaging any further. Why do I owe that to strangers rocking up like that? It's an annoyance.

I've been told they need to make notes of addresses and responses, so if shown any potential interest or friendliness, they would come again. I just say that I'm a Christian (unlike Mormons and JWs) but maybe should say even less.

Don't-this is how idiot son (see previous post)got them knocking every bloody Saturday. They obviously had us tagged as Requirimg Immediate Intervention.

I just smile, say 'I'm not interested, thanks' and close the door. The jehovah's witnesses knock about once a year round here so it's not really that intrusive!

“I’m too busy, my girlfriend is waiting for me”

My door has a sign saying I’m not interested so …

I’ll put your nasty insults about other women down to your broken ankle.
We have lots of JWs coming round our area, a polite ‘no thanks I’m busy, bye’ suffices.

I have something similar to this no cold callers sign stuck to the glass panel on my door so no one calls at my door. I think mine also covers political canvassers too.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/376409629893

Just say , I’m not interested and close the door , even if you speak over them .

I have a very nice ornamental pentagram next to the front door...

Works wonders.

(The no callers sign was nowhere near as successful).

Every week I seem to have charity chuggers, religious groups, and now political parties in the run up to the local election knocking on my door. It’s driving me mad.

So now I’m slightly less polite. Before they’ve even finished their opening sentence I just say “I’m sorry, I don’t have time for this. Please do not call here again” and close the door.

That's a weird way for them to still be opening, as lots of people who genuinely are interested in regularly reading the Bible nowadays will read it online/in an electronic format.

Even when they've been to us - and I don't mind discussing beliefs with them, if I'm not too busy, they've whipped out a tablet with a Bible app on it (and a few versions) rather than an actual one in book format.

I didn't think religious groups were allowed to solicit door to door these days? The local JW contingent have a stall on the high street, with pamphlets and a blackboard sign inviting people to sit down for a chat.

I did get harangued by two very polite, but very persistent LDS gentlemen on a train once, and I had to be very firm, and actually quite rude, to get them to move on.