Monday, April 06, 2009

City Street Solicitors

When you live in a city, the hassle of soliciting does not end with emails and telephone calls, but also continues outside on the streets.

And the thing that royally pisses me off about this, is that these people are constantly in your face and even physically touching you to get you stop on the street and listen to their 20 minute spiel, convincing you to give them CASH or even your CREDIT CARD NUMBER to donate money to various causes.

Yea…like I’m going to give a total stranger on the street my credit card number???

I. Don’t. Think. So.

Perhaps it would be more convenient if I just gave them my debt card and pin number, so they can go to the nearest ATM machine and withdraw whatever they want.

I’m all for causes don’t get me wrong, but when I am personally drawn to a cause, I donate my time in some way to support them, or I will purchase things from a charity thrift store that gives money to a cause I believe in. But I will not randomly donate money on the streets.

And for those of you who live in a city, you can understand why.

Now the ridiculous thing about these solicitors, is that they don’t even use common sense when stopping people. One time during a horrendous summer heat wave, a girl tried to stop me while I was carrying TWO bags of groceries; asking if I had a few minutes to talk. Why would you walk up to someone who was profusely sweating and carrying two bags of groceries in 102 degree heat (with frozen items) and expect them to stop and chat?

I also had someone try to stop me during a torrential downpour, while I was RUNNING to work because I had no umbrella.

And some of these solicitors can get very nasty, because if you don’t stop, they SHOUT at you as you walk away.

I actually had one guy who was soliciting money for some political cause in front of City Hall, and when I politely said, “No, I’m sorry…I don’t donate money on the street. Have a nice day” he shouted, “Yea…and that’s why your hairline is receding, because you’re an uncaring ASSHOLE!”

(I kid you not)

And after I heard him, I paused for a second…and then walked away as fast as I could, because I truly feared for the spontaneous combustion of a street solicitor.

So instead, I imagined myself as Joan Crawford, shouting back….

With love,

Mommie Dearest