Who has had their District Convention seats stolen by other Witnesses? (page 2)

stillin

Of course, these seat stealers are a blotch on the otherwise great reputation of JW's. There is usually a part every year on the service meeting about seat saving, etc. it would be easy to make a note of the person's name and congregation, based on their name badge, then send a nice letter to their home congregation about how such and such a family was disobedient to Jehovah. Just an idea

blondie

My hubbie reminded me how our seats were taken by a couple supposedly acting as liaisons for emergencies in assigned areas. There were other seats open but they "needed" ours. EMERGENCY meant spilled water. But when it was baby pee, his wife got the honors.

I was glad when disabled areas were clearly defined and monitored. Not the best but on the main floor with plenty of room. Could it be that because many CO/DO wives had physical issues that this came about? One/two family members, not 20 allowed to sit with them. Still some found ways around it until an announcement saying that some were depriving truly disabled from a seat.

Who would want to spend eternity with people like that?

nugget

Assemblies bought out the worst in people. As I had a son with aspergers I was able to witness the intolerance first hand. As he is hypersensitive he found sudden noises, bright sunlight, excessive heat or cold very hard to cope with. On a couple of occasions when we had arrived early to get seats on the end of a row we went for a walk and came back to find things moved. When we explained that we needed ease of access we were treated with contempt. What was worse was when we were stuck in the middle of a row people would then make a fuss if you needed to take one of the children out so you didn't feel you could come back before o song or session end. The people on the end seats who never left during the sessions also never offered to swap.

I also has one sister complain that my son fidgeted too much and if he didn't stop she would have to leave. I told her not to bother we would go. In the end we sat in the car and listened on the radio. When we were told there would be no car parking at the stadium and we would all have to go by coach I said we wouldn't go again and we never have.

If the new world they talk about was anything like the selfish everyone for themselves attitude you get at the assembly then they can keep it. I can see them reverting to cannibalism before the first week is out.

GLTirebiter

Arboles, I like your response, thank you for having a backbone! The Gospel passage on choosing places at the table comes to mind (Luke 14:7-11):

"And then, to your embarraassment, you will have to go and take the lowest place."

exwhyzee

When I was in Bethel my roommate was from inner city Philidelphia. He invited me to take the train there and stay with his family for District Assembly which would turn out to be quite an eye opener for me as I was from the oh so polite "Pacific Northwest". He warned me that we'd get racial slurs yelled at us as we walked through his neighborhood on our way to his families house (he's black I'm white). Sure enough, the people on their porches started shouting comments at us pretty harmless stuff...Hey Cracker...Nabisco aint around here.... What's shakin' Salt and Pepper etc. We just laughed it off but being fresh from Bethel, it was quite a change but I knew it would be different when we got to the assembly.

We arrived by train at the Philidelphia Spectrum. It was already hot and swealtry and the crowds had been lined up to get in at the locked chain link gates for some time. Then some brother, instead of unlocking the gate where everyone was waiting, unlocked the gate about 10 yards away and caused a stampede. I couldn't beleive how the JW were acting. They were all clamoring to get the best seats. Ball games and concerts I'd been to were more civilized. Some people had blankets and rolls of masking tape and within seconds, were taping off whole rows of seats for their friends and family. I was shocked. My roommate didn't seem to bat an eye. He told me he'd heard about one District Assembly where two heavy set (of course) sisters were each barreling over to save one last empty seat. One of the Sisters saw that the other was going to get there first, so she whipped the wig off her head and threw it into the seat and shouted "Saved!".

It was probably a JW urban legend but they did make an announcement that day and laid out the guidlines for seat saving. Nevertheless, the next day, although somewhat better, there was defenitly and air of thinly veiled hostility and competetion when it came to looking for a seat.

Speaking of wigs, this was the assembly when we sat behind a woman who had on a wig. During the session, some sort of tag had worked it's way out from underneath it and was hanging down and flicking around everytime she moved her head. This was much more interesting to watch than listening to the talk until the Sister she was with, realized what everyone was snickering about and lifted up the edge of the wig and tucked the tag back in and spoiled all our fun.

wasblind

I once came back and our stuff had been moved and we found it in Lost and Found....the people in those seats said someone else must have moved it (those were my evil days) I watched for them the next day, saw where they sat, had a friend take their stuff to Lost and Found, and reversed the event on them. They had no doubt but could not prove it.____Blondie

LOL @ Blondie " The Devil " they made you do it

wha happened?

I remember a few attendents who took it upon themselves to remove items if the seats weren't filled in 15 minutes. The problem was, the reason the seats weren't filled was because they were volunteering at the convention. I was one of them. The people occupying the seats had no clue about what happened. They just endedd up in the middle of it. I got loud and made sure that everyone heard what he was doing

joyfulfader

It was the circuit assembly at which I got baptized...I had placed my books and my bag with hair dryer and bathing suit and towel in the row reserved for baptismal candidates. When I went to sit down it was gone. The attendants searched and during the baptismal talk found my things had been moved 6 rows back to the middle of the row "supposedly" because the items in question were in the reserved baptismal seating. No one bothered to ask why the average attendee would have a hair dryer and bathing suit. Turns out the people who ended up sitting in my original seat weren't even baptismal candidates.

Now I wish my stuff hadn't been found...perhaps I may have procrastinated in actually going thru with it.

whathappened

I have seen very good seats saved for the entire day in the most desirable location and go unused all day. Some people are just very thoughtless.

LongHairGal

ARBOLES:

One occasion I volunteered for food service with friends. Got there at an impossibly early hour and put my stuff down on seats at a high level where I supposed they would be safe. Of course, my handbag was with me. (I'd have to be out of my mind to have it out of my sight even if I were over somebody's house with a group. )

When I went to find my seat (I was exhausted) what did I find? My stuff was moved and placed in the aisle by an extended family. I wanted to curse these people out loud! I picked my stuff up and found a seat somewhere else. I vowed NEVER to volunteer for food service again.

I never had any illusions about certain witnesses' honesty or integrity, but this made me open my eyes and be super careful when at DCs. Once a "sister" just took my bible and stuck it in her bag. I said to her: "excuse ME, but that's mine and I took it from her". Even when we stood for the song and prayer, my bag was in front of me where I could see it.

I wouldn't trust these bastards as far as I could throw them.

Who has had their District Convention seats stolen by other Witnesses?

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