[Rory]

so here's the deal:

i was on the other side of town today working on my old house, getting it ready for the renters. i get a frantic phone call from my girl saying that the dogs were freaking out while she was working in the back yard. apparently some guy decided to come into my garage and leave a leaflet/note half in the door going from the garage to the house.

it was a religious invitation to some church gathering. had the guys number on it and such and a note saying something like "let me help with your spiritual needs" oh and had her name on it.

i am sure that the guy got the name from the auditors site as well you can get that there. but she was more worried about someone just walking up in the house.

just to make a point she filed a police report.

i called the guy and let him know that it was more that unacceptable to walk into someone's garage. be the door 30" wide or 16' wide it is still a door and you don't walk into another's house uninvited, ever.

so the question here is would you have let this slide because it is a man out "spreading the word" i am not a religious person so i don't care if you are a paperboy, a girl scout some random junky selling magazines or trying to recruit new members for your church... you just don't walk into someones house.

for those of you who are more of the believers side, would you have paid less attention to this because of what was printed on the paper? i was very pleasent but stern in our conversation and told him why it was not ok to walk into another's house uninvited.

 

[blackrifles]

I'll just say what I think, if someone wants to knock and politely invite someone to their church, fine. However, they don't need to stalk my wife and kids when they find out my work schedule, some religious people are getting a little too brave and think rules don't apply to them, I've listened to my wife's and kid's stories about how brave some of those (possibly insane?) people are, find out I'm at work and try to "work their way" into the house, she refuses to let them in.

That's when it gets very creepy, the visitors get mad and go ballistic, that's when the wife shows them she has a GUN, they're gone! Most older city cops will NOT understand and tend to side with overzealous door knockers, luckily we have some our age that have had their own family visited by "those creepy types", they hunt them down and have a serious discussion, no restraining order needed, yet, but I'm sure it's coming.


Just wait Rory, they'll be visiting soon, and driving you mad.

There was a BIG thread about it on subguns, and some pretty damn ingenious ways of dealing with troublesome door knockers, BFF would've loved it.

 

[Rory]

this was what i was afraid of really, and what really creeped her out about the whole ordeal and also why she filed a police report. i just wasn't sure if others kinda let that stuff slide because of the supposed intent or what

 

[blackrifles]

Rory,

You can TRY the "NO SOLICITATION" signs, no trespassing signs too, here our laws state it doesn't have to be store bought signs, can be custom. They'll probably ignore those too, and many folks report they DO NOT work, but once they've crossed the line, makes it a hell of a lot easier to build the criminal case against them, and believe me, some of them NEED a record, because if you see "what's behind the mask", they are trouble (time bombs) waiting to happen.

I'm all for anyone who goes to church, just don't force YOUR church on me, or deliberately try to scare my wife and kids while I'm at work, trying to force your way into my house near dark, or peeping in neighbors windows to see if they're home.

Our county PD just arrested one POS who did over 20 burglaries in a few months, posed as religious person, came around houses to invite you to his church, was invited in homes so he could case everything. Once he figured out your roaming habits/home layout and gained your neighbors trust, emptied the house while they were not at home.

 

[phalanx]

Brother Rory , I know what you mean ,try living in the middle of no where ,and a dirt road a quarter mile to the house ,no trespassing signs on the gates.
And you walk out side with a beer in your hand and 5 Jehovah's Witnesses are standing on your porch.
Something a Criminal is smarter than trying , are they just stupid or do they have a force field around them?
Then you cant get rid of them , where is that dog who humps on anything he sees when you need him ?
You did the right thing , and just because your a Christian ,doesn't mean you park your brain.

 

[Pvt.Joker]

Tell them if they bother your family again, you are going to see to it that they each have a personal introduction to Jesus, and they won't even have to wait for any rapture... I had a very similiar circumstance with some Mormon missionaries a few months back. I tried being nice to them, even spent a little time chatting on the front porch and such. But then they show up when my mother is visiting and I am not at home, and they try to get pushy to come in the house and she tells them no, but they insist they need to come in and pray with her. It was rude and it frightened her. Suffice it to say, their actions absolutely insure that I will *NEVER* even consider their church again in any favorable manner, and I contacted their local church through a friend of mine who is a member there and let them know it.

