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?

They probably are.

I literally just say I'm running for a train every time.

Inside Success and the other supposed anti-knife crime organisations whose chuggers congregate around stations have been repeatedly exposed as scammers. They're not even charities.

I would prefer it if they were on benefits. Then they could volunteer their time to a charity and be more useful.

If 90% of the DDs are cancelled within 12 months why on earth do the charities continue to use them? I can't see that the ROI (return on investment) is worth it.

They tend to be in public places so I imagine shouting very loudly "Help! This man won't leave me alone!" might get them a fair bit of negative attention?

There was big issue seller in Cardiff in Cardiff last week who shouted at an older lady that “she had dropped her hearing aid” because she didn’t pay him any attention. He didn’t do it to the numerous men walking past! It’s mysogeny pure and simple.

The fake veterans ones are a pain too. Obvious grifters.

I live in Germany and exactly the same thing happens here, I live in a town center and can't walk where I live without them pestering me. I usually tell them I don't have a German bank account and am only a tourist, that usually stops the conversation. Until I get further down the street and there's a new gaggle of them.

Completely agree. I just say NO THANK YOU briskly in my best loud polite voice and keep walking. The trick is to make loud enough for lots of other people to hear you. Oh and the 'fuck off' eyes mentioned by a PP.

Ask them how much they are getting paid - then ask if the reason they are so aggressive and intimidating people is so they get a bigger cut, since its obvious they don't care about the charity

It absolutely is misogynistic harassment because the male chuggers so often target women on their own. Its really horrible. I was out with a friend once and we got separated in a crowd - a male chugger had latched onto her and was haranguing her about managing her finances better (she's said she already had several direct debits so couldn't afford more). She was crying at this point. I told him to piss off and dragged her away. There is no point engaging with these people, ignore all the way.

Yes women do the job too, but it's way more intimidating for people to be hassled by a bloke than a woman. A lot of women on here have reported feeling fear. I doubt many men have felt genuine fear when being stopped by a female chugger.

I have no sympathy. They choose to behave like arseholes and break the social contact, which is not a necessary part of the job. We need to turn it around on them and not feel pressurised to interact just because 'nice girls don't ignore people' or because we're worried about what people think.

I say 'no, thank you' twice while walking and if they continue, I continue walking but ignore their presence entirely. As if they don't exist. Can't hear or see their presence. One ran along beside me for a while trying to further engage and eventually fell back, looking discombobulated.

If the Stop Knife Crime scammers follow you inside a station, even to the barriers, you can text BTP on 61016 to report it.

Nothing will happen but it gets a log of the incident.

@Bearsdolovetrees I haven't RTFT yet but was this Farringdon? There was a long MN thread about the chuggers there and how dodgy some of the "charities" are that harrass people there. Seems like nothing changes https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5198440-to-feel-a-bit-harassed-by-charity-worker?page=1

YANBU. I was in my nearest city a few months ago (not London) and a guy stopped me. I said 'Did you stop me because I'm a woman on her own?' He didn't reply. The NEXT DAY, the same guy stopped me again. I didn't even reply to him. They do pick on women who are alone. I know from handing out leaflets that men will rarely take one but women nearly always do. We're too fucking polite!

I wear wired headphones so that I can ignore this sort of thing.

A chugger chased me through a shopping centre when I was heavily pregnant, yelling at me. I complained to the centre and never saw them there again

Please?

I fully agree with that. I just don't think they should be all tarred with the same brush as not all are pushy/rude etc.

I do the same! 😆

I'm not talking about the fake ones. Of course they're awful and dodgy.

I'm talking about regular chuggers. Though I agree it's difficult to tell the difference sometimes.

Next time ask them loudly if they usually struggle to accept no for an answer.

Tell that to the thousands of charities who employ chugging companies. They obviously think it's valuable.

My local chuggers always open with "You look friendly..." They must be all trained to say it, it's certainly not my resting bitch face that's prompting it!

I know a couple of words of Mongolian 🇲🇳: to say go away you can say Цаашаа бай! Tsaashaa bai! That'll puzzle them! 😆