That is, the people who try to stop you on the street and sign you up for a monthly charity payment.
It works, I believe, and I'm unsure as to whether it should exist at all or not - but it does make me furious when they persist.
I have uncharacteristically sworn and shouted at them on the street in the past for not respecting my initial polite 'no thanks', but now I'm taking a different tack - I reported an Amnesty International one recently for shouting 'AAAHHH, COME ONNNN!' at me after I'd clearly said no.
Amnesty (of which I am a member, by the way) sent me a huge email of apology and brought the chuggers in question in for a good long talk about respecting strangers on the street. I realise I'm not going to stop the practice, but I have at least improved that particular street of the city for other passersby; and I think I'll make it my own personal policy in future.
After all, it's not like these people are doing it voluntarily and out of compassion - it's a paid job for them.
Quote from: JayzusB.Christ on 15 June, 2018, 01:49:00 PM
I realise I'm not going to stop the practice, but I have at least improved that particular street of the city for other passersby; and I think I'll make it my own personal policy in future.
Someday a real rain'll come and wash ALL the scum off the streets!
Nah, they can be annoying so it's better to handle it that way than be nasty to them.
Some of them have gotten rather sarky and abusive with me when I told them no. I guess I bring out the best in people.
Quote from: I, Cosh on 15 June, 2018, 02:45:39 PM=
Nah, they can be annoying so it's better to handle it that way than be nasty to them.
After almost 4 years pounding these mean streets for a living, I have developed a baleful glare that strikes chuggers mute and drives them from my path. Clipboards without signatures, tabards damp with tears: these are pleasing words to me.
When I was actively involved in a charity I used to carry a donation form for said charity folded in my wallet for just such occasions. By the time I finally had a chugger say she'd reciprocate, the sodding form fell apart when I opened it.
Quote from: TordelBack on 15 June, 2018, 03:46:29 PM
Quote from: I, Cosh on 15 June, 2018, 02:45:39 PM=
Nah, they can be annoying so it's better to handle it that way than be nasty to them.
After almost 4 years pounding these mean streets for a living, I have developed a baleful glare that strikes chuggers mute and drives them from my path. Clipboards without signatures, tabards damp with tears: these are pleasing words to me.
What is best in life?
To crush your chuggers, see them driven before you, and her the lamentations of their charities!
Quote from: TordelBack on 15 June, 2018, 03:46:29 PM
Quote from: I, Cosh on 15 June, 2018, 02:45:39 PM=
Nah, they can be annoying so it's better to handle it that way than be nasty to them.
After almost 4 years pounding these mean streets for a living, I have developed a baleful glare that strikes chuggers mute and drives them from my path. Clipboards without signatures, tabards damp with tears: these are pleasing words to me.
:lol:
I remember reading on boards.ie of how some guy saw a chugger shouting abuse at a 14-year-old female relative (niece or cousin, can't remember) of his. He approached the chugger and made him call his supervisor on the spot; the chugger was soon fired. Sometimes, dreams come true.
The worst thing about these people is that they don't even work for the charity they are getting you sign up for, they are employed by an outsourcing company that approaches the charities & for a percentage of the donations or a set fee they employ the chuggers to sign people up on the charities behalf collecting for 3or4 different charities in different areas a week. I saw an advert for people to do this & they were offering a salary of between £14,000-£18,000 a year to do this. I don't condone them for doing this for a living as it can be seen in the same lines as the person on the street trying to get you to sign up to the AA, Sky or double glazing, it's the companies that are making a living from taking money away from the charities
So people who work for a charity are 'scum' are they? Charming. This is the kind of attitude that led to a person of my acquaintance (who, despite what rogue69 says did work for the charity in question) getting pushed into a busy road by a complete stranger (before anybody jumps to any conclusions - it was a passer-by who pushed my friend, not somebody who had been approached).
Just to combat other lies peddled by rogue69, the street fundraisers were paid a wage, not a commission. The charities are not having money taken away from them - why would they pay for fundraising if it didn't bring in any funds? That wouldn't make any kind of sense.
For those who think that getting paid to work for a charity is the worst thing in the world (usually at below-market rates, I might add) - if a charity wants to build a hospital, do you think the builders should donate all their time for free? How about the architects, electricians, plumbers, doctors, nurses, health care assistants, cleaners, etc?
street fundraising (https://fundraising.co.uk/2014/03/25/really-think-chuggers/)
Your points are all good ones Sheridan, but having someone moving to obstruct you while loudly berating you for ignoring them, selectively targeting single women and older people... these are not good things for a charity to be associated with. If they were beggars they'd be arrested for the kind of behaviour you see all the time.
Of course people are employed by charities (my wife has been for 20 years and thank feck for it), of course people get paid to fundraise (often on commission), of course I and I imagine most people here have shaken a bucket/pestered potential sponsors/sought signatures for a charity on many occasions (I've done it myself for Sightsavers, the WWF, Amnesty International and a couple of homeless charities, at the very least). I've no doubt there are good chuggers, who are committed to, or at the very least are an asset to, the causes they represent.
