My name is Marco, I’m 34, and I live in an apartment complex in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For the most part, the place is pretty quiet. Nothing dramatic ever really happens here.
Except for the mysterious religious pamphlet situation.
About two months ago I came out to my car one morning and found a small folded pamphlet tucked under my windshield wiper. It had one of those “Have you found the truth?” messages on the front with a bunch of scripture quotes inside.
I assumed someone had walked through the parking lot putting them on every car.
No big deal.
I threw it away and went to work.
The next week, it happened again.
Another pamphlet. Different design, same general message.
Then it happened the following week.
And the week after that.
Every few days I’d come out to my car and find another religious flyer sitting neatly under the wiper like some kind of spiritual parking ticket.
At first I ignored it. But after about six weeks it started to feel less like random outreach and more like someone had chosen my car specifically.
Eventually I got curious and started paying closer attention to the parking lot.
One afternoon I happened to be walking back from the mailbox when I saw my neighbor from the next building moving from car to car placing pamphlets under the wipers.
Mystery solved.
He seemed like a nice enough guy — always polite when we passed each other — but apparently his hobby involved converting the entire apartment complex one windshield at a time.
Now, I respect people’s right to believe whatever they want. But repeatedly leaving religious materials on someone else’s car without asking felt a little pushy.
So today I decided to respond.
Not aggressively.
Just… creatively.
You see, I collect Pokémon cards. Nothing too serious, just a small stack of duplicates and older cards I don’t really use.
This morning when I saw another pamphlet under my windshield, I carefully folded it, set it aside, and built my reply.
Using a handful of Pokémon cards, I arranged them under his windshield wiper in a neat little display.
Each card was placed in a way that spelled out a simple message:
PLEASE
STOP
THANK
YOU
The words were surrounded by random Pokémon like Pikachu, Charmander, and Squirtle, which I admit gave the note a slightly chaotic energy.
I stepped back, admired my work, and went about my day.
When I came home this evening, the Pokémon message was gone.
And for the first time in two months…
There was no pamphlet on my windshield.
I’m not saying the Pokémon cards solved the situation permanently.
But if the pamphlets start appearing again, I have plenty of duplicates left.
And I’m fully prepared to escalate the situation to holographic Charizard diplomacy if necessary.