My only bone to pick with JW's is not a personal one and has little to do with their religion or beliefs; I simply don't like the used-car-salesman pushiness and unending intrusion upon my own beliefs and personal space. If I tell you I am not interested in hearing about it...if I say I don't want the pamphlet...if I politely ask to be left alone...and if you keep coming back...that's where I start to get testy. Salespeople are often taught that the typical buyer will say no 7 times before relenting and making a purchase. Those folks take that bit of propaganda to heart, and just don't listen to NO.
I vividly recall an exchange between me and two of these otherwise fine folk on my back deck, years ago. Back then, before we had Duke (our current dog), we owned two fairly large dogs...one was a Mastiff/Dane cross and was much closer to 150 pounds than to 100. Both of them were absolute sweethearts, and both were very perceptive of my feelings towards other people. One day a couple of JW's appeared on the back deck, having parked their car on the road, climbed through the closed gate and trudged up 100+ yards of driveway. Both dogs were fast asleep in the shade under a tree. As the JW's stepped onto the bottom stair of the deck, the sound of their footfalls on the wood woke the dogs, who both trotted over to say "Hi!"
The five of us...two big dogs, two JW's and one unrepentant heathen...stood on the deck and I tried to explain my complete lack of interest in their presentation, to no avail. The dogs sat quietly behind them, wagging their tails and looking from me to them and back again. I repeated several times, slightly less patiently each time, that I was not interested. The JW's took no notice of either my increasing impatience or the dogs. Finally, I had had enough and interrupted them once again, sharply starting out with "Now, look..."
Both dogs' tails, which had been growing slower and slower throughout, now stopped wagging. Both dogs started growling; when Lotus (the bigger dog) growled, you could practically feel in it in your feet. The JW's stopped, turned slowly, and blanched all the way to bone white. I advised them of their best method of retreat to their vehicle, which they proceeded to do, flanked and escorted by both dogs out to the limit of the electronic collars that limited them to my yard. When the car drove away, both dogs trotted merrily back to the house, tongues lolling, tails wagging..."Did we do good, dad?"
I've probably told of that instance before, but couldn't resist it here; its Esox' fault for bringing up the topic of JW's. Just another example of why I prefer most dogs to most people.
I vividly recall an exchange between me and two of these otherwise fine folk on my back deck, years ago. Back then, before we had Duke (our current dog), we owned two fairly large dogs...one was a Mastiff/Dane cross and was much closer to 150 pounds than to 100. Both of them were absolute sweethearts, and both were very perceptive of my feelings towards other people. One day a couple of JW's appeared on the back deck, having parked their car on the road, climbed through the closed gate and trudged up 100+ yards of driveway. Both dogs were fast asleep in the shade under a tree. As the JW's stepped onto the bottom stair of the deck, the sound of their footfalls on the wood woke the dogs, who both trotted over to say "Hi!"
The five of us...two big dogs, two JW's and one unrepentant heathen...stood on the deck and I tried to explain my complete lack of interest in their presentation, to no avail. The dogs sat quietly behind them, wagging their tails and looking from me to them and back again. I repeated several times, slightly less patiently each time, that I was not interested. The JW's took no notice of either my increasing impatience or the dogs. Finally, I had had enough and interrupted them once again, sharply starting out with "Now, look..."
Both dogs' tails, which had been growing slower and slower throughout, now stopped wagging. Both dogs started growling; when Lotus (the bigger dog) growled, you could practically feel in it in your feet. The JW's stopped, turned slowly, and blanched all the way to bone white. I advised them of their best method of retreat to their vehicle, which they proceeded to do, flanked and escorted by both dogs out to the limit of the electronic collars that limited them to my yard. When the car drove away, both dogs trotted merrily back to the house, tongues lolling, tails wagging..."Did we do good, dad?"
I've probably told of that instance before, but couldn't resist it here; its Esox' fault for bringing up the topic of JW's. Just another example of why I prefer most dogs to most people.
