"Hey, Got a second for (insert name of cause/charity here)?": The Solicitation Gauntlet

Also, I find there can be far more annoying people/things on the streets of NYC to worry about than some dork in a yellow shirt with a clipboard that I can just walk around, usually.

xpost

yeah, how annoying is it to have to ignore someone?

Well, unless you actively don't notice them or fail to hear them when they speak out to you, you're making a conscious decision to ignore them (i.e. saying nothing, not even meeting their eyes). That in itself is an action.

if I'm getting hassled on the street, which is pretty rare, I'm sad to say it's usually been by someone homeless asking for money.

it puts you on the defensive. i just don't think it's right. i can ignore them easily enough but i find the practice a bit ethically suspect. and it's not like these are ambulance chasers -- this is a charity!

If I cared about the rainforest, I'd come to them. As for poor people... well they have an excuse. Although, there is NOTHING to make me feel less sorry for a Big Issue seller like the ones who act all insulted when I say "no thanks" rather than "sorry, haven't got any change". I mean... you ARE selling a PRODUCT here aren't you? This is a capitalist system? You're not BEGGING are you? No. Moron.

I do. But I'd rather use the attention I have to make sure I get where I'm going and I don't get mugged.

http://www.snapfastener.com/images/AG6309.jpg

On the odd occasion that I've still been accosted, I smile and say "Sorry, got to meet the others - we're raising money for (insert name of needier cause/charity here)".

I didn't know there were degrees of attention in that sense. When I go out, I avoid shady characters of all types (even ones with clipboards), dogshit on the pavement, etc., etc.

Zealot5 : Excuse me, we'd like you to have this flower ( Kramer
punches the man )
Zealot6 : Excuse me sir, would you . . . ( Kramer pushes him out
of the way )
Zealot7 : Donations for the Reverend Moon? ( Kramer punches him )
Zealot8 : Jews for Jesus? ( Crack ! ) Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...
Zealot9 : Read about Jehovah's witness? ( Kramer kicks him )
Zealt10 : How about Buddhism? ( Whack! )
Zealt11 : Help Jerry's kids? ( punch! )
Zealt12 : Scientology?
Zealt13 : Avoid nuclear power? ( Bap ! Bop ! )

yeah, but Stence....are any of us suggesting otherwise? We're not talking about serious social ills, we're talking about a fucking nuisance. There's kinda a lot of real estate between those two scenarios.

then again, i have always had BIG issues with total strangers invading my personal space. though it's nice to know that i'm NOT the only one.

Typing is barely expending energy, Stence. When I'm GENUINELY upset or trying to impart something that is important to me, you'll be able to figure it out.

Seriously, to do so would be stooping to their level. To acknowledge them to that extent pays them too much of a compliment.

It is really remarkably easy to just say "No thank you" and walk on -- anyone with basic human interaction skills can do that. Canvassers are not going to mug you!

Getting new members through canvassing (going door-to-door or getting people on the street) is by and large the only way these progressive groups get new members, get money, and survive, so if you're against these groups canvassing, then you're against these groups existing and getting anything done. Canvassing is a difficult, poor-paying, sometimes scary, and incredibly important job.

It was a hugely long, trying day. The wife and myself were struggling home with our two little kids (ages 5 and 3), just trying to get home and start the dinner/bathtime/bedtime process. Once again, on the VERY SAME STRIP OF REAL ESTATE on University Place, two clipboard-wielding guys from Save the Children get right up in our face (oblivious to the fact that we clearly have our hands full with two irritable little kids). The guys is already fully into his shpiel when I simply say "I can't." "YES YOU CAN," he counters, still walking in my path. "I SAID I CAN'T," I retort, now finally passing him. "You can but YOU WON'T!" he shouts back to us.

Once again, is antagonism really the best way to solicit charity?

In London charities have started getting attractive girls (and probably guys) with no obvious charity mugger trapping to come up and start talking to people in the street

Yeah, they're doing this out here as well. Weird. "You look like a man who knows what he's doing" was the opening line. I was looking around to see who she talking to.

Later I saw her and her gang (all attractive twenty something hipster types) all gathered together having a mini pep rally in the middle of the street. Punching the air and whooping, like some kind of religious thing. All very odd.

"Sorry, I'm pro poverty/child abuse/homelessness/whatever-bullshit-cause-they're-foisting-upon-you"

"You look like a man who knows what he's doing" was the opening line.