But. There are many chuggers that do little else but erode good will for their charities, and voluntary giving in general: that's indisputable.
Personally I'd get rid of many charities tomorrow and fund vital services through higher general taxation. The idea that children's hospices, homeless shelters and clean water projects depend on random acts of generosity solicited in the street... jeezus.
Aye, done something similar after a polite 'no thanks', one cad shouted, 'io you dropped something', I'd just taken my hand out my pocket so stopped and looked back, he then 'joked' about it... I had been late for work and was now even later, so went back: I'm a big bloke, but I'm out of shape.
I stood over him til I got his details and then report him to his allotted cher-ity...
Name rank and serial number, like bureaucrats it scares them when you start playing their game.... See Asterix and the tax office :lol:
Quote from: Proudhuff on 20 June, 2018, 04:46:49 PM
Aye, done something similar after a polite 'no thanks', one cad shouted, 'io you dropped something', I'd just taken my hand out my pocket so stopped and looked back, he then 'joked' about it... I had been late for work and was now even later, so went back: I'm a big bloke, but I'm out of shape.
I stood over him til I got his details and then report him to his allotted cher-ity...
I like, I like.
Quote from: sheridan on 20 June, 2018, 03:54:13 PM
For those who think that getting paid to work for a charity is the worst thing in the world [ .... ] do you think the builders should donate all their time for free? How about the architects, electricians, plumbers, doctors, nurses, health care assistants, cleaners, etc?
I have to be frank, I do agree with the core point here; those who are 'chugging' are providing a service in very much the same way. My personal issue is with the companies that a lot of charities seem to subcontract their fund-raising to. A whole sector has now evolved with the sole purpose of providing 'fund-raising' services that were once provided by volunteers.
I'm with Tordels in many respects, the evolution of the 'third-sector' is all about the state (and obliquely, those who support certain political parties) evading their obligation to the social contract. We are now nearly into the third decade of the 21st Century and we seem to be reverting to practices of earlier centuries rather than evolving new and more considerate / social / responsible practices. There are people in this country earning more than they could hope to spend in multiple lives at one extreme and at the other extreme, people who literally cannot provide a roof for themselves. Chuggers are a bit like using a sticking plaster on someone with fifth degree burns.
I had a supremely creepy one yesterday.
I was on my way home from work in Manchester Piccadilly and in the crowd one waved to catch my attention and pointed behind me. "I think you dropped something-" so obviously I stopped to see what I had dropped, but when I turned around confused I saw him standing in front of me with his hand out. "Thanks for stopping, nice of you, would you be up for signing on to Virgin medias new broadband plan?".
I didn't even stop to answer him, just slapped his hand away and much to my embarrassment in hindsight told him to go fuck himself at the top of my voice. I don't lose my temper often but i'd just finished a 12 hour shift, I was tired, humiliated and furious that anyone would pull a stunt like that just to sell an overpriced broadband package.
Quote from: Hawkmumbler on 21 June, 2018, 12:35:12 PM
I had a supremely creepy one yesterday.
I was on my way home from work in Manchester Piccadilly and in the crowd one waved to catch my attention and pointed behind me. "I think you dropped something-" so obviously I stopped to see what I had dropped, but when I turned around confused I saw him standing in front of me with his hand out. "Thanks for stopping, nice of you, would you be up for signing on to Virgin medias new broadband plan?".
So not anything to do with a charity then? Odious term anyway, I refuse to use it.
Yeah but close enough not to warrant a fresh thread. Charity, corporate stooges, whatever. Just don't pull dirty tricks to try and push your agenda on me in public.
I have discovered an effective defense from these chuggers, or in Hawks case Human Pop-up Ads. Headphones. Not the little ear buds, I'm talking about big cans*. You don't even have to be listening to anything, just having them on is enough to stop randomers hassling you. Also being familiar with their usual haunts around the city centre, I have, on occasions when I find myself without my big cans**, pretended to be having a serious argument on my phone. Charity wise, I have volunteered at Marie Curie shops, and the wee boxs at the till/at the bar get the majority of my loose change. One time, they were offering wee bags of sweets for every pound donated in my local. I gave them the pound and didn't even take the sweets. I'm telling ye lads, Benny better canonise me when we visits Ireland soon.
*stop it, you!
**seriously now, that's enough!
"I applaud your dedication to the charity of your fellow man. In return, allow me to introduce you to the Wonder that is Jesus! Did you know that... Wait, where are you going? Come back! The Love of our Lord awaits you!"
hmmm, remind me to carry copies of FutureQuake so I may try a variation of this...
Quote from: The Legendary Shark on 22 June, 2018, 04:42:11 PM
"I applaud your dedication to the charity of your fellow man. In return, allow me to introduce you to the Wonder that is Jesus! Did you know that... Wait, where are you going? Come back! The Love of our Lord awaits you!"
I'm DEFINITELY trying this one!