On a business trip in an other town (50.000 population) this week I already had three encounters with literature carts at different frequently passed places in the city.
1. On wednesday afternoon: next to a gallery and next to a kiosk at a main access road to the center (a man in a warm suit and his daugther stood in the hot afternoon-sun protecting their eyes with sunglasses and looking at me when I looked at her sunglasses and thought, what if she would be my wife, would I stand here with her and sweat? Impression: Wow there message must be important, if a cool girl stands here
2. On friday morning on a main road next to a farmers market and a discount store.(a young man and an older woman, they were ignored by me, the young man was dresses good. Impression: how clever these jehovahs are everyone who passes by to buy for the weekend can see the trolls.
3. On friday afternoon: i was downright astonished..again, 2 sisters chatting with each other on the main square in front of the town-hall next to a beautiful lantern, bench and flower-boxes. Next to them a cart. Somehow they and the cart fitted to the scenery. Everybody passed by relaxed and looking for a good place in a bar or restaurant or for an ice.
Impression: As if everything went its way while the earthy circles in ordinarity and as if the peaceful world of promenaders was the eternal blessing of god and as if the Jehovas people are part of the ordinary city life, a kind of socially engaged people filling a hole in the religious emptiness.
Last week I had on encounter in front of a metro in the capital too, of course I would never speak to them. Impression: there was such a rush, not really a place for communication.
So at least I noticed that these carts exists and that Jehovahs people starred a tme when I looked at them.
It seems that It is more acceptable for the Jehovahs to use the trolleys than to stand on the street with the watchtower and awake in the hand alone.
Its hard to say how people "put notice" in general, what they think, because the message has changed a little bit from armageddon to family bible study. They will hardly talk about Armageddon to the promenadors first. Some may even look at it positively, a positive social message of hope in a time with horrible news but not looking behind. I think many people are tolerant towards religious groups althoug not interested.