I'd have the perfect comeback for that -- "sorry, I don't have a fucking clue" -- because it would be true.

I have another perfect comeback for that - FUCK YOU.

Not that I'd actually say it of course.

Schadenfreude, possibly minus the schaden

These fuckers are but one of the reasons why headphones are a must-have accessory for city living. "What? Sorry, I can't hear you over all this Roger Miller. Sorry."

SuperLOL @ 'I always wear a luminous tabard and carry a clipboard'

At the request of the Humane Society of P______ County, the community service committee will be collecting coats and other winter outerwear for HSPC employees. They need coats, sweaters, hats, scarves and gloves in all sizes. We'll also be collecting children's outerwear, as many of the HSPC employees have families.

Wait, what? We're supposed to bring our old coats not for the general poor and needy, but for the people who work at the Humane Society? I get that it gets cold out there in the winter when they're taking the dogs out, but for their families too?

I'm supposed to make a charitable donation to people who donate their time for charity? Yo dawg, we heard you like charities… Wouldn't giving our winterwear to Coats For Kids or even Goodwill be a better route to helping those who need some extra help?

What am i missing.

Are they volunteer employees? Or maybe they get dirty working with the animals? Maybe they don't want to bring dog and cat hair home?

On the subject, I was approached by Human Rights Campaign, but they were nice and actually told me about legislation, I mean they had something of substance to say and seemed to genuinely care about their cause. Depends on if the people are "going through the motions". I said I am an enthusiastic supporter of HRC and have given to them in the past, but can't commit right now. They were nice. I wished them luck and moved on. I mean, if you talk to enough people about your cause it should bring in some dollars, dollars needed to change discriminatory laws and so forth.

I was alarmed at how much money the anti-gay groups get!!

redirecting from footy thread heading way off course

i had a massive argument with anti-fur people outside a vintage shop before. i tore the guy to shreds, he was left with nothing. they were basically abusing anyone shopping there because it sold second-hand fur.

what did you say to them

i just established that he did tons of unethical shopping and that just because he cared more about animals it didn't mean that didn't matter. i also found the fact it was a second-hand shop a bit weird, like isn't it better to reuse the fur after the animal has already been harmed? surely that stops the demand for more? he didn't really seem to have a satisfactory answer for this but i assume there must be some counter-argument.

it's not even that i disagreed with him, just that i think self-righteously abusing people and intimidating them is bullshit, they were pretty much verbally attacking and surrounding anyone who so much as walked in or out of the shop.

it's not even that i disagreed with him, just that i think self-righteously abusing people and intimidating them is bullshit,

offline, it is, sure

yeah if you're gonna do that have the courtesy not to do it to someone's face.

otm

always feel a little guilty when i hate a cause i'd be vaguely sympathetic towards just cos of its supporters

There's def a specific argument around vintage/second-hand -- wtf was he doing there with no answer to that

they were outside brown thomas last christmas and the accent rendered their chant of 'fur trade? death trade!' (question mark my own) into the rather more revolutionary slogan FOR TRADE DEBT TRADE and i kinda had them figured as another bunch altogether

There's def a specific argument around vintage/second-hand -- wtf was he doing there with no answer to that

what is it? promotes the wearing of fur generally?

similar argument about not legalizing second hand ivory trade iirc

but as far as i know minks aren't endangered

don't talk to me about minks

side questions: is it necessary to run a successful voluntary like a successful business? and does a business-like approach to campaigning create the impression that the cause you're advocating is only a means of earning a living for its advocates?

i.e. "the [so-and-so] rights industry"?

is it necessary to run a successful voluntary like a successful business?

i don't know- never worked for a voluntary. working public sector, and using that as an analogy, then it's not only often unnecessary but it can be damned well toxic and counterproductive to conform to 'businesslike' notions and ideals (yr focus on deliverables, efficiency, streamlining etc) in an undertaking with a different focus than profit (or, that possibly not always being a fair limitation, an enterprise where the end result is not a product)

and does a business-like approach to campaigning create the impression that the cause you're advocating is only a means of earning a living for its advocates?

yeah, it can do i think. and, the contrasting view, that running it unlike a business or in an unprofessional manner opens you to criticisms of inefficiency or that you're doing it as a hobby or w/e.

