to not want to run the gauntlet every bloody morning

[mayfridaycomequickly]

I commute to my local city for work - getting off the train just before 8am. This morning I had to wade past
-4 excitable people manning a PDSA stall complete with fake dog trying to beckon me to sign up

• 3 people begging
• 4 people trying to push their religious brochures (spaced out within a 1 minute walk - both sides of the pavement)
• 2 people trying to give away free magazines. They're there every day with the same magazines and they're getting increasingly pushy - they come right up to you, wave it and yell 'but it's free' if you say 'no thanks'

I'm willing to accept that iabu but it's really irritating first thing on a morning. 2 days a week I take my son on the commute... cue pdsa people trying to beckon him over (he's 3). This morning the religious people with the brochures were stood practically on the nursery doorstep.

Very annoying, but what can you do, apart from not work in your local city?

Get a scream mask and a cloak. serve the buggers right.

Oh, I know - just seems ridiculous that all this is within 3 or 4 minutes of stepping off the train. Does my head in!

Wear headphones and ignore. You don't have to have them turned on

I find myself drawn into engaging - I hate ignoring people. So I smile and say 'no thanks' which seems to translate as 'please harass me further'

You're too nice. I stare right through them as if I'm listening to something else.

Pretend you're on the phone ?

Headphones packed for tomorrow (stolen from dp, shhh) more difficult when I have ds with me though.

I was a horrible person last week. One of the people begging was sat on the nursery doorstep and I asked him to move along. I know that makes me horribly inhuman but I really didn't like that se practically had to step over him to get in to nursery.

Although to be fair I have also asked parents to move along too when they've been smoking on the nursery doorstep.

I need to work on my tolerance. ..

YANBU.

It's not just big cities/towns either - our sleepy little city is just the same.

Mainly charity collectors wanting to sign you up to a monthly direct debit.

Oh, and the religious people come to our house - we are that lucky .

Both atheist, but DH once made the mistake of engaging in small talk with a Jehovah's Witness lady. We've been receiving fortnightly pamphlets ever since.

My uncle used to invite them in for a debate!

Honestly, I hate it... it's too early, I already support charities of my choice, I find it hard to say no to beggars but think that giving them money can be counterproductive. I'm 35 - if I wanted to find God I'd have looked by now and I haven't got time to 'read' magazines full of adverts!

Visit-the-infidel-with-exploratory-pamphlets?

I think I can track my menstrual cycle (or is that just phase of the moon) by my tolerance to those demanding my cash, my soul or my first born first thing in the morning.

And of course, rejoice that it's not Smite-the-Unbeliever-with-Cunning-Arguments

(And I hate my keyboard, for it should have been Visit-The-Infidel-With-Explanatory-Pamphlets)

I shall channel 'rejoice' instead of 'fuck off you unreasonable fuckers, it's not even 8am' tomorrow ;-)

Angua

Take the first pamphlet/magazine you're offered, then swap it with the next one trying to give you something else. By the end, they'll all have one of each others.
In fact, insist they take one from you before you'll take one from them. They'll be crossing the road to avoid you by Thursday.

Angua

YANBU. Is this Bristol Temple Meads? Sounds familiar.

Had two chaps from guide dogs jumping in front of people yesterday. we a town that trains the dog and they jumped in front of one of the dogs. Saw the lady tell them off.

Similar types of people stand in front if the tube exit where I go sometimes- it's harder to actually exit the station, which is nice with a crowd behind you. Sure they're not allowed to but who has time to go back and complain?

No super it's Newcastle. I always think 'it shouldn't be allowed' but then I feel like a twat for thinking that

There's a new group of religious pamphleters between my bus-stop and my office. They carefully position themselves between the corner of a shop and a large pillar which is the route everyone takes onto the main street. One on either side, so you can't get through without taking a leaflet or barging into them.

So you have to detour round the outside of the pillar. Yes, it's a detour of all of 2 seconds but it makes me disproportionately angry in the morning.

And sometimes they have a third colleague lurking behind the pillar to jump out as you go round the outside.

It's very counter-productive because it makes me think decidedly unholy thoughts...

And we have an influx of chuggers.

The particularly irritating kind who leap in front of you and say 'Do you care enough about starving children to stop for 5 seconds?' and words to that effect.

Hie thee to a headphonery, my dear. I find that in addition to the resting bitch face I was blessed with I am more or less insulated.

However, YANBU to be irritated. I get them at both ends of my commute. It's too much.