Ban chuggers?

Milk & Honey

I stare them in the eye, say "no thanks" and keep walking purposefully in a straight line, through the chugger if necessary. They can stand around in the street till hell freezes over, for all I care.

Charl0tte

I really can't stand them. It's fine and well if these people are doing something good for charity, but they're putting people under pressure to give when they can barely afford it themselves. I give when I can afford it, be it through change, clothes or whatever else I have to give to the charity shops. I genuinely couldn't do any more than that, because if I could I would. They're deliberately aggressive. Strong personalities are hard to dodge, especially when they stand in your path. Bring on the ban I say.

OldNotWIse

Charl0tte wrote: »

I really can't stand them. It's fine and well if these people are doing something good for charity, but they're putting people under pressure to give when they can barely afford it themselves. I give when I can afford it, be it through change, clothes or whatever else I have to give to the charity shops. I genuinely couldn't do any more than that, because if I could I would. They're deliberately aggressive. Strong personalities are hard to dodge, especially when they stand in your path. Bring on the ban I say.

Yup, and their ridiculous smarmy, over-friendly attitude - drives me spare. It's like, "Ok, you dont know me, stop talking to me. Please do not interupt me when I am clearly trying to get from A to B and also obviously having a conversation with my friend" - thats it, so help me God the next chugger I come across will be sorry they ever invaded my personal space!!!

I first encountered a chugger when I moved to Dublin to attend college several years ago. Being from semi-rural Galway I'd never came across one before, so I was a little taken aback by my first confrontation. I think she worked for Trócaire, or perhaps Focus Ireland — I'm not sure, over the next few months I bumped into so many of them that the sum total of their annoyance is blended into one memory. Before I knew it, before I realised what I was doing, I was filling out a form on a clipboard giving her my details. I didn't, though. I filled in a friend's details, giving his name, address, phone number, email address, and so on, and told her to ring "me" later on that evening so I could give her my bank account details. Needless to say my friend was quite surprised when he received a call asking for his details, and was somewhat startled and perplexed over how the caller had managed to gather so much information about him. I used this tactic several more times, always giving the same friend's name, and pledging to give extremely generous monthly donations (two or three times higher than what was requested). Eventually this became too time consuming and, after building up a tough enough skin to ignore their platitudes and smarmy, ingratiating attitude, I just started to blank their advances, often with my hand, and continue walking.

I felt slightly guilty for this — especially for wasting their time giving false information. I thought they were all volunteers. Now, with the knowledge that many receive commission or other forms of payment, I might revert back to my old tactic and waste a little more time.

Feathers

gvn wrote: »

I felt slightly guilty for this — especially for wasting their time giving false information. I thought they were all volunteers. Now, with the knowledge that many receive commission or other forms of payment, I might revert back to my old tactic and waste a little more time.

Think you forgot to put quotation marks around the word friend. You felt more guilty about wasting these guys' time rather than harassing your mate? You're worse than the chuggers, they're trying to talk to strangers while they're out & about — you're giving out personal details of people you know & the chuggers will be extra pushy as they think they nearly have a sale.

Feathers

Feathers wrote: »

Think you forgot to put quotation marks around the word friend. You felt more guilty about wasting these guys' time rather than harassing your mate? You're worse than the chuggers, they're trying to talk to strangers while they're out & about — you're giving out personal details of people you know & the chuggers will be extra pushy as they think they nearly have a sale.

I think calling it harassment might be a little hyperbolic. It was a joke — clearly understood as such by my friend (this friend being one who has done similar things to me in the past). A sort of running, reciprocal joke. That it wasted the chuggers' time is irrelevant at worst and a good thing at best; that it was a humorous annoyance to a friend of mine is no concern of yours. So your self-righteous, faux-indignant accusation of me being "worse than the chuggers" is unwelcome, erroneous and exaggerated.

Feathers

gvn wrote: »

I think calling it harassment might be a little hyperbolic. It was a joke — clearly understood as such by my friend (this friend being one who has done similar things to me in the past). A sort of running, reciprocal joke. That it wasted the chuggers' time is irrelevant at worst and a good thing at best; that it was a humorous annoyance to a friend of mine is no concern of yours. So your self-righteous, faux-indignant accusation of me being "worse than the chuggers" is unwelcome, erroneous and exaggerated.

Obviously not talking about the legal definition of harassment, so you can save your faux-unwelcomingness for my faux-indignation Think you've read my tone more strongly that I've written it. Still though, giving the same friends details every time is pushing it.

When Meteor starting doing free texts, one of my mates thought it would be funny to fill my inbox with texts, so I couldn't get any messages — sent me about 100 messages. I must've sent him about 3000 back — If I were him, I'd be planning something

Feathers

Feathers wrote: »

Obviously not talking about the legal definition of harassment, so you can save your faux-unwelcomingness for my faux-indignation Think you've read my tone more strongly that I've written it. Still though, giving the same friends details every time is pushing it.

When Meteor starting doing free texts, one of my mates thought it would be funny to fill my inbox with texts, so I couldn't get any messages — sent me about 100 messages. I must've sent him about 3000 back — If I were him, I'd be planning something

I'm sorry — I did take you up wrong. It's been a long day and my meter for sensing sincerity and humour isn't functioning all too well. I believe I gave his details 3 times, after which it became old — both for me and for him. He got me back in the end, though, just like you got your friend back; he signed me up for several newsletters and free magazines, delivered by post and sent to my home address in my name, that were ... not exactly suitable for parental viewing, let's just say. All in the name of fun, I guess.

Anyway, we better not drag this thread off-topic, I'm sure that doing so is frowned upon in these parts.

DeltaWhite

The only Charity I support is anything to do with cancer. 6 members of my family have either had, or died from various types of cancer and I myself will probably be looking at the same fate in a few years. (so my doctor tells me) So basically when I get one of these people coming running up to me even with my earphones in or I'm on the phone, I literally tell them the above and their faces drop ha

Some dont even give a toss, they just keep rambling and I dismiss them and walk off. But mostly I just tell them that I never EVER give my bank details to anyone, ever. But I have to say those chuggers p*ss me off with their overbearing, fake friendly behaviour. Running up and shouting in peoples faces is not the way to go...

OldNotWIse

DeltaWhite wrote: »

The only Charity I support is anything to do with cancer. 6 members of my family have either had, or died from various types of cancer and I myself will probably be looking at the same fate in a few years. (so my doctor tells me) So basically when I get one of these people coming running up to me even with my earphones in or I'm on the phone, I literally tell them the above and their faces drop ha

Some dont even give a toss, they just keep rambling and I dismiss them and walk off. But mostly I just tell them that I never EVER give my bank details to anyone, ever. But I have to say those chuggers p*ss me off with their overbearing, fake friendly behaviour. Running up and shouting in peoples faces is not the way to go...

So sorry to hear that, its such an awful fear to have to live with

You know another thing I wonder about (though maybe not strictly related to the chugger issue) - there is an increasing number of people going around pubs now with clipboards, claiming to be from some charity to supprt x,y or z and asking for people to sponsor them. I have not heard of any of these charities and (maybe I am being cynical) I wonder if these are genuine? We were approached by a woman claiming to be collecting for some local community depression support group (one which I would support as I have a very good friend and also a close family member who suffer from depression) and when a member of our group told her that she suffered from depression, the woman was completely stuck for words and mumbled something before rushing off

DeltaWhite

I agree ^^^ definitely some risky business going on, good few people have knocked on my door and look for money for their "Charity" but cant show me any ID, just a print out of some BS that I havent the time or compassion to read but I dont trust them wont be gettin money off me!!