Bloody Charity Collectors...
Discussion
They are back - in Northumberland Street Newcastle.
Won't mention the charity but there are hoards of the buggers.
Northumberland street is a busy pedestrianized main shopping street for the city. I have to walk down it every day to go to work.
There they are. The charity seems only to employ uber cheery middle class back packer types who weave in front of you grinning like idiots, making you swerve, they walk along side you match your speed and just cheerily hassle the arse off you.
I was stopped three times along this street in one walk yesterday. My responses went from "No thanks" to "f
k off you bearded tt" to the last one who looned up to me grinning like a half fked doing stupid mock robot moves.
When I challened one once about where the money went and about corruption in West Africa meaniing their well intentioned money probably went to war lords, he told me he knew nothing about that and didn't want to talk about it.
I am all for charity - this charity does good work. I really think the way they collect does them harm.
And my pint it? Dunno, just wanted to rant. If you got this far, cheers for reading.
Won't mention the charity but there are hoards of the buggers.
Northumberland street is a busy pedestrianized main shopping street for the city. I have to walk down it every day to go to work.
There they are. The charity seems only to employ uber cheery middle class back packer types who weave in front of you grinning like idiots, making you swerve, they walk along side you match your speed and just cheerily hassle the arse off you.
I was stopped three times along this street in one walk yesterday. My responses went from "No thanks" to "f
k off you bearded tt" to the last one who looned up to me grinning like a half fked doing stupid mock robot moves.When I challened one once about where the money went and about corruption in West Africa meaniing their well intentioned money probably went to war lords, he told me he knew nothing about that and didn't want to talk about it.
I am all for charity - this charity does good work. I really think the way they collect does them harm.
And my pint it? Dunno, just wanted to rant. If you got this far, cheers for reading.
There was quite a long thread on this a while ago. Basic conclusion is that not many people like them and only a very small amount of the money collected actually gets the the people that it is supposed to get to.
This may sound horrifically harsh but I do not give to african aid type charities because the famine/wars/disease etc is natures way of saying there are too many people (maybe not wars) Essentially its natural selection and I think it is wrong to artificially support a massive population. I doubt very much that the problems in Africa can be solved by throwing money at them.
This may sound horrifically harsh but I do not give to african aid type charities because the famine/wars/disease etc is natures way of saying there are too many people (maybe not wars) Essentially its natural selection and I think it is wrong to artificially support a massive population. I doubt very much that the problems in Africa can be solved by throwing money at them.
Good intentions are noble enough. But I agree that the methods and "Quentins" they use to do the job have me muttering under my breath before they even sidle up to me -having spotted my sunglasses on a summer's day before starting off with:
Quentin: "Heyyyyy! Mr Cooool!
Me: "What?"
Quentin: "Looking cool there! -Have you got a teeny minute to talk to me?"
Me: "You're going to try to get me to sign up to a direct debit aren't you?"
Quentin: "Er...no. Er...its a standing order actually."
Me: [sighs audibly] "Go on then, give me the 'pitch'.
Quentin: "Well the reason we're here today is that w..."
Me: "Can I stop you there? -I've limited money to spend. How do I know you're going to deliver the best programme of work for the money?"
Quentin: "Er...wh..."
Me: "There will be other charities out there trying to do the same good work as you. But they might be working more efficiently, or understand the root causes of the problems better, or have a better relationship with the local government."
Quentin: "Um...I..."
Me: "...you see I have to ask these questions because otherwise it just feels like I'm the object of hard sell, exploiting my sense of social awkwardness and guilt in the street environment. So how can I compare your methods and outcomes against others?"
Quentin: "If you were to take a look at our website y..."
Me: "The internet! Excellent. So if its convenient to me I'll sit down and consider the facts in my own time and come to a considered decision free from pressure or someone standing over me? Sounds ideal. B'bye then!"
Quentin: "Heyyyyy! Mr Cooool!
Me: "What?"
Quentin: "Looking cool there! -Have you got a teeny minute to talk to me?"
Me: "You're going to try to get me to sign up to a direct debit aren't you?"
Quentin: "Er...no. Er...its a standing order actually."
Me: [sighs audibly] "Go on then, give me the 'pitch'.
Quentin: "Well the reason we're here today is that w..."
Me: "Can I stop you there? -I've limited money to spend. How do I know you're going to deliver the best programme of work for the money?"
Quentin: "Er...wh..."
Me: "There will be other charities out there trying to do the same good work as you. But they might be working more efficiently, or understand the root causes of the problems better, or have a better relationship with the local government."
Quentin: "Um...I..."
Me: "...you see I have to ask these questions because otherwise it just feels like I'm the object of hard sell, exploiting my sense of social awkwardness and guilt in the street environment. So how can I compare your methods and outcomes against others?"
Quentin: "If you were to take a look at our website y..."
Me: "The internet! Excellent. So if its convenient to me I'll sit down and consider the facts in my own time and come to a considered decision free from pressure or someone standing over me? Sounds ideal. B'bye then!"
It's their opening lines that get me.