There are just TOO many people out there who are unstable, violent and dangerous to go letting strangers into your home these days. And saying that they are on a mission from God doesn't change that.

 

[GWR1]

Barring signs or gates, is not an OPEN doorway an invitation to come in? It is wherever I've ever worked, and at my home -- you're welcome to walk in any open doorway. "Knock, and the door shall be opened."

Carry On!
Gary
><>

 

[Bill S]

A friend of mine years ago had a pretty good way of getting rid of these missionaries. My friend was a very large, rugged, hairy guy, and he'd smile at the missionaries, wink, tell them they were cute (in a very lewd way) and invite them in "for some fun". This worked like a charm for getting rid of them - especially if they were guys.

 

[Rory]

Barring signs or gates, is not an OPEN doorway an invitation to come in? It is wherever I've ever worked, and at my home -- you're welcome to walk in any open doorway. "Knock, and the door shall be opened."

Carry On!
Gary
><>

an open doorway at my home is an invite to those who know me. if you have not been met, you must wait for an invitation, verbal.


r

 

[toolmanm203]

I agree with bill s on this,maybe I just have a sick sense of humor but I figure that if people are going to bother me either at my door or telemarketers I have the right to have some fun with it. I say be creative and have fun with it but if people try entering without permission than thats a whole new ballgame!,I would do just what you did rory because that is crossing the line when people trespass especially if you have a women and children home alone that is disturbing that these people think laws don't apply to them. I would have no problem fileing charges to let them know that that is uneceptable behavior. good luck

 

[blackrifles]

5 Jehovah's Witnesses are standing on your porch.

Laws don't work, you're being constantly harassed/stalked on your own property, some (demented?) local cops/politicians will tell you those people have a "right" to be on YOUR property, be nice.

I wasn't going to say which groups and see who was having problems elsewhere, I'm ONLY having trouble out of two distinct groups, the rest are extremely polite and would prefer to stay outdoors, my neighbors (Methodist-Baptist) are 100% with me on this. In my part of the world, JWs one troublesome group right there, plenty of mental patients to go around. The other is the Mormons and they prefer to visit when the "man of the house" is away, use scare tactics, usually 2 young men (or an old and young) who look like their medication clearly isn't working, perhaps leftovers from Hitler Youth Group?

Trying to force their way in around here, a "NO!" doesn't work and they insist they HAVE to come in, that's a VERY BAD idea here, criminals get shot to death (quite often) for forcing doors open, good detectives ensure shooter never sees inside of a jail.

 

[belt fed frog]

BR ,
it`s true i love a good fun way to get rid of "visitors" the very last "Witness`s" that showed here were to told in no uncertian terms that as a HEATHEN i was not bound by thier book and that to serve them up as dinner was acceptable in my faith i had the belly laugh of the year as they beat feet back up the dirt road soaking thier starched white shirts ,ties flying in the wind and dust covering thier polished black shoes and slacks that was 5 years ago and they aint been back ,most of my neighbors are Baptist( 2 flavors),Pentacostal or Church of God and because they are far nicer i am more kind with them THEY DONT PRESS ME and if they need help they know all they have to do is ask and it is freely given as if i was a member of thier congregation and even though i follow oral tradition not thier book they came quickly to relise that my moral values are no diffrent than thiers so i really dont need "saving", so i have the religious peace i need to follow my path and am an accepted member of the local "bible belt" while standing outside of it HE HE HE

 

[franks71vw]

Police report I think is a bit over done I guess, but what worries me more is that they get your name and print up an invitation? I havent found a church that does that unless they preprint generic names and have them ready either way sounds a bit wierd. We must understand that you dont know who that person is and you have to hold up your defenses. How many a time have home invasions occured because some guys dressed up like the local power company or bell company knock on the door and are let inside? Its not an issue of whether or not its a religious out reach program form a local church. Again, knock and the door shall be open is the proper methodology I was taught. Hell I even knock going into my sister house I know Bro in law has a crappy H&K and cant shoot for crap but still knock lol.... (hope he reads this) lol It is sad though that when some of these groups pass by and knock on your door to try and teach you about GOD etc and you can school them on the matter and they leave you alone.

