thrilled - junk mail

[alnmike]

Hi. I am thrilled to have received a credit card application in our post box!!! [;-)] It got me thinking - does the ubiquitous (sp) Readers Digest - you are a winner - draw, occur in France? [8-)]

[JayJay]

Aren't you the lucky one![;-)] Yep, they have that here too, great isn't it???

[Dave]

We have even had a 'Watch Tower' in English in our post box.....

regards

Dave

[Hoddy]

I think there must be a group in Gourdon. They actually came round to us. My OH does a very good line in appearing to understand French much better than he really does. He's restricted by deafness and lack of understanding although he's very good at pretending.

My neighbour and I hid behind the bean row convulsed with silent laughter while they flogged the most dead of dead horses.

Hoddy

[Dog]

We get Jehovahs Witnesses stuff in the letterbox - but they don't seem to make the effort they have to in UK to actually knock at the door.

France has a healthy attitude towards cults and the JWs have had a big court battle to remain as a church in France.

I have also noticed clean-cut Mormons out on thier bicycles.

In UK I ended up doing a lot of business with the JWs as once they trust you they recommend you to others. I was surprised to find a lot of senior management at Coca Cola were JWs.

The JWs are as ever tring to get new converts and are expected to learn new languages to pull in more members.

[Cassis]

We've never had Jehovah's Witnesses stuffed in the letterbox - there's normally too much other promotional stuff for them to squeeze in - but they come round here once a year in person.  They are bilingual Franco-Anglais, as I found when I pretended not to understand French.  So last time we had a long discussion on the meaning of life, the universe and everything.  They did not understand when I told them the answer was 42.  In the end I think I convinced them that life had no meaning and they went away very depressed.

[alnmike]

Gosh - thanks all! I've even more to look forward to!![:P]

[SaligoBay]

[quote user="Cassis"]In the end I think I convinced them that life had no meaning and they went away very depressed.
[/quote]

What an achievement!   You must be very proud.   Can you share your method with us, or are you going to patent it as a money-making venture?   [:)] 

[Cassis]

It's quite simple - just guide the conversation so that it goes around and around in circles, never getting anywhere.

You must know how to do it - you've been around this forum long enough by now to have seen it demonstrated many times over!

[:D]

[Frederick]

We had two charming young ladies visit us ...and they  were already  armed with the English copy of Watch Tower  when they arrived at the door. No doubt they had another 9 copies on hand as I got the impression it was  "Do the Brits in the village day "

[Dick Smith]

I have tried the line that I am over 50, not thick, and I have spent a fair bit of time thinking about my spirituality - do you think I'm going to change my life-long beliefs in a 5-minute conversation on my doorstep with a child?  Didn't work. I've now taken to pretending to be psychotic.

[alnmike]

moh gets to talk to all our callers who feel obligated to show us the

error of our ways - and funnily enough the longest lasted 2 minutes.

His secret - he is, and tells them he is  . . . catholic. (I am

not and we have lots of respectful heated debate about various things)

So I have often wondered what must be said in their training plans

about the various sorts of 'victim' they will meet. Hey ho.

Another good way of reducing junk mail shots ( in the UK) apart from

that postman's suggestion of registering with the Junk Mail avoidance

service, is to live in the sticks  . . . whilst we get stuff from

our postie, no-one else can be bothered.[:)] no stamina!!

[Cassis]

[quote user="Dick Smith"] I've now taken to pretending to be psychotic.

[/quote]

Pretending?

[Cassis]

[quote user="alnmike"]

His secret - he is, and tells them he is  . . . catholic.

[/quote]

We are (well Jude is, I'm lapsed) but they are made of sterner stuff round here and even that does not seem to put them off!

You can get a sticker to put on your post box saying Pas de Publicité or somesuch.  Or just make one yourself.  But then you'll miss out on the DIY shed and supermarket special offers.

[alnmike]

Cassis - true, we'd never have got our bargain bikes from LIDLs without

the flyer!!!! We did have a telemarketing call once - that was funny as

moh answered and his french, bless, is not good. Very meanly I picked

up our other phone for a giggle - never did find our what they were

trying to sell!![;-)]

[Mikew]

If you must have Lidl cycles, subscribe to their e-mail on line - virtual adverts are easier to recycle!

[Cassis]

I used to have a Lidl cycle but I've got a proper grown-up mountain bike now.

[alnmike]

Lidl emails - indeed, very green!!

I've never actually ridden a Lidl bike . . .  I've still got my old Raleigh, still remember with a chuckle the expression on the 'Douane Francais' when they saw it in the boot of the car . . . . probably thought it was an antique!!!

[Llwyncelyn]

Dick we live in somewhat remote of circumstances and to find us takes some doing.  I have used the fact that I am a Protestant and indeed a Welsh one and that my Family and they were all lay preachers and that I have been immersed in that approach and Wales was but is not now somewhat different (remember pits god fearing men that sort of thing) and really it is a waste of their time.  However have not won that battle they turn up from time to time in their best (not Sunday) for the day changes.

It makes just for an interlude and I really cannot be so rude as to tell them where to go..................They are genuinely nice people but........................

I have even tried the Salvation army approach and if my forefathers even thought I was talking to them then they would turn in their grave.  They did not seem to understand that.

Still they deserve respect even if we do not agree with their views and I do not.

[Sunday Driver]

A few years ago, I had some Jehovah's Witnesses turn up at our door - one very smart elderly lady and what looked like her (even older) Mum!

They started on their spiel about Christianity so I interrupted them by saying "Sorry, but I'm actually Jewish."

Old "Mum" immediately piped up with "But Jesus was a Jew as well, you know..." 

Knocked the wind well and truly out of my sails, that did [:)].

 

 

[Cassis]

I take it you are strict Orthodox, SD, which is why you are not a Saturday Driver.

[Department71]

I remember when I was a kid (years ago) JW's called and asked my dad "have you found Jesus" his reply, "No have you lost him".

Then told them to go away. Think it worked.

 

Steve

[Quillan]

The French JW's are getting clever now, they speak English (so the old 'I don't speak French' does not work) and they have their stuff printed in English as well. Electric gates with intercom however are the best form of defence. The last one pushed her leaflet through the gate which was entiled something like 'Follow the only true religion' which I thought mught be a bit offensive if you were a muslim but hey it's France who cares.

[Cassis]

[quote user="Quillan"]Electric gates with intercom however are the best form of defence. [/quote]

Electrified are even better. [:)]

[Quillan]

[quote user="Cassis"][quote user="Quillan"]Electric gates with intercom however are the best form of defence. [/quote]

Electrified are even better. [:)]
[/quote]

Actually I did try this but the smell from the rotting flesh of dead children still hanging from the gate upset the people next door although in their defence they are Dutch. Also their shoes used to rub the tarmac as the gate opened and closed leaving nasty marks behind that are a nightmare to clean. [:D]