"I could never go back to the US"...why not?

So can they anywhere, and if I go seek them out on on their own turf sans camera and guidebook, I'd expect it. But I gather that it's overall considered bad form to be extremely aggressive out in public, ie, following someone who is walking away from them in the street and continuing to shout Bible verses at the top of their lungs, or hassling you if they catch you in particular sections of book stores or health food shops, or blocking your path in a public parking lot to confront you about a bumper sticker or t-shirt they don't like. All of which happens over here, and not just in small towns. Some people feel it's their right to grill complete strangers to see if they're orthodox enough, and our current political clusterfrack isn't helping that.

It's happened to me on several occasions, though never in small towns.  It's happened in mid- to large-sized college towns.  I think the difference is that in small towns, people either already know you and know your opinions, or they can find out easily without having to ask you.  Or you're an incomer/tourist, and therefore not worth worrying about.  Whereas, in the college towns, you get that mix of townies, some of whom feel threatened by the college crowd, and more-than-usually-liberal types.  In every case where this has happened to me, it's happened on/around campus, and it's been someone unaffiliated with the school confronting me.

In every case where this has happened to me, it's happened on/around campus, and it's been someone unaffiliated with the school confronting me.

Yeah, when I was a grad student in the US (in New Mexico) a couple of years ago, there was a random guy on campus preaching about God (outside the student union) almost every single day - I used to have to walk past him to get to my department. As far as I can remember, I've only seen this happen once or twice in the UK in the last 25 years (I walked past a preacher-guy in the city centre a few months ago, but that's the only incidence I can remember off the top of my head).

I think that standing somewhere and preaching is different than following someone around and harassing them about their religious beliefs, which is what sillybadger seems to be referring to.

Yeah, I wasn't even counting the crazy street preachers, or the Gideons trying to hand Bibles to everyone who gets within 10 yards.  I was referring to individuals who have approached me in parking lots, cafes, the store where I worked (I wish I were making that up!  Awkward!), etc.

Nothing like this has ever happened to me in the US. I'm not saying that it doesn't happen, or that it hasn't happened to you, but it is not the norm everywhere in the US. (Where I'm from - New York City - someone who did that would probably be considered a nutjob and people would point and laugh at them). You can't speak for the whole of the US, and you can't speak for the whole of the UK.

Sigh . . . . nowhere did I say I was speaking for the whole of either; I said I've had to put up with it plenty over here, and I haven't run into it at all over there. NYC is a pretty big town; you sure you've met everybody?

While you get fruitcakes anywhere, all the people I've talked to in or from the UK have been appalled at the idea, and said that generally really aggressive religious proselytizing or harassment is a no-go, and isn't tolerated in public places.  I take that as a good thing. It's not the norm everywhere here, but people generally aren't really surprised by it. Here's a specific example sitch I've put forth when discussing this with people:

On a previous retail job, I had two guys from a local church come in daily and follow me around quoting verses at me because we sold Harry Potter merchandise, and because  my Egyptian ankh necklace was a "Satanic symbol". Did either of my bosses tell them to leave me alone? No - they told me to not wear anything that could offend anyone, and that maybe I needed to try church. The state labor board and ESC do not consider this harassment either, nor do many other states.

Yeah, I wasn't even counting the crazy street preachers, or the Gideons trying to hand Bibles to everyone who gets within 10 yards.  I was referring to individuals who have approached me in parking lots, cafes, the store where I worked (I wish I were making that up!  Awkward!), etc.

Nail, meet hammer! ;0)

I usually blame it on caffeine or hemorrhoidal flare-up.

Sort of like walking through town centre on a Saturday and weaving your way through a dozen or so petition-carrying "evangelists" promoting causes from "Ban Lab Testing On Animals" to "Bring the World Cup to England" to "Stop the Evil Murdering Americans". 
Sheesh!   

On a previous retail job, I had two guys from a local church come in daily and follow me around quoting verses at me because we sold Harry Potter merchandise, and because  my Egyptian ankh necklace was a "Satanic symbol". Did either of my bosses tell them to leave me alone? No - they told me to not wear anything that could offend anyone, and that maybe I needed to try church. The state labor board and ESC do not consider this harassment either, nor do many other states.

What absolute ignorance!

NYC is a pretty big town; you sure you've met everybody?

That's exactly what I was trying to say. The UK is a pretty big country. Are you sure you've met everybody?

