General Discussion

About once a month they would show up in a van, pile out, and go visit every apartment and house on that street.

I decided it was time to express my displeasure.

So, One afternoon when they were doing their usual monthly visit, I was home and happened to be in the front room where I could see the street. (I had been able to avoid them in the past, because I was working when they visited. They would leave literature, of course, but I had not been there to actually interact with them before that day.) I saw their van drive up and park. I saw them getting out and scattering to canvass the complex and the surrounding houses. I ran to the kitchen, grabbed my biggest butcher knife, then grabbed the apron we had hanging behind the door. I went to the fridge, got the bottle of ketchup, and smeared it all over my hands, the apron, and the knife. When they rang the bell, I swung the door open with a big, wide grin and yelled out, "Hello! Why, you guys are just in time for the sacrifice!"

Well, they were not interested in talking that day. They mumbled something about seeing that I was busy and coming another time.

Sometimes, one has to make sure the offending parties understand that their behavior is not seen as acceptable by some. The thing that kind of shocked me was that they didn't call the cops or anything. I had kind of expected that, since my plan was to tell the police that I was just working in the kitchen and heard the door, and went to see who it was. Since this was long before the days of RING or cellphones, it would have been 'he said, she said'. Now, bear in mind that I made no move of any kind towards them. I was not even holding the knife in a threatening manner. I just had it in my hand, dripping red stuff on the floor by the door.

Whatever works.