Why should I have to pay money to keep people safe?

[Bibo]

I don't suppose this will go down well so have NC and donned my hard hat.

Walking through the city centre today I was approached by a teenager chugging for an organisation and asking for donations to stop knife crime. He had an attitude when i politely declined.

As I walked away I couldn't help but think to myself - why should the general public who are largely struggling with the COL increase, have to pay to lower our chances of either us or our loved ones being stabbed.

Why is it our responsibility to manage and mitigate the effects of other people's crap parenting and in alot of cases, the young person just being a little shit.

AIBU? Would you donate?

Chuggers get nothing from me. I'd be notifying the charity about the attitude tbh.

That's what charity is though. People donate money voluntarily to help stop cancer/heart disease/povery/domestic abuse/knife crime etc. It's not a new concept

Agree.

You don’t have to pay anything.

There are all sorts of charities for any number of causes, and some of these charities send those annoying chuggers out to get sales. That’s all it is.

I once had one get shirty with me when I said I would go online once home and look to donate. Bloody knob didn’t bother looking it up at all once home just because of his attitude.

A BHF chugger came to my door once and banged on about some special type of fish. I said I’m not interested thanks because I don’t give out bank details but would be happy to make a one off contribution. It was all “So you don’t care about people with heart disease then.”

My lovely mum has heart disease. But I just said “nope”, slammed the door and submitted a compalint

I agree with the first bit. The general public should not have to pay for this. Our taxes, and more importantly the taxes of the very wealthy, should. Charities shouldn’t need to exist.

The second bit, I completely disagree with. It’s very hard to tell someone to ‘just be a good parent’ and kids don’t just become ‘little shots’. There are myriad factors contributing to knife crime.

Who is paying for the parenting classes? Who is supporting parents to get into training courses and education? Who is helping parents overcome addiction or mental health issues? Who is supporting parents so that they don’t have to work 60 hours a week to make ends meet and can be present for their children? Who is making it education or a career more appealing than the quick cash from County Lines? Who is providing activities and places to go for disadvantaged young people? The charities sadly.

Here we go, everybody whinge about chuggers. The real answer to your question is because we keep voting for cunts.

Donating to cancer research / DV charities etc is alot different in my eyes.

I regularly donate to a charity for disabled children.

The intended beneficiaries of similar charity's don't choose to be ill / abused / disabled.

A teenager / young adult chooses to pick up a knife and threaten, mug or stab somebody.

I wouldn't donate to an organisation claiming to end domestic abuse by offering opportunities and activities to the abusive men. I simply expect them not to be abusive. That's the bare minimum isn't it?

I'd be a bit suspicious as to whether the teenager was genuine. Did he have any ID? And what exactly were these donations going to pay for? "To stop knife crime?" How, exactly?

I agree that no one should be bullied into giving to any kind of charity.
But you have a very shortsighted view of knife crime and the myriad of factors that contribute to it.

The sad reality is is that the least desirable and/or unpopular issues require non governmental support to try and fill the gap. I work in the care sector and frankly conditions for those who support the most vulnerable is shite.

Chuggers get very well paid, including bonuses for sign ups and people still being signed up after 3 months.

I would never give money through a chugger on that basis, and the fact they work for different charities all the time and don't care or contribute themselves.

lSo you don’t care about people with heart disease then.”

This appears to be a common tactic! I received the same response about cancer. Oh, and dogs. I said no, I don't like dogs. Not true of course, but it got rid of them from my driveway.

"There is no such thing as society...." no, remind me who said that?

I relish smiling broadly at them as they approach me and saying “not a chance I’m afraid”.

The other day, one approached me saying “you look very warm hearted”.
I said “looks can be deceiving”
end of

I'm not sure about ID but he was wearing a jacket with the organisations name on, I don't remember what it was but I've seen a few of them around before.

YANBU about chuggers though.

I got stopped in a fucking airport last month! An airport!

I'm a charity fundraiser and I hate chuggers.

I agree in a way OP - I honestly wish my charity didn't have to exist, and people got the care they needed from statutory services. Sadly they don't, far from it. In the meantime, you've got charities unfairly being leant on to fill the gaps. And while they're still needed, it makes sense to help them out.

...not via chuggers though.

I actually agree with you, OP, and I work for a charity.

I work in a role that is split between dealing with volunteers (usually normal, working people), and multimillionaires.

And to be honest, I don't believe anyone one a lower income who is not a net contributer to the economy should give money to charity when there are millionaires and billionaires in existence.

The ordinary folk don't get their fair share of the income generated by businesses owned by the millionaires. So they shouldn't be the ones putting their hands in their pockets to fix the problems of society.

What a short sited, ignorant and incorrect view of knife crime.

I'm not sure "little shit" is the correct way to describe a person that stabs another human being, either.

I've known people involved in knife crime, on both sides. I've been alot closer to it than many on here.

I lost a friend to stabbing just before his 18th birthday.

I've seen another friend attacked with a knife.

I have been threatened with a knife and ended up with a minor injury to my hand by an abusive ex.

Another close friend was attacked with a knife, by her boyfriend, and has been left with life changing injuries. He's in prison for her attempted murder.

Another (ex) childhood friend is serving 26 years in prison for murdering a mutual friend and attempting to murder his brother during the same incident - with a knife.

All unfortunately typical in the deprived area I grew up in. With the best will in the world, youth clubs didn't prevent any of that from happening.

After seeing all I have, and knowing that many of those people had loads of opportunities given to them in the form of youth clubs and other orgs that try to make a difference, I just can't muster any empathy for people picking up a knife.

I guess you are right in that I have a simplistic view and that's because I know for a fact that nothing in the world, short of being locked up, would have stopped any of the aforementioned incidents of knife crime.

How would you giving him cash stop knife crime?

Little shit is being very generous.

Never give to chuggers.