To hope social distancing puts an end to chuggers?

[dancinguser]

Since moving to a large town 5 years ago I've grown to hate chuggers. No matter where in the town centre you shop it's almost guaranteed you'll run into at least one of them trying to get you to stop by shouting something along the lines of "you look like a nice person!" or "do you care about sick children?"

My method for dealing with them used to be walking just far enough out of their way that they couldn't stop me by law (by keeping over 3 steps away from them, walking within 3m of shop entrances). However after having several charities break these rules and one man even stand in front of me to make me stop I decided to not go out of my way to avoid them, and instead walk in my usual direction and ignore their existence (much to their annoyance).

AIBU for hoping that this is the end for charity muggers? With social distancing sticking around for a while I don't see how it's possible for them to do their job for the foreseeable future. I also think that our behaviours will be a lot different in the going forward even if we are clear of the virus. It's hard to imagine anyone would be happy with a complete stranger making a point to come into their personal space on the street.

I hope so. I do understand the need to fundraise but not only do I hate dodging a row of chuggers like a bloody slalom, I’ve also been spoken to terribly by two I said no to.

One of them left me so upset (he was a young ‘cheeky chappy’ type who made a rude comment on my appearance) that I complained to their manager and he was subsequently fired. His manager hinted heavily that I wasn’t the only person who had spoken up.

There’s a silver lining I hadn’t thought of. I can’t stand them, I find it all very intrusive.

Can't say it's high on my radar of things I want to change. I just ignore hen.

There are so many of these in my town,it makes me really uncomfortable the way they start walking with you and get nasty when you say no thank you,have a bus to catch etc. I know they're only doing their job but they need to learn that no thank you means leave me alone and stop following me! I now get my phone out and pretend I'm on a call,it normally works but still get the odd few still trying to harass me!

They earn on commission - if they don't make enough commission to equate to minimum wage they get fired.

So I can sort of see why the pressure of that, combined with the majority of the people you approach ignoring you/saying no all day, might lead to some lashing out - but it's not ok.

I would prefer it not to be a thing anymore.

Yanbu. When I was volunteering with a homeless charity I had someone from shelter come up to me. Our city has some tucked away streets just off the high street which was where we were. FI explained that I didn't have spare money to donate so instead I gave my time with the local homeless shelter helping in the night shelter and in the day centre and housing people and attending rehab appointments as moral support.

He laughed and said I was pathetic for thinking they valued my time and also asked why I couldn't also donate. I explained I didn't have the money as I'd already said and tried to pass. He blocked my way and wouldn't let me get past, physically putting his arms out to stop me. I'd recently been raped and attacked by my ex so I just screamed as loud as I could until someone came. He made out like I was crazy. I reported him to shelter nd the police nd he lost his job

Christ I hope so. I've had more than one out there arm around me

I just don’t get how people can get so worked up about this stuff. Just give them a smile, say “not today”, and keep walking. Done.

@WaterOffADucksCrack That's so horrible, I'm glad that he lost his job over it. Male chuggers in particular seem to target women over men.

It's a massive loss to the charity's. I cant get worked up about them.

Blame the charity, not the poor bugger who is taking abuse all day for a zero contract shitty job. Their life, their whole day is that shitty job. You gey discomfort of what, 10 seconds max? Get over yourself

I think we will see more than ever.....charities will be going full on pulling out all the stops to recoup their losses over covid

It’s relentless

I refuse to donate to charities that employ chuggers or door knockers. The way both deliberately target vulnerable and elderly people is absolutely deplorable.

Cancer research are the worst in my experience. My great aunt with early stage dementia was talked into signing up by a chugger then they proceeded to call her frequently to try to get her to raise the donation. Even after my cousins stepped in, cancelled it and had explained the situation to Cancer Research they carried on phoning her near weekly trying to get her to reinstate the direct debit. When they eventually made a formal complaint they found out they were one of many families with identical experiences.

Wouldn't it be nice if it did! I am sick to death of them in my local town centre. Every day it's a new group from a different charity (although I have actually seen the same chuggers working for different charities on different days). And you're right OP,they definitely DO target women over men. I have sat at a safe distance a few times in the past and just observed their antics preferred methods and I can safely say that they approach twice as many women as men.
They seem to love me,for some reason. My Dd says it's because I've got 'a friendly,approachable face'. Personally,I think it's because I'm overweight and physically disabled,therefore they think that I'm a soft touch. They soon learn.

Sorry I don’t give bank details to people in the street.

Yeh I hope so I hate them . Last summer I was feeling really awful about my family and some historical news I mean really awful and this effing chugger just kept shouting ' hey mum, mum you're a mum aren't you ' at me and it just made me tearful. My son noticed he had done just the same to another middle aged woman. ....

@GhostCurry if anything, I think your own attitude is quite strange. In a perfect world, they would leave you alone after you inform them that you’re not interested but in reality that doesn’t happen. I’ve personally been accosted multiple times by different people, one followed me after I told him I wasn’t interested & walked off, made sexual remarks & was generally quite creepy. Others were subsequently quite rude to me & tried to berate me for not “helping the homeless” etc

A friend's son did this work whilst he was a student. He was paid a percentage of what was raised. This percentage, which I cannot remember the exact amount (but was significant), was not disclosed to the donor. Having heard this I feel it was disingenuous of the charity to raise money in this way. I would rather pay a charity directly so 100% of my money goes towards the good causes.

Now that's a perk of corona I hadn't thought of.
No more chuggers at shops and door to door crap. Hopefully religious ones too, not just those after my bank details, sorry charities

I don't care how shitty the job is, you do not harass, Chase, block or verbally abuse someone for saying no. It's a bad look for charities and if done to me, a risk to your job as I will report you. There are several charities I will never give to due to the way they harass for money.
No person is obligated to listen to the spiel or donate.

All charities are run like businesses it would be naive to think they are not. That is why you get the junk mail etc

Oh I can’t stand them. They almost always comment on my children which I find really annoying (‘your child is so beautiful, can I have a minute of your time’ etc). If they start talking I tend to stop them mid speech and say I don’t give out my bank details, but do they have any information about the charity and I’ll do my own research- funnily not one has ever taken me up on this offer!

YANBU, there are so many of them round my area I'd have zero money left if everyone got money from me. I like donating to charity's but in my way not being forced to on the streets. The main thing I don't like is them wanting my bank details, you hear of so many scams of people getting back details even in this way. I think it shouldn't be allowed just for that one reason. You don't know if this people work for said charity.

Male chuggers in particular seem to target women over men I agree but I'd go further and say they all target women over men.

Blame the charity, not the poor bugger who is taking abuse all day for a zero contract shitty job. Their life, their whole day is that shitty job. You gey discomfort of what, 10 seconds max? Get over yourself Oh ok so you'd be happy to be verbally abused, have sexual comments made, to be physically blocked and stopped from walking away after you've been polite have you? I've done loads of zero hour crappy jobs but I've never been verbally aggressive or made sexual comments or got physically aggressive.

Before lockdown my local small co op used to let them stand inside the door.

The day before I gave birth to my second child I was carrying my screaming three year old heading home when a chugger asked if I had a few minutes!!!?!? My bump was huge started off at 7 stone gained 3 stone more or less just in my belly. I gave him a death stare and said not unless you've got a fucking dummy no!
It's the way they make comments on what your wearing to get a conversation going as if we're stupid enough to think, oh she said my coats nice I better hand over my bank details!