FANTASTIC new tactic for Fundie nuts on NYC Subway!

[HamdenRice]

A perfect stranger made my day this morning on the way to work! Even if you are not from NYC, you probably have heard about the panhandlers, psychos and other colorful characters we meet on the subway each day; but you may not know that we also have to suffer through enforced sermons by self-proclaimed evangelists. Believe it or not, in this most secular city, fundie nut case evangelists stand up and start loudly preaching -- of course after the doors have closed and there is no escape, especially on long runs between express stops -- on hundreds of trains each morning. Most people roll their eyes, grumble, and read the paper. Ocassionally we gripe to each other.

Today a fundie nut preacher started on the F train on the way to work. The passengers were already in a pretty bad mood because the first train had mechanical problems. So this guy is screaming about how we had to accept Jesus as our personal savior or else burn in hell.

One passenger got fed up and started shouting back, "blah blah blah ... yeah right Jesus, Jesus, Jesus ..." He really kept it up, steady, steady heckling and ridicule, and the preacher started getting nervous. A couple of passengers started laughing and staring at the preacher, whereas, we usually try to ignore them and avoid eye contact.

When we finally pulled into the station, the preacher ran out of the train, embarrassed, mid sentence! It really seemed that the preacher realized for the first time how unwanted his forced sermons were, and how passengers really feel about him.

It occurs to me that fighting enforced religion, like fascism, really just takes someone to speak up the their entire confidence and defenses fail. I wish I knew who that heckler was, but I think he gave me courage to use that technique next time a subway preacher tries to force me and other passengers to hear his crap.

[NYCGirl]

1. That's why I always listen to the radio or my MP3 player. Sometimes, I'll

even keep in the earbuds while the player is off.

[AllyCat]

2. Oh that's beautiful! Thanks for making my morning. nt

[wtmusic]

3. A basic issue of politeness

and equal in every way to someone getting on the subway and shouting, "US out of Iraq!".

[Infomaniac]

4. Another F Train Rider Here...

I'll have to remember this one the next time I'm stuck in the tunnel with one of the "Scream if you love Jesus" types.

[Clark2008]

7. Do you ever read:

http://ftrain.com/

Some very good (and very liberal) writing going on there.

For example: http://ftrain.com/IntelligenceNicknames.html

Nicknames We Gave Our Intelligence Sources
When “Curveball” just won't do.

Neil N. Pray
Howlin' Pain
Pauly Sores
Heywood Jakillme
Eaton Pork
Chatty O'Ballshock
Mona Lott
Noah Secret
Mumbly McHood
Ali Wantisforittostop
Jen Eva

[Infomaniac]

9. I'll give it a look.

[Scout1071]

5. This happened to me in Atlanta a couple of years ago.

A woman stood up and started preaching as soon as the train started moving.

A man on the train started cussing at her very loudly. He kept yelling over her sermon, "Stop fucking preaching to me! Can't I just ride the train in peace without having to listen to your bullshit every day? And Jesus didn't die for me....they killed him. He didn't have a choice, so stop saying he did!"

Needless to say, this Kansas girl was more than a little freaked out. I thought this guy was really going to snap on her. Thankfully, she quickly exited at the first available stop.

Edited to note that this is when I realized the importance of having headphones when taking public transit.

[raysr]

6. I wish that would happen to me

"Shut the fuck up you stupid jesus freak!!!"

[Bigmack]

8. I heard "NooYawkahs" were rude...

... hell, CambdenRice, that guy shouting down a preacher don't show me shit! I grew up in Detroit, and anybody who tried to preach to a bus-full of Black, Polish, and Irish factory workers would have been killed and eaten!

[MamaBear]

10. Now if she could just shut up that big dude with the carpetbag...

That guy likes to get on the A train at 59th and he shouts (and DANCES) all the way to 125th Street, threatening all with firey hell because we don't know but we'll DIE TONIGHT ...

This guy is big and built and angry, but I will start reading whatever it is I'm reading out loud. When people get in this guy's face he gets more enthusiastic.

I do so wish they would all go away, and take the kids with the boomboxes with them. We had a little pack of those this morning.

Headphones are a necessity. Too bad there's no radio reception down there. ;)