AIBU to feel harassed by charity chuggers targeting women in public?

[Bertiebiscuit]

I'm so sick of male charity chuggers, i watch them always bear down on older lone women - the "Dorothy Donor" stereotype is still operating i guess- i am on a fixed income, cannot afford to give money to charities, although I'm a regular buyer in charity shops and always donate goods when i have a clear out. As if i would give out my card details in public anyway, they must think we're stupid! And all that fake "charming" act they put on - hello 'young' lady, i like your hat/coat/haircut blah blah 🤮. Long story short i ignore them and march past,but lately several have felt they can shout snarky comments as i walk away, basically is amounting to street harassment,bog standard male bullsh*t and entitlement. I confess that the most recent one i gave him the finger. I feel as though I'm just prey, as women and girls always seem to be, and it makes me furious.

They bloody well do! There’s one spot on my local main shopping street that I avoid when I can because they’re always there. Unfortunately it’s outside a shop I regularly need to go into.

Random question @ChocolateCinderToffee but this shop you have to go into regularly, is it a shop that is more likely to attract women/have women shop there?

Well they’re lurking outside a shop because they know there will be people going in and out all the time. Not sure how this is gender specific.

Depends on what the shop is. I have asked the poster in question which shop it is, and if the shop is more likely to attract women. She hasn't answered yet, but she's probably busy/out for day as it's a bank holiday. Hopefully she can clarify later.

I only ask this because in the high street of a town I go to sometimes, the chuggers usually stand outside Lush, Claire Accessories, and New Look... (And similar shops.) Never stand outside the bookies, or arcades or casinos (that all attract men much more than women.)

Never see them outside sports clubs (where sports that attract more men are played,) or working mens clubs and the like either. I wonder why?

They wouldn't even need to restrict themselves to just cash that people might have on them, as even Big Issue sellers and buskers nowadays have those basic contactless card terminals.

The reason they don't do it is because it would earn money for the charity, but not for themselves; plus both they and the charity prefer the idea of an easy ride and getting money from people every month (for as long as possible until they decide/have to cancel it) for one interaction, rather than a one-off donation. Their convenience matters; yours doesn't at all.

I once had one route through my shopping bag in my trolly saying "oooh what's for tea tonight" I almost rammed him eitu my trolly

I literally just walk past them and shout no now

I absolutely hate them

Get a real job

Ello darlin gets a eff right off

A couple of weeks back there were chuggers opposite my office for a week . I could see them from my desk. One in particular seemed only to try to talk to middle aged and older women. On the fifth day I was going into the shop and he approached me. I raised my hand but still got the “ can I just tell you one thing “ . In the end i asked him why he only approached women . His colleague laughed and said he only likes talking to women - but I absolutely do think that many target more women then men , probably thinking they are an easier target for children’s charities etc.

Personally I think the whole idea of expecting people to provide their bank details to strangers in the street is a weird idea. I make a note of the charities that use chuggers and make a point never to donate to them !

Fair enough. It’s shops like Tesco and Sainsbury’s they hang around where I live. And at the entrance to the shopping centre in the place I lived before (no arcades or casino’s to be found in either sadly)

I did this role (many years ago) and we were always taught that males in the role will stop far more females than males. Also vice versa, females are more eliable to stop males. This is actually true from experience, so males trying to stop you is because they have a greater chance of you stopping over another male. If more of them were female, you'd be targeted less

A couple of weeks back there were chuggers opposite my office for a week . I could see them from my desk.

Are you on the first floor or higher? If so, this is exactly what water bombs were invented for
I do agree that it's insane they stop strangers and ask them for their bank details... and even more insane that people actually give them. Especially as the first however many monthly payments go straight to them and not the charity. It's outrageous if you stop and think about it.

Yes they drive me mad. The dogs trust guy pounced on me outside of Tesco, I just said I’m a cat person sorry

Dreadful people who try to make you feel guilty for not stopping. They are not employed by the charity, rather, a large "umbrella" marketing company who take a cut and farm them out as needed.

My friend was desperate for a job and he managed to get a job as a chugger for a charity. If they did not get 10 people to sign on in the first week of employment they were sacked. This is what happened to my friend, he was sacked after only one week. This is why they are so annoying.

I had this once. I was heading to the hospital through the city I live in. My husband was dieing in hospital. He just had a couple of days left.

This man for this charity (can't remember which) shouted out to me, when I ignored him "not to be such a misery and have a chat" I dont think he would have been doing that again in a hurry.

I've always spoken my mind. This time, I swung around, looked at him and said "I'm heading to the hospital. My husband is dieing in hospital, now leave me the freak alone" Yes thats exactly what I said and was true.

He said "I'm so sorry to hear that..." To which I replied "I future if people ignore you, just bloody well think. You don't know what's going on for them"

Yes I did ring the charity head office, and tell them so the memo could go out and be bought up and into training

I avoid them if I can, I contribute to several charities already, I'm generous and I care,but have always been quite hard up,as a pensioner I do enough.
They are doing their job, but when they operate outside the local supermarket I go the long way round to avoid them.

Used to be a fundraiser, so I know what a pressured job it is, so I’m polite but very firm. Usually I say ‘I’ve chosen my three charities and I’m not signing up to anymore, so I won’t waste your time.’ One CF asked me ‘what are they?’ but as it’s entirely true I just reeled them off.

I absolutely walk off after you’ve said it though.

It's a large branch of a high street chemist. Now you ask, yes, I think so. The ground floor is almost entirely make-up and toiletries.

Ah ha, I suspected as much. Thanks for confirming @ChocolateCinderToffee

I got harassed and chugged by a guy while I was desperately ill with a fluey cold. I had popped to the shops to pick up lemsip and ice cream, and there he was, claiming to work for Battersea Cats and dogs home.

I felt really taken advantage of, and especially because he lied to me. I cancelled the donation after a year, and then I've never even spoken to any of them again.

It's so aggressive, it has got to the stage where it reminds me of hawkers in foreign countries. Personally I think this kind of aggressive selling should be banned. Charities have sunk very low in my estimation for this.

"I don't donate via randoms in the street" and keep walking. I give to charities I care about and refuse to be bullied like this. In fact, I stopped a DD to a charity because of this behaviour and e-mailed them to tell them why. I doubt they cared, though...

They must be effective though - or charities wouldn't use them?
Anyway I once signed up with one, for Scope or similar. I had been on the direct debit for only 3 months when they phoned and asked me to increase it. I cancelled it as I thought it was fairly rude after only 3 payments. Haven't signed up on the street since and that was at least 5 years ago.
Now I just say No Thankyou very firmly.

There are chuggers on the high Street where I work, and at the moment they are collecting for the deaf children's society. Don't get me wrong, I think this is a laudable charity, but they're not getting money out of me via the chuggers in the street! I am good at sweeping straight past them, not even bothering to speak. I speak to them if I feel like it...

On the train once, I was near a couple of men who seemed to be being trained for this role. A more experienced man was talking to them. I was absolutely shocked by the way they spoke about people who lived in one of the towns we passed through. It's a very poor area but people are very generous and kind.
The charity they represented was something to do with blind children. I should have contacted the charity but I didn't, very remiss of me.

As Alan Carr said ‘I don’t call them chuggers I call them chunts’