(Warning: I apologise in advance because this post contains far too many anyways).
I went to Morrisons on Saturday morning and when I arrived at the till the checkout lady asked
if I would like help with my packing. I
declined her offer as I had M with me and although we had got a lot of shopping
in our trolley it was not as much as I sometimes have so thought we would cope
nicely. There was (then) no-one behind
us in the queue and anyway I always refuse to be rushed, having usually spent a small fortune with their company and being a fairly
regular customer I will take as long as I like thank you( I even buy petrol from them too – and it is an 80 minute round
trip just to shop there).
Anyway, as we started packing I saw there was a girl at the end of the conveyor belt with the customary bucket and I realised that yet again here was someone collecting from some charity or other. I still didn’t want help with packing as I had not that long ago decided not to feel coerced into this from of charity giving. I am becoming increasingly irritated by these people attaching themselves to the checkouts, getting in my way and trying to make me feel beholden to put money in their damned buckets. I know I am not alone as several of the borrowers at the library have voiced similar concerns.
Let’s get it straight, I do give to certain charities and
like to think of myself as kind and caring. I have even worked as a volunteer
years ago for Save the Children. However,
only recently M had to phone Morrisons to complain about the charity collectors
approaching him on his entrance or exit from their store –. I have also been approached and on principle I
ignore them. Anyway, the staff member
from Morrisons said that they have a policy of not letting collectors go within a certain distance of
members of the public. This seems fair
enough if it is adered to. So why have
collectors on every checkout right up close with their damned buckets.
Anyway back to Saturday – we finished our packing – M
politely asking the girl to move out of our way so we could pack (!) - she
only looked about fourteen. I could then
see written on her bucket what she was collecting for, it was the local High
School’s Geography and Business Studies department (s)!
Is it me? I thought
we paid for education in our Council Tax – I know the bulk of our council tax
goes to education in this area (and it’s a lot of money). Good thing. Education is, (well should be) the basis of a
humane and well functioning society. So
why on earth should I want to give money to a local high school which gets
money from the State, one my granddaughters don’t attend anyway and even more to the
point - where and how the hell is the money
going to be spent? When I was at school teachers were paid to teach and we learned. End of
story.
And Business Studies? Will Morrisons have buckets at their
exits asking for charitable donations to run their business next? It is not exactly entrepreneurial to beg with
a bucket while using a form of emotional blackmail to get people to part with
their money (or is it nowadays? Perhaps I am missing something). I would prefer it if my grandchildren spent their free time studying (when not relaxing) and not going out fundraising for their education. Am I
missing something here?
I would have thought that these students, if they had to stoop to
such activities, would have gained more by going to supermarket and other business fatcats and
asking them for money, instead of targeting the low paid, the unemployed and
the old age pensioners – this county (and country) is full of them - let those with all the
money support proper charities with donations or sponsorship. But isn’t that what the (ex
public school boy) Cameron wants – the end of State control and to let Big Business
and Big Brother run the world in their own way.
Anyway, the upshot of this was that when we had finished
packing, M felt sorry for this girl and
ended up giving her some money after all –even though he had no idea what she was collecting for (!) - and
on our way home a row about it ensued between him and me - so it was not a good
start to my weekend.
Where will it end I wonder? Should folk go begging at checkouts for help with
dental treatment costs or operations which they being made to wait for because they
can’t afford to go private. Or money to save public libraries or public
toilets.
What do you think? Do you think I am heartless?
What do you think? Do you think I am heartless?
Go mbeannai Dia duit,
Cait
No, you are not heartless. This is a form of emotional blackmail to my mind. They make you feel sorry for them so you part with money, even though what they are collecting for may not fit in with your charitable donations ethos, and even if you really can't afford it that day.
ReplyDeleteI give to certain local charities, or a local branch of a national charity and have been a volunteer with our local hospice. Like you say, it makes you wonder just what they wanted for the school... if they are that hard up, why aren't the parents organising fund-raisers, or why don't they approach the lottery fund or some such?
Your views, which I agree with, may seem out of date to a younger generation, it seems that standards across the board are slipping, things ain't what they used to be that's for sure, but the sad thing is, nobody seems to mind really. What would have seemed unacceptable a decade or two ago, is now the norm and we are expected to just move with the times and accept it. Change is sometimes good, but unfortunately, sometimes not good at all.
No you are not heartless, I will not let myself be emotionally blackmailed into donating when I don't want to.
ReplyDeleteI was a teacher and I often complained about the money making things our PTA wanted us to do- it was not my job to collect picture money, ask for donations, collect and distribute orders that students had sold. I refused to do it all.
When my own daughter was in school I was outraged when she, among the rest of the students, was asked to go door to door selling stuff. I wouldn't let her do it.
I give to 3 main charities and I do it on a regular basis, as well as making donations to Goodwill.
Enough is enough!
No, you're not heartless. I wouldn't at all appreciate having charities collecting at the end of the grocery lane either. (You have to bag your own groceries?) On the other hand, my opinion is that capitalism far preferable to a state-run system.
ReplyDeleteI can see how you were fed up with this!
ReplyDeleteI am quite happy to give to people collecting for charities on the street.
I wouldn't like it inside a shop.
In the US sometimes they ask you at the supermarket if you want to add $1 for Diabetes or Cancer or Citiharvest to your bill. I usually say yes.
But here they try to get you on the street and make you give your bank account number to give every month....
Charitable giving is such a fraught subject.
I'm rambling! Sorry!
Are you heartless? Definitely not.
ReplyDeleteIn her comment Elizabeth has described various fund-raising methods in place over here. I do not contribute to any of those methods, preferring to make my own charitable contributions quietly, without provocation.
Of course, there are also many ways to make contributions that do not involve money!
xo
Of course you are not heartless!! I like the term 'emotional blackmail.' The only comparable collectors here are at Christmas time, and I always just say I have no cash, which is true. My husband, a teacher, has always disliked the fundraising things the students have to do to raise money - selling fruits, candy, etc. It is the way of the world, because there isn't enough money to pay for things like field trips, etc. My local co-op has a monthly 'partner' to which we may give money but it is only in a little jar at the checkout - no real people there asking.
ReplyDeleteAs for the 'bagging your own groceries' - we had never seen it till we visited England and Wales in 1992. I actually like bagging my own, but over here there are people who do it. I wonder if the groceries would cost less if they didn't hire baggers.
I've become quite hardened to these tactics. I think I might ring the school to complain about their use of students to cajole money out of supermarket patrons. Surely this is not even a legitimate charity. However, even "legitimate" charities are in the habit of blocking the entrance to my local Tesco. Not to mention the door to door callers who ignore my written admonition to bugger off. Charity is indeed personal and we should give to those organizations we love and care about and not cede to pressure.
ReplyDeleteYou have every right to feel the way you do! Here in my neck of the woods, USA, we now have beggars at every freeway offramp and in the parking lots of business's. I want to roll down my window and ask them where their W2's are!Those are income tax forms here in the states :)
ReplyDeletehello cait. i had to leave a comment to say that i wholeheartedly agree with you, this kind of passive aggressive chair collective drives me nuts too.
ReplyDeleteI had a knock on my door the other week. i had just got home, soaking wet, the cats were yelling for food because i was late. I opened the door to a young woman who treed to involve me in inane chat about something or other. I asked her politely what she wanted and she said she was collecting for deaf children. Politely i said no thankyou and went to close the door. oh, you dont care about deaf children then, she snapped as she walked away. i was furious! I do givew to charity, the charities of my choice,. i do not want to be guilt tripped into giving by a rude young woman, no doubt with a set donation target to reach!
Leanne x
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