Chuggers target 91 women for every 6 men

One of them told me once that they're instructed to target women with prams

I used to find I attracted them with young children - which is odd because money was never tighter and I never had any guilt in saying no.

We do give to charities but ones that mean something to us and when we choose.

DH has been spectularly rude to some who have come to the door and tried guilt tripping - I just do no with the don't you care about... no they usually don't know how to take that.

LOATHE the cheeky chappy type ones. I had one in Newcastle a while back who wouldn't accept no and fell into stride beside me and then PUT HIS ARM AROUND MY SHOULDERS.

There seem to be a LOT of these types in the North East. Not sure if its true everywhere. I hope we have came across the same one tbh, rather than there being more than one of them who think its fine to touch random women that way. But yeah, have had that. I actually also once had one offer to accompany me to the bank I had used the excuse that I didn't have my card on me and did not know my details (way before I learnt how to say no without excuses) and he said that if I went into the bank they could give me the numbers needed for a DD, and he would come with me if I wanted

Have also had one literally shout after me 'so you don't care about ill kids while you have arms full of shopping?!'. DH got that once, with a cancer collection bloke who actually shook the bucket in his face and started screaming at him for saying no. That was the only time I have ever seen one of them forcibly go after a bloke.

My approach with chuggers is to make eye contact but to speed up ever so slightly. As they come towards me I bellow 'Not today, thank you' and beam radiantly while sailing past. Works even if they've managed to get their first few words out.

I have definitely learnt to overcome my socialization with them..took a while though.

I definitely get targeted much more when I am on my own to when my husband is there.

I hate the ones that talk via my kids - "ooh you'd want to look after poor dogs wouldnt you"
i do a very firm no thank you that my friend tells me is indistinguishable from fuck off
Otoh my DH cant walk away/say no so if stopped he listens to the whole speel

I don't like them I don't actually agree at all with them being on the high street it sometimes feels like a bullying tactic. I've had them cross over to the road I'm on before and I've carried on walking for one to follow me shouting "excuse me miss" over and over until I disappeared into a shop.
Yet my dad who is 6ft4 and big seems to never be approached by them

I have also given a flat ‘no’ when asked ‘do you like dogs?’ It’s the only time I’ve ever seen a chugged speechless .

I wonder what the figures are on how much people give to charity by gender

I doubt they break down their figures by gender. Sex maybe, but not gender

Ignoring them IS playing nice, I think.

If it's paid, then they might be on commission, I guess. That may explain some of the more manipulative tactics - like used car salesmen.

I wonder how many people are put off going to their local shopping centre or high street, because of chuggers? Sometimes I can't be bothered dealing with them, and end up ordering what I want online instead. I can't be the only person who has been put off going into town...

The reason I'm not usually rude to them is that, after all, they are just people doing a job. They get paid according to how many people they sign up. Charities employ them because they're effective. New data protection rules make it hard for charities to approach people in other ways, and cuts by government to local council services mean that often charities are overwhelmed by demand. I would guess that most of us, at one time or another, have been helped by a charity or have a close relative who has been, so perhaps we should be a little less hostile.

Sociopath they are not campaigning as such in my mind as it is their paid job. It's a world away from volunteering.

We've often had people with buckets outside our local supermarket. I will sometimes give, or not, as i feel.

I give a reasonable amount to charities i have chosen so do not feel i need to give to everyone who asks.

The last one I saw was different. He engaged me in conversation with a chat about why i might have supported a poppy charity before, out of respect etc.

I was rushing to get somewhere, iyvwas very hot, I was struggling with shopping and a small child in tow. It just felt very manipulative.

His colleague was sitting down smoking and i just felt if i am going to support a charity, as i do, i will choose it!

Didn't know the term chuggers but it really fits!

Gosh, two other people having problems with Amnesty International...those posts went up whilst I was typing. I wonder if aggressive tactics are their MO? The shitbag who tried it on me got way way way more than he bargained for. I'm actually quite glad now that I've read they have form for it!!!

I ignore. I completely ignore. I blank them beyond blanking. They don't exist.

2010. My Dad had died the day before, after 5 months of watching him suffer after multiple strokes. I'd just been to the council offices to register his death and I just wanted to go home. I was tackled by four different Amnesty International chuggers within a single short pedestrianised section of the high street. They would all have been able to see that I'd walked past the previous chugger. The last cocky shit decided to up the ante, block my way and ask me if I cared, at all, about people who were wrongly imprisoned, or was I happy to just go about my nice cushy life?

I'll let you imagine the rest.

So now I block, I blank, I ignore, I don't give a shit about what they personally are campaigning for. I campaign and donate to what I believe in. I do monthly direct debits for two charities of my choice, and donate my time to a local volunteer social group for elderly people.

I hate ignoring approaches (yes to socialisation!)

One thing I do if I'm on my own and feeling relatively outgoing is to make eye contact early but with a shake of the head while not slowing down maybe even speeding up a bit.

Thanks for posting this. I was wondering the other week when I was walking through town, saw some chuggers and instinctively thought of walking directly behind a couple of men to avoid getting picked on, I'd never thought of it before then

I told amnesty I wouldn't sign up because their policy on prostitution is anti-women.

I had the 'will you help save a child' too from the Children's Society too - I had given a one off donation but declined to set up a direct debit. This woman then rang me a few days later to pressure me into setting up a direct debit and when I again declined, went off on a rant to me about how I didn't care, etc. I made sure they did not have permission to contact me again. Awful attitude.

I try to completly blank them. Very little of the money goes to charities, this practice should be banned.

I'm a magnet for them. It's because if someone meets my eye I automatically smile without thinking first, then I notice they're a chugger and think ffs I've done it again.

I stopped a few times, until someone from Amnesty International became really rude and quite aggressive when I told him I worked for a large bank. Never stopped after that.

I completely ignore chuggers, and if they come to the door (my door is solid so can't see it's them) I just tell them I support other charities and shut the door.

Another chugger magnet here. I am susceptible to signing up if people are pleasant and friendly, unfortunately. What I hate, though, is being patronised by young men - the "hello, darling" or "hello, sweetheart" routine. I am not your fucking darling or your sweetheart, I am old enough to be your mother and what is more I am a professional woman with a PhD. What have you done with your life?

Obviously I don't say any of that...

Oh, I had a Dogs Trust one who when I blanked her, said 'But don't you like dogs?'

I took great pleasure in telling her 'No, I don't'. Her face as I walked off was a picture

(I actually do like some dogs, so long as they don't smell and are well trained. Definitely a cat person though, and have had a standing order to the CPA for many years.)

It baffles me that people stand and listen and give their details to these people. You do not need to be polite!

My youngest tells me I am rude to the very occasional chugger who catches me. He's not used to seeing me saying anything slightly controversial.

I have (sadly) had to overcome my pleasant socialisation by my family. Chuggers have been a blight on high street courtesy. Them and the big issue gang that now operates locally rather than the solo guys who I would chat to sometimes.