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From: loquismo@aimnet.com (Bryan Cowan)
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
Subject: Visiting the San Francisco Org
Date: 30 Aug 1995 01:18:46 GMT
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I once posted basically the same thing as *Close Encounters of the Clam
Kind*, but nobody responded so...

The San Francisco org is in a once beautiful (before all the Dianetics
banners) five story postfire office building at 83 McAllister Street
(corner of Leavenworth, just off United Nations Plaza) that was originally
built in late 1906 for the Methodist Book Concern. (One can still see the
letters *M B C* on the cornice.) I went in there to pick up a copy of
Dianetics so I could read Hubbard's stuff for myself. (This was after
getting acquainted with alt.religion.scientology.) Sure enough, they sat
me down to take a personality test. I put my real address on the test
because I was planning to move soon anyway. The test was taken in a lobby
area in front of what were once display windows, now showing clam
propaganda. On the other side was a cheap bookcase holding Hubbard's
writings. I sat at a cheap table in a cheap office chair. The test is 200
questions. Answers were entered into a PC sitting with screen turned away
from the lobby area, facing a wall. After getting the *results*, a clam
took me in back, behind the lobby area, to *discuss* the test.
Suprisingly, the area, which was once a bookstore, is largely intact, with
all original mouldings and a curved Edwardian postfire style ceiling
soaring at least 20 feet above our heads. The perimeter is ringed with
small cubicles made with portable office dividers, with about three desks
down the middle. A gold painted E-meter is prominently displayed,
apparently an award of some sort from the Sea Org, but looking like a
cheap prop from a bad 1950's science fiction movie. Copy of Dianetics in
hand, I sat down to have my personality explained. Test results were not
suprising. All bad, and nothing I couldn't have guessed myself. Gave
halting, short answers to personal questions. Got anti-medicine lecture
after admitting I see a psychiatrist and take psychiatric drugs. The clam
tried to sell me a *Dianetics home study course* for $25. I anticipated
this, and had only brought enough to pay for the book. He kept insisting
(even offering to drive me back to my place to get the money) until I said
I was late meeting some friends. Clam said to read Dianetics, we'll call
you later, and let me go. Curiously enough, it's been three weeks, and no
calls from the clams.

ÿ