To hate the charity workers helping to pack your bag at supermarket checkouts?

[alicet]

I am sure I am being very uncharitable but I hate the people who loiter at supermarket checkouts, with a bucket full of change labelled with some spurious charity I've never heard of, offering to help you pack your shopping away.

1 - I am a bit of a control freak about packing my shopping esp as I carry it on the back of my pushchair and need to prevent it toppling so prefer to pack myself

2 - I want to CHOOSE to give money to charity and not be guilt tripped into it

3 - I would never choose to support the charities that do this anyway preferring something I have actually heard of and know what I am giving to

I guess at least they are doing something for the money but I think it is on a par with people that send you charity Christmas cards through the post and then get really rude when you call and tell them you don't want them. I know I should just tell them I don't want them to help but I always feel bad so say yes and then seethe for the next hour!

So AIBU?

girls play lacrosse?

oh, okay.

looks like shinty to me.

burly men play that round here.

My Mum was a lacrosse player. Probably the only working class lacrosse player in the British Isles.

Fiend - God, no, that would piss me off to.
The area I live in is predominently lower income families, and there are all state schools and they do rely on the generosity of local people.

They call it laccers and have to drink gallons of ginger beer and have pillow fights etc. Inbetween bouts of fleecing hard-up happy shoppers for the in-flighht champers fund

exactly - this supermarket is in catchement area of most 'deprived' state school in town (on that recent threatened-with-closure list [anger]

I mean, why couldn't they hustle at Waitrose?

it seems such a burly game, though. like rugby . . . or shinty .

I wanted to start an angry thread at the time but I was sure it would end up in a MN class war..

YANBU. They've been around in my local Monoprix this week and they are crap at packing shopping and trash all my yoghourts

I've never come across charity bag packers, but I really don't like people packing up my stuff. I usually bring bags myself and pack them carefully as I am always on foot (or occasionally the bus) and often with children, so I need heavy stuff in my backpack and a couple of really light bags for the kids to do their bit. Now we have moved to the USA it's even more of a problem because the bag packers use so many bags (and the bags are so rubbish they frequently double or even triple bag them). I really don't want millions of bags to deal with, but they are so quick about it I've hardly got things on the conveyor belt before they appear. Then I have to repack everything, so it's a pain!

No,yanbu, I hate anyone else packing my bags. And because we have to do it to fundraise for cubs, and for our school, I always make dh do it, so I don't encounter people like me.

We (Scout Troop) bag packed at Christmas. £400+ for 3 hours work - best fund-raising to date

However we never asked to bag pack, Tesco approached us! Turns out us bag packing eased the staff problems they had.

But YANBU. Hate the buggers myself, luckily don't tend to get charity bag packers round this area.

Oh i agree with you - I mean its not like it actually saves you any time - instead you are left standing there while they slowly pack - but you can't say anything like get a fucking move on - however if they clean cars I am all for that.

Our local scouting groups are the only ones I know that bagpack locally.

They should always ask if the customer wants their stuff packed, and they smile and stand back and take a little break if people say no (preferably politely!).

And, erm, some of them know how to pack well...they've been well-trained by their mother .

It's a great fundraiser for the scouting groups locally, who are in quite a poor area, so feel free to say no thank you, but please don't begrudge the scouts (and similar) a slot once or twice a year in the supermarket trying to boost funds.

YANBU

In our town it is never proper charities, just stuff like the local kids fottie team.

Their parents can pay for their own kids as far as I am concerned

I mean my kids play footie, I would never expect total strangers to subsidise them. I will happily pay towards any expenses

I have never heard of charity bag-packers before. I HATE other people packing my bags so I would probably do what others have said and pay them NOT to pack for me!

Yanbu. I really don't like this. Yes it is usually the some local teenagers from v. well off schools etc. I am harassed and at the end of my tether by the time I get to the check out with my two; I do not want to feel pressurised by anyone any more thanks very much.

I don't like it either, for reasons mentioned - squashed salad, tins in sideways so they poke you when you carry the bags etc. I kind of decide for myself whether it's a good enough cause to support but I always decline their offer of packing and chuck something in their buckets regardless. I like supporting kids' activity clubs, scouts etc but I drew the line recently when our local comp had a bunch of sixth formers collecting in Sainsbury's for their week-long visit to New York. That's hardly a charitable cause, IMO, and I don't think it gives kids realistic expectations of real life. I mean I wouldn't mind a jaunt to NY myself but it's out of my financial league so I can't have it, so why should they? Or AIBU now?!

Message withdrawn

riven - if you read our responses more closely you'll see that the bag packers that we're really annoyed with are local schools and sports teams with wealthy parents trying to fleece the community for "jollies" and kit that the parents could easily afford. Not those doing it for severely disabled children that need a wheelchair! It's a bit different, don't you think?

Riven, pleased don't feel embarrased, please. You should feel proud that you have the motivation to get up and do this for your DD. I think its a great way of raising money. I must admit i have been irritated by the scouts doing it, i mean, can you imagine your bags being packed by children ?

As for other ways of making money? There have to be loads - what about sponsored walks? Get on to local farms and ask them to have an open day with donations? I guess it is difficult when you are raising money for your own family as you wont be able to register as a charity. I wonder if there are any charities you could contact to get some help with raising funds. A wheelchair bike sounds pretty cool.

I agree with the poster who said that its a bloody disgrace that you have to be doing this, surely your family are more than entitled to help in this situation. There would have been a time, when GOD forbid and i know youwould never ever dream of doing this, that people would have put their disabled children into care for one reason or another. You are looking after your daughter, the government are saving thousands!! The bloody least they can do is help you get the equipment you need .