<p>Recently (and also last year around this time), I've run into people (teen or college age, they do not appear to be UCLA students) on Bruin Walk on weekends, asking people if they want to go to a "party" to socialize in downtown LA. Last year around this time I ran into these people too. Last year when I talked to one of them, they asked me for my phone number, and I refused.</p>
<p>What's the deal with these solicitations? Is it some kind of scam? Or some other nefarious purpose?</p>
<p>Maybe you just look like an easy victim?</p>
<p>I think they’re religious groups (the ones I ran into were from a Baptist church) that want more members and they usually go for the lonely types who might like some new friends. Seems pretty harmless…except they avoid telling you what kind of organization they are part of and you might feel tricked if you decide to show up to the party and realize it’s just a church social.
If you’re not interested, don’t give your contact info because I had them calling me three weekends in a row inviting me to dinner and “parties”, and they don’t like taking no for an answer. ><</p>
<p>The closest I’ve come to that situation is while walking on the Santa Monica promenade. </p>
<p>Some hippy chick with messed up teeth asked me</p>
<p>“Hey are you 21?!”
Me: “Nope”
Her: “You’re not 21?!..Bummer!”</p>
<p>^Some random chick near UCLA asked me</p>
<p>Her: “Hey you 18?”
Me: Not yet. Why?
Her: “Aww…nevermind.”</p>
<p>What lartic77 said.</p>
<p>Hmm I remember running into a woman during the Festival of Books weekend who asked me and my friend the exact same thing. Funny thing was we’re both Christian and we had also just come back from church and were checking out the Festival of Books. As a Christian, I totally condemn what they’re doing as it’s not only extremely shady, but dishonest as suggests they’re tricking students to go to a church social. There are better ways to reach out to people and this is certainly not it.</p>
<p>I gave one of them my phone numbers and never picked up a call. I feel bad.</p>
<p>It is a church and it’s not a “party”. They say the church is near USC, and in the past few years they have been asking people at malls in the San Gabriel Valley area. Now they are at UCLA?</p>
<p>I don’t think they are using the right approach to bring people to church. Evangelism doesn’t work by pulling non-believers to come to a “party”.</p>