Sort of like walking through town centre on a Saturday and weaving your way through a dozen or so petition-carrying "evangelists" promoting causes from "Ban Lab Testing On Animals" to "Bring the World Cup to England" to "Stop the Evil Murdering Americans". 
Sheesh!   

Yes!

On my first move to the UK, it was during the Nixon administration, Watergate and all that stuff. So, I suppose, in a way I was saying Good riddance! We were pretty committed to staying in the UK because DH's job was there and his parents were getting on and more needy than mine. In the back of my mind I probably wanted to "try" the States again, especially as I had no chance of a job in my field. But having kids there won out in the end until my parents became the needy ones. (Moral: Never be an only child or marry one)

As for the "nuts", this from my hometown paper:

 "A woman called police Tuesday saying she felt threatened by a woman and two males handing out religious pamphlets on Main Street.
According to the police report, a woman said she found a religious pamphlet on her vehicle near Starbucks on Main Street.
The pamphlet, titled, “Mark of the beast, RFID” was about Radio Frequency Identification Technology — miniature computer chips, it read, that are embedded within electronics, retail goods, “livestock and human beings” so that the government can keep track of things. ...
The woman said she found the pamphlet offensive and tried to give it back to a woman and two males who had placed it on her vehicle.
She said when she did so the woman began following her down the street espousing her religious views, at which point she felt threatened and told the woman to leave her alone."

Needless to say, the police were unable to find the miscreants.

See, while I find the pamphleteers and the protesters, etc., annoying, they don't generally bother me as much.  I suppose it's because they're more or less equal-opportunity nuisances.  They think *everyone* is a Fornicator. :p

It's the one-on-one, I'm minding my own business and they approach me scenarios that I find much more upsetting.  Why me?  Back in my younger and more naive days, I used to try to reason with them.  Now I know better.  You can't have a reasonable discussion with someone who rejects logic and facts on point of principle.  The more reasonable you try to be, the more upset they get.  Especially if you use 'big words'.

Now I know better.  You can't have a reasonable discussion with someone who rejects logic and facts on point of principle.  The more reasonable you try to be, the more upset they get.  Especially if you use 'big words'. 

I have often wondered if it might not be worthwhile just to keep some pamphlets regarding the Flying Spaghetti Monster on me for this particular purpose.  Then at least we could exchange pamphlets. 

I don't like being cornered in either country.  In the US, I've had a woman (a stranger) on an internal domestic (connecting) flight, as people were still boarding the aircraft, turn around in her seat in front of mine - pop her head up to introduce herself to DH & me, start chatting about that she was one of the chaperones for a large group of teens all going on a church trip together, and ask us about our church home. 

And I've been held captive audience at the bus stop here (in the UK) by a Jehovahs Witness before.

Both equally unpleasant experiences.  However, that said, having spent a good bit of time in the American Midwestern & Southern states, based on my experiences - I do agree with those who say the evangelical proselytizing does tend to be more prevalent & public in the US than it is in the UK.

I have often wondered if it might not be worthwhile just to keep some pamphlets regarding the Flying Spaghetti Monster on me for this particular purpose.  Then at least we could exchange pamphlets. 

(applause!)

Go FSG! Now, if I became a pirate, not only could I reduce global warming, but I could make the creepy annoying ones walk the plank! Multitasking rocks! (BEG)

I have often wondered if it might not be worthwhile just to keep some pamphlets regarding the Flying Spaghetti Monster on me for this particular purpose.  Then at least we could exchange pamphlets. 

I don't like being cornered in either country.  In the US, I've had a woman (a stranger) on an internal domestic (connecting) flight, as people were still boarding the aircraft, turn around in her seat in front of mine - pop her head up to introduce herself to DH & me, start chatting about that she was one of the chaperones for a large group of teens all going on a church trip together, and ask us about our church home. 

And I've been held captive audience at the bus stop here (in the UK) by a Jehovahs Witness before.

Both equally unpleasant experiences.  However, that said, having spent a good bit of time in the American Midwestern & Southern states, based on my experiences - I do agree with those who say the evangelical proselytizing does tend to be more prevalent & public in the US than it is in the UK.

This is why, even when I didn't have a music-playing device, I still wore headphones on public transit and read a book. Maybe you could brush up your Spanish? How convincingly can you say "No hablo ingles"? You always run the risk of meeting someone who is actually fluent in Spanish but I figure the odds are a lot lower in the UK than in the US