The other day, in York with my OH:
Chugger: 'Heyyyyy - the lovers with the smily faces'
Me: 'No thanks'
The other day, in Beverley:
Chugger (rough, chavvy type): 'Give us some of your ice-cream'
Me: 'Err, No'
A good way to get around them, (if there's a few of them about) is to explain to them that you've just spoke to one of their mates down the street, and just made a donation/direct debit or whatever.
The other day, in York with my OH:
Chugger: 'Heyyyyy - the lovers with the smily faces'
Me: 'No thanks'
The other day, in Beverley:
Chugger (rough, chavvy type): 'Give us some of your ice-cream'
Me: 'Err, No'
A good way to get around them, (if there's a few of them about) is to explain to them that you've just spoke to one of their mates down the street, and just made a donation/direct debit or whatever.
cobra kid said:
I was walking up Fargate in Sheffield to go register my dads death at the registrars office, the guy stepped in front of me, looked at my face and told me to cheer up! Sadly, the red mist descended and he got both verbal barrels I'm afraid.
Christ mate that's terrible I wish that had happened when I went to register my old man's death a few years ago. (He had no time for stuff like that. I remember him berrating a "monk" who stopped him. He knew a lot about religion and gave the beldy tt both barrels.) I'd have loved the opportunity to sput off in my old man's memory.
A year or so ago we were having a very tough time at work. I was walking along the street when some hairy freckled jolly judith looned up to me making exaggerated frowning faces.
It really makes me sick.
Whatever happened to some nice person with a plastic money box and a sheet of stickers? I'd always put cash in those.
I think the big charities are bad becasue they use their large resources to push smaller charities out of the way.
Why in Newcaslte shold I give a toss about Africa? I'd rather help the Sally Army which does great work in this city. Or the PDSA which helps animals. Or the Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade which saves lives every year in my home town. You don't see them out hassling the arse out of shoppers, taking the piss etc.
One asked me how much I drank. He said all he wanted for his charity wad the price of a pint of beer each week. Maybe thats the answer, send beer to africa, get them all pissed up and they'll all have a smashing time! Gets my vote.
markh1 said:
This may sound horrifically harsh but I do not give to african aid type charities because the famine/wars/disease etc is natures way of saying there are too many people (maybe not wars) Essentially its natural selection and I think it is wrong to artificially support a massive population. I doubt very much that the problems in Africa can be solved by throwing money at them.
I remember listening to a radio program about difficulties in Africa. The chap being interviewed was saying he was finding it hard to provide for his wife and ten children. 10!! Did he not think they should stop having children when food was scarce?JJCW said:
markh1 said:
This may sound horrifically harsh but I do not give to african aid type charities because the famine/wars/disease etc is natures way of saying there are too many people (maybe not wars) Essentially its natural selection and I think it is wrong to artificially support a massive population. I doubt very much that the problems in Africa can be solved by throwing money at them.
I remember listening to a radio program about difficulties in Africa. The chap being interviewed was saying he was finding it hard to provide for his wife and ten children. 10!! Did he not think they should stop having children when food was scarce?
southendpier said:
JJCW said:
markh1 said:
This may sound horrifically harsh but I do not give to african aid type charities because the famine/wars/disease etc is natures way of saying there are too many people (maybe not wars) Essentially its natural selection and I think it is wrong to artificially support a massive population. I doubt very much that the problems in Africa can be solved by throwing money at them.
I remember listening to a radio program about difficulties in Africa. The chap being interviewed was saying he was finding it hard to provide for his wife and ten children. 10!! Did he not think they should stop having children when food was scarce?k up and let you talk short of gagging them....Mattygooner said:
They come in to my pub, ask for change and when i say no they get all arsey.
"But you get a lollipop"
"thanks, but as good as drumsticks are they don't go very well with Timothy fking Taylor do they?"
Are you sure they weren't paedophiles. My mother always warned me about accepting sweets from strangers - paedophiles she called them."But you get a lollipop"
"thanks, but as good as drumsticks are they don't go very well with Timothy f
king Taylor do they?"rhinochopig said:
Mattygooner said:
They come in to my pub, ask for change and when i say no they get all arsey.
"But you get a lollipop"
"thanks, but as good as drumsticks are they don't go very well with Timothy fking Taylor do they?"
Are you sure they weren't paedophiles. My mother always warned me about accepting sweets from strangers - paedophiles she called them."But you get a lollipop"
"thanks, but as good as drumsticks are they don't go very well with Timothy f
king Taylor do they?"Dupont666 said:
southendpier said:
JJCW said:
markh1 said:
This may sound horrifically harsh but I do not give to african aid type charities because the famine/wars/disease etc is natures way of saying there are too many people (maybe not wars) Essentially its natural selection and I think it is wrong to artificially support a massive population. I doubt very much that the problems in Africa can be solved by throwing money at them.
I remember listening to a radio program about difficulties in Africa. The chap being interviewed was saying he was finding it hard to provide for his wife and ten children. 10!! Did he not think they should stop having children when food was scarce?k up and let you talk short of gagging them....Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff