VENT: Chuggers/Charity collectors in the street/On street salesmen

Gleeful

First things first, I do give to charity, but not when accosted in the street to do so!

My vent is that the chuggers round here are well out of order, having resulted in some bizarre tactics. A while back I was nearly run over trying to cross the street to avoid one that was following me!

Yesterday, walking through town, I was sleazed at by one! He said 'I've come off my break to chat to you.........' Needless to say I just ignored him. What are you supposed to say in these situations?

It's like you can't walk down the street these days without being accosted by someone, and I am running out of suitable excuses!

Modern life, eh? Maybe it's me that's the mad one! Don't get me started on those recorded phone calls to my landline......

maninthestreet

How do you sleaze at someone?

rsykes2000

Why do you have to think of an excuse for everyone ? If someone asks you something you can just either say (politely) 'sorry, not interested' or (rudely) '**** off' or just ignore them.

Gleeful

By sleazing I mean using a really sleazy tone of voice.

I don't feel I have to have an excuse, just more that if I say no they don't accept that and carry on trying to speak to me.

emay

I put my mp3 player in when walking through the main shopping area...even if it's not turned on, they don't know that! sunglasses are good too (esp in this weather) then they can't make eye contact either

rsykes2000

Gleeful wrote: »

By sleazing I mean using a really sleazy tone of voice.

I don't feel I have to have an excuse, just more that if I say no they don't accept that and carry on trying to speak to me.

Say no more confidently and keep walking. That's what I do, and if they ask again, I happily tell them to leave me alone. Helps being an enormous bloke though

jimbms

Don't do anything, just ignore them and shove them out of the way if they try to block you, as someone said a mp3 player works quite well if you have problems ignoring them. Women have the best method if they start following you, just turn round and scream at them IF YOU TOUCH MY A$$ AGAIN I WILL CALL THE POLICE, and watch them scarper.

frivolous_fay

A couple of my proudest moments... and I'm a timid type really, I don't like being rude to people but chuggers get right on my wick.

St Albans
Me: clocking a chugger, I walk a huge circle so he can't get close.
Chugger: calls out to me
Me: 'Can't you see I'm avoiding you?'

St Johns Wood (Narrow pavement, hard to avoid them)
Me and unknown woman, walking almost side by side - avoid chugger in the middle of the pavement by walking either side.
Me: 'They're a menace aren't they?'
Chugger: oy!

Chuggers STOP SHOPPING BEING FUN. I see a chugger in my lunchbreak, I feel like going back to work early. I feel like writing to the council about it because the last time the continental market was in town, the place was swarming with clipboards, and frankly I didn't want to go near the stalls.

If I see a collector with a tin, I put money in it on principle just because they're not trying to sign me up to a direct debit.

ithinkyourcrazy

My friend worked as a chugger, it is in all of their handbooks not to follow people or try and approach someone when they are sitting down. I like to ignore them or tell them i know they are not allowed to follow me and they soon go away. They will do anything to sign as many people up as possible so they can get more money and not get sacked!

teamcullen

Me and a friend were in Liverpool on a break last week and walking through the town centre. We knew we were going to get stopped by one. So I acted completely uninterested as the guy went through his speech about chickens and my friend looked on interested. Let him talk away for about ten minutes and then when he mentioned 'We don't take any cash, just your bank details for a DD' I said no chance and my friend finally started speaking and said 'I'm Irish, and don't have the bank account and even if I did, I give to a charity I choose and not one you choose for me'. He quickly turned away. We were pleased to waste as much of his time as he had ours!

Payless_2

You do realise that these people are only trying to do their jobs. All you've got to do is say "No thanks" or "I haven't got time"