 

[blackrifles]

Frank,

I'm glad Rory and his GF got a police report, might make this religious group think twice about their actions and choice of staff, no "free ride" when they DO screw up, and there will be a paper trail to ensure that. Kinda strange they put her name on invitation but not Rory's, I've seen that before, by the same creepy group that tangled with my wife and several other neighbor's wives.

I often wonder if they knew this little fun fact, they were already dressed for their own funeral, and my close neighbor would be their coroner, Barry really doesn't like them after they scared his family, LOL!

 

[rugman59]

Around here ,you have little recourse if a door is open and no theft or violence is involved.The very least you Must do,is post your property.
When I was maybe 7,a guy walked in the front door and stole one of our dogs.
Cops didn't do squat.Your property wasn't posted sir! Sorry.

 

[phalanx]

Bill that would work with telemarketers also , if they were female insist they tell you the color of their undies using a sinister giggle.
If it were a Guy , he may play along if he is gay, or wanting to mess with you also.

 

[blackrifles]

I mentioned the subguns discussion, here's a list of my personal favorites:

One guy who posted this, after several heated arguements, he said the religious nuts were coming back and using their kids to warm the response, he would ask "How much for the boy/girl?" Gasps of horror and no more unwanted solicitations.

If you know cops pretty well, this might be VERY entertaining, rack a shotgun behind closed door, scream "Do you have a warrant?" and they're gone!

Another suggested a sprinkler system with motion/thermal detector, or manual valve inside the house that delivers COLD water, highly successful. Hey, they never come back. Whatever you do, don't answer the door naked, they'll call the cops and you go straight to jail, they sue and win damages!

 

[slowfire]

I'll just say what I think, if someone wants to knock and politely invite someone to their church, fine.

how is that fine???? once they trespass on my property to shove their "religion" they step way over the line, and interfer with my right........I didn't invite them to hear their BS story about "jesus", "god". let them take out a ad in the local paper if they want to "spread" the word.

just because they are "chrsitians" does not give them the right to bother other people about their "religion"

 

[Pvt.Joker]

Whatever you do, don't answer the door naked, they'll call the cops and you go straight to jail, they sue and win damages!

Not if I'M sitting on the jury in that one, they don't!

I guess you could always smile real big at them, and when they start, interrupt them with "Let me tell you about Satan (or enter whatever pagan idolitry suits your fancy at the moment)." Basically, insist that THEY need to "be converted" and it is YOUR task to force this view upon THEM. Then, when they refuse, claim to be offended, call them bigots and intolerant of others, and tell them to get the hell off YOUR property and never come back.

Of course, IF they try to get smart and "play along", then proceed to tell them about the monthly ritual human sacrifice, and ask them if they have any "spare infants" in their congregation or of their own that wouldn't be missed. That ought to send them running. And if it doesn't, at least then YOU know what kind of group you are REALLY dealing with.

 

[GUNRUNNER5150]

first off i never open my door more than a few inches with my left hand and keep a pistol in my right hand aimed down and somewhat tucked behind my leg. you never know.

That being said, when the missionaries show up i do try and be polite, i try not to **** on anyones religion as long as they are nice and dont belittle my beliefs. But when they get pushy or degrading to my belief it is a whole different story, they can and will be escorted the hell off my property. Usually they are nice enough and it doesnt come to that, a simple 'im not interested' is good enough to shoe them away and as long as they can drop off their little booklet they are happy enough.

missonaries arent the big problem around here when it comes to robberies and the such, the ones you gotta watch out for is the home alarm salesmen, they try to push their way in and wanna check every room out and all that crap = they end up with the more rude part of my personality, and there aint no law that says i cant have my holstered weapon carried openly if i step outside to "greet" them.

If someone wants to let these people into their home, thats on them, aint gonna happen here though.

GR