Vocal Voices

Outside our Sainsbury's Local we've had several chuggers this week - young people trying to get you to sign up and donate £20 a month to charity.

Today's was a nice young lady who wished me a good morning but didn't ask me to sign up.

I can just imagine what she thought as i tottered past; "Oh, the poor old bloke! Look at the state of him, he obviously hasn't got two pennies to rub together!"

I just put my phone to my ear and start speaking as though I am on a call and then saunter past them. I also do it to unexpected knocks on the door.

I just ignore them....

We get them down in the Algarve, asking for the 50 cents or euro from your trolley.

Normally gypsies

I don't talk, if they want to engage me the get the same response as all these shop tills which try to shame you into adding something to your bill.

"I choose which charities I support".

I did have a pang though.
What a way for someone to try and earn money.
Standing around in freezing temperatures for hours on end, trying to sign unwilling people up.

We don't have them in the High Street, thankfully, but they have (very rarely) turned up on the doorstep.
We do have a regular Big Issue seller outside Waitrose, and folk (including the Waitrose staff) seem quite supportive of him, but being Daarzet, they're more likely just to stop and chat rather than buy anything!

Back in Birmingham, they were a pain on Sutton Coldfield's main shopping street, but it was broad enough for you to give them a wide berth.

We have loads of Chuggers where I work. As Crommers said; it's not a nice way to be earning money so if they managed to make eye contact with me; I will always acknowledge them but always firmly say no thank you and walk on. Should they follow I'll be more firm in the NO thank you and on the extremely rare occasion they still persist I ask them what part of NO they didn't understand.

They laughed at work when I asked "which syllable in NO was not understandable?"