should people be paid for working for a charity? should it be a full-time job? when somebody can bring in money, attention, what have you, worth more than they cost to employ or engage, is that the only consideration? all that.

yeah when people tell me "i don't like such-and-such a charity cos of all these big salaries they pay their executives" i'm broadly sympathetic but at the same time it's not just about collecting buckets of money and chucking them at yr brave supportees. there's probably a vast middle ground between business-like ruthlessness and being a complete shambles and i feel like by adopting business mentalities a lot of groups have saddled themselves with terrible management but this is sweeping again isn't it.

the bottom line is i'm the kind of person who says "shit is complicated" but lots of people like it to be nice and simple maybe

i can't figure out, most days. if it's good to have the right reason for not giving to charity or not.

should people be paid for working for a charity? should it be a full-time job?

in my ignorance, these seems to me to be kinda important questions, but idk why.

i think they are, but like i said on the other thread a lot of charities never seem to think about why they're doing what they're doing, they just rush around doing their unreflective thing

it's actually boggling the amount of people in london who work for charities. it must be quite a big part of the economy. almost always girls too ime.

it can be damned well toxic and counterproductive to conform to 'businesslike' notions and ideals (yr focus on deliverables, efficiency, streamlining etc) in an undertaking with a different focus than profit (or, that possibly not always being a fair limitation, an enterprise where the end result is not a product)

I've only ever worked in public sector and I would say to focus on efficiency, streamlining and deliverables is not only reasonable but the only way to go. doesn't matter if the end result is not a product. public and third sector bodies have aims and objectives which are proxies for products. and they are given money by the state/donors and those ppl increasingly expect to see that their money is being spent wisely.

spending wisely always equates to efficiency, streamlining and deliverables? the public shd be micromanaging their tax contributions and charitable donations?

also there may be some forms of "product" which are not interchangeable with "commodities". also are you assuming businesses do and/or should adopt the most efficient means of maximizing profit? also what's the equivalent of profit - not output - in non-profit making enterprises?

i'll grant you all of that, i guess, with the proviso that in housing (my area) the entire gamut exists because it would not work as a business and this changes a lot of the dynamic.

it comes down to the definition of the targets and aims.

the people who want to tell me, most of the time, how they would like to see their money spent ever more wisely tend towards the 'there is no need for public housing', for instance. granted, again, that this is no reason to throw planning and efficiency to the winds, but they're great things in small doses ime.

don't think we're allowing for how competition operates outside of the private sector either

has anyone noticed increased instances of people doing sponsored activities and sending messages out into the ether that reference a death as a reason they're doing whatever the thing is?

i mean... it just seems kind of rude to me. if you mailed some friends who knew you and knew about the death - but i mean on massive office all-in emails, or on social media.

can't help but feel there's something unsavoury about this.

Theyre milking it kind of thing?

Seems a bit harsh, but i get what you mean alright, 'my mum died, pls give'

why aren't these in GTA V

Thanks mate, i gtav already

Canvassers can fuck right off, but more importantly Grassr00ts C4mpa1gns can just die in a fire

Fortunately I have no more qualms about striding briskly past a canvasser hassling me than I do a crust punk hassling me

On a particularly grumpy day I yelled at a canvasser to get a better job, which I regret though, sorry random guy trying to meet an insane daily quota of suckers providing you with a CC# for whatever org it was that day.

"You look like a man who knows what he's doing" was the opening line.

I'd have the perfect comeback for that -- "sorry, I don't have a fucking clue" -- because it would be true.

― Beanbag the Gardener (WmC), Saturday, June 20, 2009 6:15 PM (5 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

These chuggers usually give me the line "You look like a person who cares about [CAUSE BEING EXPLOITED TO RAISE FUNDS]!" To which I reply "Get your eyes checked NOW."

What I resent is when a canvasser is working the sidewalk near the bus stop where I'm standing--the wait is agonizing enough without having to listen to someone's spiel.

making animal noises works

do any of you actually give money to charity? i just had a very convincing oxfam guy at my door - i didn't sign up though because i don't like someone working their sales mojo on me on my doorstep.

is there any way to sift through all the hard sell and make a worthwhile contribution?

Sure, even one that has the execrable Grassroots Campaigns shilling for them (Planned Parenthood). I don't need all my money.

yes, i just signed up for a charity that provides free cataract operations to people who can't afford it. everyone in my family has had cataracts and i likely will too, which is how the guy sold me on it.