Scratchcard seller in Tesco carpark Letterkenny..?

rightyabe

Just wondering does anyone know who he is or were he's from cause as long as I remember he's always been there selling scratchcards for Polio I think?

Also does anyone win on the cards cause I used to buy them years ago and never won and then I stopped cause it got very annoying sitting in the car waiting on the women to come out and him coming round to you maybe twice. I watch him most saturdays i'm down and even in the rain or snow he's selling, even to people putting shopping and prams into their cars he'll stand there waiting on them to 90% of the time say no.

Would he not be better getting a wee chair and table and sit inside? but i'm sure most people would just walk past him then.

I really hate sitting in the car now waiting on him to come, it kind of puts me of going there now. A friend of mine once bought 10 cards of him and said to him if he didn't win on any of them he'd never buy one again, he didn't win and never bought one since..

Also did he ever get rewarded for his service to the charities he sells for?

Anyone else know who I'm on about?

annascott

I used to know this man's twin brother. An absolute gentleman, polite, intelligent etc. The ticket seller (conquer cancer!) guy is completely harmless. He has a slight learning difficulty caused by a birth accident - something to do with lack of oxygen. He is extremely repetitive to the point of OCD and yes, has been selling those tickets for over 25 years. He also is unaware of 'boundaries' so would see nothing wrong with tapping on your car window if he saw you sitting there. There is nothing dodgy or untrustworthy about him and he certainly means no harm. Please just be polite in your refusal if you don't want a ticket. He is doing his best to keep busy, and his dedication would put most of us to shame.

rightyabe

Thats what I thought annascott, sometimes I pretend to be sleeping because I hate saying no to him.

Did you ever win on a card though?:D

annascott

ok - no, I have never won on a ticket but I am ashamed to say that I have only bought about ten over the last twenty years. Pretending to be asleep won't necessarily exempt you from his attention either. I remember once half sleeping in the sun while a friend was shopping. He stuck his hand in through the open window and waggled the scratchcard in front of my face. I really screamed. I felt bad afterwards but he gave me a terrible fright...

rightyabe

ha. saw him one time standing showing a ticket to a women and the pieces of paper in her hand blew away so she went running after them and eventually got them and when she came back he was still standing there ready to sell her a ticket, priceless!!!

Also many a time he knocked on me window too..

Harps

Always wondered who the guy was, he's been going as long as I can remember, regardless of the weather. He can be annoying with the window knocking but no harm I guess

annascott

Poor guy. He just doesn't have an understanding of people's moods or feelings. Sort of like Aspergers but without the intelligence. I like the way he has a hat for every weather scenario. He lives in Letterkenny and walks everywhere. He must be very fit as he doesn't drink or smoke or eat take-aways. I know that dealing with him can be a bit inconvenient if I am in a hurry, but I would miss him if he wasn't there...;)

rightyabe

Saw him today wearing a tweed suit and hat and it roasting out side, as the fella get a feed in the friars rest said "it mus be da humididy"

annascott

Don't get the Friars Rest joke..

rightyabe

annascott wrote: »

Don't get the Friars Rest joke..

It must be the humidity...

an old fella chatting about the heat said it to me only he said "hum-mid-a-dee" was funny at the time trying to keep a straight face:D

oranbhoy67

Yeah i see him all the time.. fair play to him i just hope the money is going to charity, im sure it is
Off topic i dont mean to sound like a meanie here but the people that annoy me are the ones packing your bags in Tesco..i feel its forced on you a bit its not as if your going to refuse them & have them standing there watching you & the cashier there too..

sometimes ive been totally skint & gave them my last few euro.. think its a bit of emotional blackmail tbh ..if i see them now i just go to the self service machines.

stephendevlin

I used to always think he was saying cock cancer

rightyabe

stephendevlin wrote: »

I used to always think he was saying cock cancer

I thought he said "cancer and polio"

oranbhoy67

stephendevlin wrote: »

I used to always think he was saying cock cancer

Hahaha ive never heard him saying anything he usually just flashes the cards at me!

stephendevlin

I dunno what he says but everytime he says it thats what it sounds like (he says it that fast)

stephendevlin

maybe it was card for cancer he was saying but just how it sounded

mikedone

What he says is "conquer cancer" or alternatively "cancer or polio".
He's been doing it for at least 25 years around the town, it's worth while to see what happens if someone claims a win. He examines the card with a magnifying glass the size of a lens from Jodrell Bank and then hands the winner the value in more cards. Happened to my ex, the look on her face was priceless LOL

annascott

mikedone wrote: »

