Only in NY

ctrwtf

Spent a lovely day yesterday in NYC with my lovely daughter off of school for spring break. I like parking on the Upper East Side near the Met. Look at art until mid afternoon or so, then catch a cab down to Chinatown or Lil Italy for late lunch. The problem with this strategy is that its nearly impossible to catch a cab uptown during the evening rush.

So, even though it upsets my refined sensibilities, we caught the 6 train from Canal St to 86th St on the UES. That's when I spotted the two lemmings with the pasted on smiles standing by their literature cart. My immediate thought was that this is not going to work for them. The Wits are famous for annoying people at home. Now they're going to be famous for being annoying on your commute home.

In typical NYC fashion, people were not giving them a moments thought. I think the big sign on the cart asked, "Where are the Dead?" I'm sure that most New Yorkers would reply, "Who gives a F@#k? They're F@#king DEAD?" De Blasio wants to ban handsome cab rides but allows this drech in the subways?

Way to go JW.org! Your ministry has gone from ineffectivve and annoying to REALLY ineffective and annoying.

KateWild

I wounder if they get passersby actually stopping. My daughter was on the way to catch a train and some JWs tried to approach her, but she had no time to stop anyway. She needed to catch her train, while she was walking she just said "I don't go to meetings anymore"

They are surely going to cause problems if people miss their trains.

Kate xx

breakfast of champions

I know folks who are involved the "table work" in NYC, and what matters most to them is the numbers (no surprise). They might place 80 books a day and 100 magazines. This is impressive to them, they're getting the word out, at least that's what they believe.

I told them Wow, that's pretty impressive! But how many bible studies have been started that have progressed to the point of baptism in the past 2 years of your congregation doing this?

Answer: none.

So in hte end, thousands of hours have been spent, tens of thousands of pieces of literature have been placed, hundreds of conversations have occured (yes, some New Yorkers do stop and talk. But more often than not they are quite on "the fringe" if you catch my drift) and in the end, the final result is: 0.

ShirleyW

THey're all over the subway stations here, I've even noticed at one station here that I frequent, they have backup as in another sister and brother who replace the others when their "shift" is over, all for the sake of getting in that Almighty time !!

You mention that it's impossible to catch a cab going uptown in the evening rush hour, hmmm, not true at all, how do you think the folks that got to work from that location in the morning get back home?

Band on the Run

It is extremely hard to catch a taxi in rain or rush hour. I used to use a private car service that my employer arranged. Once you are in a taxi in rush hour,, you sit in gridlock. I decided to take subways. The subway and bus are cleaner and have more room. Once I was late for the firm, so I paid for my own taxi. We sat on Broadway as the meter climbed higher and higher. I ran to the firm. I wish the buses would accept $ bills. The number of quarters needed is ridiculous and I only pay half fare.

I wonder why they are not in Penn Station. Now I have even more incentive to take a bus or taxi. The subway takes time to climb down into b/c I fractured my ankle. There are not many disability entrances. The buses get a more refined crowd. If the trip is a long distance, the subway is worth it.

The Big Apple people are not going to bite. I expect the subways are a public forum in Free Speech terms. The Hare Krishna were always in and out. No one has an expectation of privacy on the subway. Maybe better on the subway than at your home.

Philip J Fried

I've been seeing them everyday on my commute at the train station I use downtown (not NYC). I've never seen a single person talking to them, just 2 or 3 brothers or sisters standing around, looking like any other buskers.

I wish it was that easy to get time in way back when I was in. If I remember correctly I feel as if that kind of "preaching" was frowned upon, same as "street witnessing" were they would just stand around holding a WT and Awake.