# Best Way To Get Rid of Persistent 7th Day Adventist? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 10, 2012, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-persistent-7th-day-adventist/615375 "2012-03-10T08:16:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-persistent-7th-day-adventist/615375/1 "2012-03-10T08:16:33Z")
There’s a Seventh Day Adventist who’s very persistent about knocking on my door and dropping off papers which I put in the recycling. What’s the best way to get rid of them? Do I have any legal rights regarding solicitation or such? ---
**Author:** ![Corcaigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Corcaigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corcaigh)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-persistent-7th-day-adventist/615375/2 "2012-03-10T10:51:55Z")
I hear tell, if you say “sorry, but I’m a Catholic” they’ll leave you alone. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-persistent-7th-day-adventist/615375/3 "2012-03-10T11:55:11Z")
[This tactic](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=2826351&postcount=18) worked on some Jehova’s Witnesses. ---
**Author:** ![srzss05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@srzss05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srzss05)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-persistent-7th-day-adventist/615375/4 "2012-03-10T12:20:33Z")
Just say “not interested” and politely (or not depending on your mood) close the door. All you people thinking up “clever” ways of getting rid of them are just wasting your time. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-persistent-7th-day-adventist/615375/5 "2012-03-10T12:22:10Z")
> [@GreenElf](#): > > There’s a Seventh Day Adventist who’s very persistent about knocking on my door and dropping off papers which I put in the recycling. What’s the best way to get rid of them? Do I have any legal rights regarding solicitation or such? Answering the door in the nude and/or carrying a weapon does wonders, in my experience. However, I’m not really sure if this is legal. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-persistent-7th-day-adventist/615375/6 "2012-03-10T12:29:56Z")
I generally move them from GQ to IMHO. **samclem** , Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-persistent-7th-day-adventist/615375/7 "2012-03-10T12:50:39Z")
> [@GreenElf](#): > > What’s the best way to get rid of them? This would have made a great episode of “Burn Notice” [Jeffrey Donovan] "When dealing with religious zealots at your door, there are two things to remember: 1. The smartest of the bunch never go door to door; the smartest of the bunch get Somebody Else to go door to door. So who you are dealing with, by definition, can be talked into almost anything if you make it sound plausible. 2. The door to door zealots never travel alone, since the invention of the dog. That and there’s always one or two angry and agitated neighbors whose houses he’s just left watching him go. This presents you with a built-in problem: Witnesses. Witnesses who know where you live. Witnesses who will probably be looking for him to leave. [/Jeffrey Donovan] ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-persistent-7th-day-adventist/615375/8 "2012-03-10T12:57:44Z")
Swab it with alcohol and rub off with a clean lint free cloth. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-persistent-7th-day-adventist/615375/9 "2012-03-10T14:40:49Z")
Tell them not to come back. If they do, call the police. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-persistent-7th-day-adventist/615375/10 "2012-03-10T16:35:08Z")
Spray them with mace. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-persistent-7th-day-adventist/615375/11 "2012-03-10T16:58:37Z")
My MIL had a great line for use on Christians anyway (I think SDAs are Christians even if they follow some Jewish law): You guys have been bugging us for 2000 years, why can’t you leave us alone? At least one (I think he was LDS) was very apologetic and never rang again. After telling them to lease fuck off for several years, they did stop called on me. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-persistent-7th-day-adventist/615375/12 "2012-03-10T17:00:39Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > After telling them to lease fuck off for several years, they did stop called on me. I’d ask them to buy fuck off rather than just leasing it. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-persistent-7th-day-adventist/615375/13 "2012-03-10T17:18:40Z")
convert. ---
**Author:** ![StuffLikeThatThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@StuffLikeThatThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StuffLikeThatThere)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-persistent-7th-day-adventist/615375/14 "2012-03-10T17:31:30Z")
I had a fantastic dog years ago. She looked like a pit bull. She wouldn’t have bitten you, but you couldn’t tell that from the way she acted. I’d hold onto her collar as she growled way back in her throat and flashed her teeth, and say, “It’s really not a good time right now.” and pretend to struggle a little with keeping her back. Took care of not only people trying to convert me to a religion I didn’t want, but the guy who wanted to offer a LOW LOW PRICE for reroofing the barn. I miss her. ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-persistent-7th-day-adventist/615375/15 "2012-03-10T18:08:46Z")
My husband and my father-in-law like to offer them beer. This has been 99% effective. The one time it did not, well, I heard those particular missionaries got relocated to another territory. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-persistent-7th-day-adventist/615375/16 "2012-03-10T18:14:35Z")
You could tell them to leave you alone and not come back or take off and nuke the site from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-persistent-7th-day-adventist/615375/17 "2012-03-10T21:13:24Z")
Pretend they have dirt on their cheek. Spit on a napkin and rub it off. (like mom used to do!) Alternatively, if you have some free time and like to bullshit, start witnessing back to them. Pretend you’re a Mormon. “Oh, I’m SOOO glad to see you! Usually I have to go door-to-door to find people to convert, but you guys came right to me! Do you know the story of Joseph Smith!?” etc ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-persistent-7th-day-adventist/615375/18 "2012-03-10T22:14:53Z")
They come to my neighborhood about once a month, they knocked on my door about 18 months ago, now they just don’t come to my door. I told them very politely that they were wasting theirs and my time with this fucking shit, and to please avoid me for all eternity or I would throw dog shit on them. Seems to have worked, I guess they have a list or something. ---
**Author:** ![GoodOmens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@GoodOmens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOmens)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-persistent-7th-day-adventist/615375/19 "2012-03-10T22:27:19Z")
> [@NinjaChick](#): > > Tell them not to come back. If they do, call the police. Sounds about right to me. He’s on your property and unwelcome. You have every right to tell him not to return. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-persistent-7th-day-adventist/615375/20 "2012-03-10T22:46:39Z")
I’ve never had an SDA come to my door. Plenty of JWs and Mormons and neither of those groups are as pushy as they used to be. The visits are generally on a Saturday morning, so I send my son who tells them he’s a committed Zoroastrian. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-get-rid-of-persistent-7th-day-adventist/615375.md?page=2)