What he says is "conquer cancer" or alternatively "cancer or polio".
He's been doing it for at least 25 years around the town, it's worth while to see what happens if someone claims a win. He examines the card with a magnifying glass the size of a lens from Jodrell Bank and then hands the winner the value in more cards. Happened to my ex, the look on her face was priceless LOL

:eek:

annascott

oranbhoy67 wrote: »

Yeah i see him all the time.. fair play to him i just hope the money is going to charity, im sure it is
Off topic i dont mean to sound like a meanie here but the people that annoy me are the ones packing your bags in Tesco..i feel its forced on you a bit its not as if your going to refuse them & have them standing there watching you & the cashier there too..

sometimes ive been totally skint & gave them my last few euro.. think its a bit of emotional blackmail tbh ..if i see them now i just go to the self service machines.

You might enjoy this. I found it laugh out funny...
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/kevin-myers/kevin-myers-say-no-to-charity-muggers-at-supermarket-checkouts-2397798.html

K-9

There was a piece in the Donegal News Letterkenny 400 supplement about this guy. He has travelled extensively in Donegal photographing archaeology sites for years, which considering he doesn't drive takes a bit of effort. The photographs might have been in an exhibition for the 400 but I'm not 100% on that.

oranbhoy67

annascott wrote: »

You might enjoy this. I found it laugh out funny...
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/kevin-myers/kevin-myers-say-no-to-charity-muggers-at-supermarket-checkouts-2397798.html

Haha i have to agree with the guy here.. apart from his dig at unions..a lot of these "charities" in Tesco have been football & dancing clubs which i have no intention of funding.. from now on they arent getting another cent from me.. i like to choose which charity to give to ..not have them forced on me when im going about my daily buisness.

Paddysnapper

oranbhoy67 wrote: »

Haha i have to agree with the guy here.. apart from his dig at unions..a lot of these "charities" in Tesco have been football & dancing clubs which i have no intention of funding.. from now on they arent getting another cent from me.. i like to choose which charity to give to ..not have them forced on me when im going about my daily buisness.

Utterly my own thoughts on the matter!:mad:

sollar

stephendevlin wrote: »

I used to always think he was saying cock cancer

I used to think the same, i remember him from when i was a kid too seems like he has been there forever.

donegal11

I won €20 on the first and only scratch card I bought from him, but I didn't bother to collect the winnings didn't feel right taking the money of the polio charity.

muffler

donegal11 wrote: »

I won €20 on the first and only scratch card I bought from him, but I didn't bother to collect the winnings didn't feel right taking the money of the polio charity.

And do you think this guy doesnt get his slice of the cake either?

Senna

muffler wrote: »

And do you think this guy doesnt get his slice of the cake either?

In fairness if we knew what he makes from the cards and the amount of money he has made for the charity over the years, no one here would question his actions (not saying you were:D), i'm sure he lives on some sort of welfare payments and not the pittance from these cards.
He's a nice man and although most of us hate to see him coming, he has to be applauded for his perseverance.

cosanostra

From what iv seen of him he doesn't sell that many cards (not for the want of trying hes very persistent) but id say he probably earns as much returning abandoned trolleys for the euro!

Bob Z

mikedone wrote: »

What he says is "conquer cancer" or alternatively "cancer or polio".
He's been doing it for at least 25 years around the town, it's worth while to see what happens if someone claims a win. He examines the card with a magnifying glass the size of a lens from Jodrell Bank and then hands the winner the value in more cards. Happened to my ex, the look on her face was priceless LOL

So if you won he doesnt give you the money?

mikedone

Bob Z wrote: »

So if you won he doesnt give you the money?

She only won a fiver as far as I remember, it was a few years ago and he just handed her five more tickets. I guess if we had made a fuss he would have given her the money but I was too creased with laughter to be any use to her.
I think if you get any sort of substantial sum you have to post off the ticket to claim it.

ItsLikeThis

oranbhoy67 wrote: »

Yeah i see him all the time.. fair play to him i just hope the money is going to charity, im sure it is
Off topic i dont mean to sound like a meanie here but the people that annoy me are the ones packing your bags in Tesco..i feel its forced on you a bit its not as if your going to refuse them & have them standing there watching you & the cashier there too..

sometimes ive been totally skint & gave them my last few euro.. think its a bit of emotional blackmail tbh ..if i see them now i just go to the self service machines.

Agreed, what really bugs me is the collectors you get in the middle of the road with the buckets. Seems to be getting more common. Isn't it a bit dangerous?