To be sick of misogynistic aggressive male chuggers?

[Bearsdolovetrees]

I work near a major London rail station and get harassed by male chuggers constantly. They don’t take no for an answer, block my path, and walk alongside me even when I’ve asked them not to.

Two examples:

Today I said “no thank you” to a Stop the Knife fundraiser. He followed me, kept asking if I was sure, and when I changed direction to move away he said “wow, what an attitude you have.”

A few months ago a Shelter fundraiser blocked my path and kept trying to fist bump me. After I said no several times, he called me unkind and ‘not a nice woman.’ I complained to the charity and they said they’d investigated and had a word with him, but ultimately, “found no evidence” which is obvious as it’s their word against mine. Am I supposed to film my walk to the station every day?!

This is daily now: young male chuggers using forced compliments about my hair/earrings/dress to try to get me to engage. I’m pretty sure they’re not genuinely into my 50-year-old style — it’s just another tactic. And, yet, they’re always offended when I don’t fawn a thank you and I get some nasty comment.

I’ve tried being pleasant, being rude. Complaining seems to go nowhere. It’s misogynistic and intimidating, and honestly not okay behaviour from men representing charities. What can I do?! What do others do?

I don't have to deal with this luckily. I've found with other situations where any interaction is exhausting that wearing large headphones and listening to music / podcast saves you hearing what annoying fucks are trying to communicate to you.

The big headphones gives the signal to them that you can't hear anyway so they might not bother, and it helps you to switch off if you can't hear what they're saying. It will be a calmer experience.

This.

My DH works for The Royal Mail and they pick 6 charities a year on a form and it comes directly out of his pay. He's done it for forty years. Simple.
He always says no thanks to any in person.

I tell them i do not support charities who employ chuggers and I do not support huge charities that have millions in the bank. I only support small, independent charities.

They should be made illegal imo. I’ve had many instances of dodgy tactics used to get my attention including one who pointed to the floor and told me I had dropped something behind me and I hadn’t. It’s intimidating enough for women walking along a pavement without charities expecting you to sign up to donate whilst minding your own business. Saying I like your style is patronising at least the army and other collectors I see in London stand at a desk and just ask if you have a moment to spare and stay put when you decline politely.

I love Small Prophets and Michael.

This is exactly what I do.

And if that doesn’t work then I find a brisk “Go fuck yourself” does the trick.

I tell them to fuck off now. I couldn’t care less that it makes me rude or that it’s ’for charidee’

I was out and about in the city centre where I live with my husband when a chugger asked husband if he could “talk to your bird”. wtf. Can’t remember the charity as I was so fucking angry. Chugger was told to fuck right off though. By both of us.

I totally ignore them, never make eye contact - same as I do in other countries where begging is far worse.

I avoid looking at them, never make eye contact. I don't care if a stranger thinks I'm being rude. Works 99% of the time, occasionally you get a keen one who steps into your path, so before they get the chance to say anything to me I tell them 'sorry I'm late for my train, hope you have a good day' and keep on walking past.

On the plus side - I had a couple of chuggers doing the street and when they got to my house they saw the front door was wide open (no idea why) and rang the door bell to let me know. I think it freaked them out and they didn't bother to do their begging routine.

I look straight through them, pretend I can't hear. Literally just act like they're not there. We shouldn't have to and they are intimidating and annoying, but I never, ever engage.

There was a series in the Guardian years ago about people’s jobs and one was a chugger. The sanctimonious arse they interviewed wittered on as if he was doing good works and about how awful it was seeing people with expensive coffees when they could donate that money instead.

The majority, I suspect, were doing it because it paid fairly well (or it used to, don’t know how it compares now).

I am generally pretty good at ignoring these guys but I agree they are completely misogynist.

Idid have one guy outside London bridge call after me that I drop something and when I turned around then tried to engage me while I was looking on the floor for what ever it was, I dropped. When I realised he'd been lying about me dropping something I absolutely went off at him as I'm visually impaired and it was a really cruel thing to do in my opinion.

I always pause and say 'sorry which charity is it?'. Once they come back with the name, i enthusiastically say 'oh yes, I already have a standing order to X, it's actually the biggest of all my charity standing orders'. They usually say thank you and wish me a nice day. 😃

i alternate between greek and albanian with this ;)

There’s a gang of them who stand at the bottom of the steps as you come out of Euston station. It’s like playing dodgeball trying to get past them!
They make me feel very uncomfortable as a woman walking on my own. I don’t look at them or engage in any way, head down and walk with purpose.

I shouldn’t have to fucking do this!!!!!!!

A few years back a chugger guy in Perth City Centre kept targeting me one afternoon. It was all “hello love, you’ve got time for me haven’t you?”.

On about the third or fourth approach, I spin on my heel, stared him straight in the eye and said “Stop harassing me. This is harassment. Stop”. He spluttered something about not meaning it like that and so I said it again, adding “I will report you for harassment”.

Hundreds of them? The same ones each month? You're very observant.

And yes they work for a company that represents various charities so they change tabard depending on the client.

You make them sound like a bunch of evil scammers. They just want gainful employment and are trying to do their really awful job. It's the company who employs them who's to blame.

Would you rather they were on benefits?

The most success I've had is when I've been willing to be portrayed as an awful person. Because it's a massive anonymous place, who gives a shit what some good for nothing chugger makes me out to be?

"You must hate children then"

"Yep, I'm a proper wanker, me"

"This woman's a nasty cunt"

"Abso-fucking-loutely I am!"

There are strict rules about chugging. The ones who are getting in your way, not respecting your no, and calling you names either aren't gainfully employed by genuine charities, or are not respecting the code of conduct. They can fuck right off into the sunset.

It really annoys me. I don't think charities should use them and it puts me off donating to charity. I usually totally ignore and just keep walking.

Though one shouted something rude after me the other day and I was silly enough to go back and get into an argument about how he wasn't entitled to a response from me. I think he was actually selling subscriptions to pet food or something rather than a charity.

When I spoke to him, he was a big guy and he really got up close and into my personal space. What are these charities and businesses thinking of? They are literally paying people to harass women. Not likely to endear anyone to then.

I think those chuggers should be banned and shame on the charities who use such tactics. They would get nothing from me.

Oh give over, you paint them as if they’re some sort of hard working saints rather than the aggressive, harassing, intimidating arseholes they so often are.

I would rather they pissed off and got a job that didn’t involve being an anti-social parasite.