I like Traffic Wardens

[Jayneflakes]

Today was filled with bad news, difficult decisions and more than a few chores and to cap it all I don't know for how much longer I will able to work due to a back injury. So when I was walking down the High street this afternoon, soaked to my bones after some really heavy rain that crushed my brolly, I was not really in the mood to discuss my life with Chuggers.

Chuggers just in case you do not know, are those people who try to stop you while shopping and make you sign up for what ever charity they are promoting that day. These people do not even believe in the charity they are pushing, they are paid to harass shoppers by an independent agency. Today I was ambushed by three of them.

I managed to swerve past the first, was nearly tripped up by the second who could not even be bothered to apologise and then came the third. Who deliberately stepped into my path and kept coming despite my trying to avoid him. The sudden and rather rude verbal exchange caused me to stop, turn back and give him a piece of my fragile mind. The encounter left me so angry that I was shaking and rather upset. Who are these people to judge me over what I give to charity and which charities I choose (of which I have chosen four that actually mean something to me)?

Just around the corner was a traffic warden who saw that I was upset and he stopped to help. Cue one complaint to the town council about the chuggers harassing people.

So I have a question, what is wrong with the world when Charity Fund Raisers are horrible and offensive, yet traffic wardens are compassionate and kind? I am going to hide back under my rock.

[Bibio]

hope you feel better soon Jayne. don't get me started on charity..

not all traffic wardens are horrid.

[squirrel_hunter]

If you ever have someone approach you in the street that you don't want to talk to, be it a Chugger, "A few minutes for a survey", or "Trip or fall anywhere?" all you need to do is repeat the following sentence to them clearly and concisely:

"I'm sorry, I don't speak English".

Works a treat everytime...

hey there just people at the end off the day and i'm sure people will have had good run in's with people who are pre-judged by their occupation or their uniform they wear. Same like police and business with a bad reputation for example. There not a'll bad.

and also i heard that if charity folk aren't allowed to shake buckets of coppers at you can anyone confirm this??

[yorkie_chris]

They do p*ss me right off.

Stuff for charidee is fair enough but not a jobs program for a load of overpaid executives.

[Grant66]

Originally Posted by savage86

and also i heard that if charity folk aren't allowed to shake buckets of coppers at you can anyone confirm this??

Shaking buckets and asking for donations are forms of begging. Pretty sure it's still illegal in the former "great" Britain.

[Ch00]

Originally Posted by savage86

.... buckets of coppers ....

Due to budget cuts it could be the only time you see lots of cops together !!

Jayne, I'm glad you reported them - you should also refer them to the charity that they were collecting for, if possible giving the name of the individual. I had the misfortune to meet a persistent chugger - I just kept saying no as I walked away but on the way back I saw that he had cornered a rather fragile looking woman. I for my sins did not intervene.
I did however email the Red Cross when I got back to my desk and told them that I was never going to donate to them again which (I suspect was due to my wife and I donating a certain %age of our salaries to a number of charities which changes every now and again but for the last couple of years had been the Red Cross) resulted in some kind of manager contacting me. We've not donated to them since.

[tigersaw]

I find most charradies are just businesses when boiled down. Ex had a standing order with a known charadee that sponsors a kiddie in a foreign land. All well and good, but can't say I was impressed when I downloaded their annual accounts to see the number of 'directors' paying themselves over 60k. And all these overseas aid just seem to spend money on brand new Toyotas and drive around telling people how bad things are and send more money.
I prefer direct action charradies - was one in Brighton that collected clothes, toys whatever and donations. Once they had enough, they hired a couple of 7.5 tonners and drove to Romania, dished out everything to orphans and came home again.