When Street Charity people approach you in the street asking you for money.......

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I'll occasionally put a quid in a tin if it's for a decent, preferably local, charity or near Christmas. As for the chuggers with their direct debit nonsense, not a chance.

Original post by Helenia

If they're holding a collecting tin then I sometimes give them something if it's a charity I like. Though I don't give to the strange people in dinosaur costumes who appear in my Tube station roughly once a week; I've never quite worked out who exactly they're collecting for.

Surely the entertainment value alone is worth at least 50p?

Reply 21

username739587

I view it this way: Currently I am poor, and really need the money myself. Once I am financially secure, then I may chose to donate to charity.
However, I would much rather make a reasoned choice of what charity to donate to (sightsavers would be my top choice), rather than choose their charity, because they are blocking my path.

Reply 22

KJane

I'm 17 and hardly flush with cash anyway but get approached in the street, I love telling them that I'm 17 because they're like 'ohh' and have to let me go on. I do put the odd change in collection buckets now and then though and feel guilty when I have dodge them to spend my last few quid on something I actually need.

I hate it when they bring out the kids though, recently I was shopping with friends and a charity had some little sick children with them wearing the charity t-shirts and carrying collection buckets. One even was directing a little 4-5 year old girl to approach people and came up to us, this little girl was ill as she had something wrong with her face and was very pale but had huge puppy dog eyes, it was impossible for anyone to say no. I think I ended up giving like £2-3 to her in the end, not sure I liked their new method of extracting money.

Reply 23

Dekota-XS

No one expects money from a student anyway. Students are eternally broke.

Reply 24

Panda Bear

I used to always fall into their traps and stop for a chat. Once I even signed up to one of them. Some stupid charity I didn't give a crap about. Cancelled that after a months payment. Now I don't care for them whatsoever. I just walk past them shaking my head. Most of the time I have headphones on too so that helps.

Reply 25

MagicNMedicine

Oh the lols of street approachers. I never give anyone like this any money and I find them very intrusive and irritating especially when they come bounding up at you with their sales pitch trying to get you to sign up with direct debit. However there are a few techniques which are very effective at getting them to give you a wide berth if they see you in future:

1. Turn the situation round and ask THEM for money. When you see them approaching, say to them that you're lost and need 50p for the bus home. Just keep re-iterating "just 50p, please" or if you can't close the deal say "just 20p, please, I need to find my way home". The alternative is you can say you just need money for a sandwich or a cup of coffee. They will find it very difficult to put their sales pitch on you if you are aggressively begging them with a sales pitch of your own.

2. Try the street "Pick Up Artist" approach if they are female. Sometimes these charity muggers are female and will approach males in a slightly flirtatious way, they think that males are easy and with a bit of teasing and flirting they can manipulate them. LOL to that. She approached YOU so this is your chance to be full on with her. Don't give her any eye contact while she's making her sales pitch, study her chest and tell her that you can see her bra through her top. Say you think talking about homeless kids is boring, it's far more interesting talking about her...ask her what she's doing tonight, tell her about a couple of places in town you know, offer to take her out and show them to her, ask if she's single, if she says she has a boyfriend ask what he does and then make mocking negative comments about whatever he does. I can guarantee she will disappear if you start on at her with this.

3. If they are male you can use a similar tactic which is based on having the maturity level of the inbetweeners. Remember that males who collect for charities are never hard, they are always a bit poncey so you can safely take the mick. The rule here is you can talk to them about their charity but you have to relate every sentence you say to their Mum. Eg they talk about building shelters for the homeless, say "your Mum gives me good shelter". I bet they won't hang around past more than three "your Mum" comments.

4. Sometimes you get Americans in suits approaching you wanting to talk about their religion....remember that religious American men are always homophobic and ultra-nationalistic, so you can get rid of these by making gay innuendos and insulting the USA, compliment them on the shape of their ass and make some suggestive comments about what you'd like to do to it, then tell them the USA brought September 11th on itself with its foreign policy, and remind them that Islam is growing faster than their religion. They will find this conversation uncomfortable.

Reply 26

Helenia

Original post by L i b

Surely the entertainment value alone is worth at least 50p?

If the dinosaur costumes were a bit better I might be tempted.

Regarding chuggers, I see little point in spending time either being rude to them or deliberately trying to wind them up. Most of them do not work for the specific charity they're collecting for, they work for agencies, quite possibly (not absolutely sure) on commission. It's not exactly a fantastic job that people are lining up for, so I don't want to make their day any more miserable than it probably already is.

Reply 27

Veldrin

I tell them I'm off to do what ever it is they are against.

For instance if its an animal charity I say "Sorry I'm off to kill some seals" or if its the Samaritans "Sorry Im off to kill myself"

Reply 28

Lexi99

I HATE these people! They're so intimidating and make you feel so guilty if you just walk by or say no. Its always, oh just £5 a month, cant you miss out on your coffee for a couple of days? Yea i dont drink coffee anyway.

I always just dont make eye contact, or if they come up to me I'll say oh i just spoke to that bloke over there about it, k thanks bye, and walk away quickly

Reply 29

DiZZeeKiD

A women in the street asked me what grooming products I used the other day...you should have seen her face when I said Haribo and High School Musical :colone:

Reply 30

Dogatonic

Pretend that you don't understand English.

Reply 31

ColdVein

I just mumble "sorry" and quickly walk past them.

Reply 32

Genocidal

I just ignore them and it usually works. They are no better than beggars imo. Although once one tried to follow me and I just screamed at him to **** off.

Reply 33

Ewan

I don't give money to randomers on the street... Just walk straight on by

Reply 34

Hravan

It's always obvious which ones are after direct debits... So I just say that I'm 17... They don't believe me (I think the cigarettes and the uni hoodie might give them a clue) but they can't do anything about it.. :tongue:

Reply 35

tehFrance

Original post by lightbulb1

How does it make you feel?

I get annoyed, especially if it is for a cancer charity, they are far to common and to me they seem to be sucking up all the money that other charities need as well, I have for the last several years donated to the 'Alzheimer's Society' and a couple of others that deal with people who are suffering from dementia as due to personal reasons I consider that more important... especially as the progress that has been made in regards to dementia is miles behind cancer.

I do try and explain my view to these people but they are generally rude which makes me want to punch them :angry:

when I politely decline as if I am made of money to give to every charity? I'd refer to give to ones that help people who are in similar situations to my friends, I doubt there will be a cure from my donation but at least I am helping in a way :smile:

Reply 36

M1F2R3

I usually approach them...

Reply 37

SteveCrain

I give them some money; seems I'm a non conformist.

Reply 38

Hylean

I just tell them "I don't care" and walk off. They're usually too stunned to react.

Reply 39

James1977

Ooo, chuggers, can't stand them. Nottingham is awash with them as its seemingly fellow students who sign-up to do the work because, as already mentioned, they're on commission.

They have fairly rigid 'spots' in town so its quite easy to plot a route that avoids them but if I have to go near to their usual haunts (outside Natwest near Victoria Centre or in the space between Primark and the Council Bulding) I'll just look past them to where I'm going and adopt a "step in my way and you'll be run over" look and pace.

I give to charity I just detest giving to charities who use chuggers. They're not charitiable people, they're after money for themsleves. In essence they're scimming a little off the top of every pound you give and the false cheerfulness they adopt in order to try and charm your debit card number out of you is awful.