Chuggers

Whereisgalway

Can barely walk 50 metres down shop street without some kid trying to sell these scratch cards, no idea what 'charity' they are but some of them are quite aggressive

buzz11

Totally, the city streets are jammed with chancers from all over....

Mrs OBumble

No eye contact, mutter no "no eess engleesh" if spoken to. No problem.

Zzippy

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

No eye contact, mutter no "no eess engleesh" if spoken to. No problem.

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

No eye contact, mutter no "no eess engleesh" if spoken to. No problem.

Say it twice for effect? :pac:

Mrs OBumble

Zzippy wrote: »

Say it twice for effect? :pac:

Fecking wifi X touch bugs!

ben.schlomo

Dont find them bad this year at all, its always the Amnesty ones that are the worst.

Whereisgalway

Surely the council can do something about this, have general code of conduct

ben.schlomo

Whereisgalway wrote: »

Surely the council can do something about this, have general code of conduct

Why? Wheres the need. Person asks other person for support, other person says no thanks, everyone gets on with their lives.

Whereisgalway

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Why? Wheres the need. Person asks other person for support, other person says no thanks, everyone gets on with their lives.

14 times I got asked to donate money to various causes yesterday, some even followed me for a couple of meters pleading their cases.

The amnesty international are very passive aggressive and nearly put people off hanging around town to browse around shops etc

FouxDaFaFa

I would like to see some kind of act or legislation whereby if a charity collector makes a living wage from collecting, they are obligated to say so.

I'm sure a lot of people donating wouldn't enjoy knowing the guy they're giving their money to takes a hefty percentage of it or works through commission.

There's also the problem of scam collectors. I called the guards about a woman who was pretending to be deaf and collecting for a charity that does not do collections in Galway. They didn't really care.

galljga1

You never see anyone collecting for alzheimers.
"i'm raising money for...... eh..... Nevermind...."

JONJO THE MISER

Never seem to have a problem with them, i just walk past and blank them out if they get in my face.

ben.schlomo

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

Never seem to have a problem with them, i just walk past and blank them out if they get in my face.

Seems others are a bit more sensitive to the issue, beggars belief.;)

Diabhal Beag

I never have a problem with them. If I don't know the charity before seeing a chugger I just say sorry and usually they're grand or stare a hole through you without abuse, which is all I ask really.

biko

If they're hot I ask for their phone number.
That usually makes things awkward enough for them to leave.

feelgoodinc27

I don't give money to any charity that has chuggers out the whole time, they are worse than actual beggars.

branie2

I've never been bothered by them

Squeeonline

feelgoodinc27 wrote: »

I don't give money to any charity that has chuggers out the whole time, they are worse than actual beggars.

I'd throw a few coppers at them if it would get them to leave me alone, but they don't want that. They want me to sign up with a monthly direct debit. Yeah, I feel really comfortable with giving some randomer on the street my bank details....

doolox

....now seem to have Chuggers especially for Barnados and Amnesty two "charities" I will not be giving a cent to.

It is becoming harder to shop now with people at the doors trying to stop you or worse people at the tills begging. I refuse to give them anything as I have my own way of sorting out donations and will not give to any charity without first researching the pay levels of staff working for the charity.

I also prefer to ignore sports, cultural or other non essential charities, why should I subsidise someone elses hobby when they don't subsidise mine?

Lextalionis13

Not lived in Galway for about a year and a half, been back for the day once - they really do spoil Shop Street. It's one thing when they sort of approach and you ignore/say no thanks and they leave you, but they seemed to start shipping down really Billy-Barry kid types who'd try to be funny and start literally grabbing at you from Dublin or somewhere.

ben.schlomo

Lextalionis13 wrote: »

Not lived in Galway for about a year and a half, been back for the day once - they really do spoil Shop Street. It's one thing when they sort of approach and you ignore/say no thanks and they leave you, but they seemed to start shipping down really Billy-Barry kid types who'd try to be funny and start literally grabbing at you from Dublin or somewhere.

Never once had this happen and i live in the city centre.

Mrs OBumble

Squeeonline wrote: »

They want me to sign up with a monthly direct debit. Yeah, I feel really comfortable with giving some randomer on the street my bank details....

If you ever have some time to kill in town, it's entertaining to let one of them give you the full speil, make them think you're interested ... and then when they're about to sign you up say "Oh, but I don''t have a bank account, is that a problem?" The look on their face can be priceless.

I don't usually encourage picking on low-paid workers, they're just average people like the rest of us, trying to make enough to pay the rent. But make an exception for chuggers doing the sign-up routines, because they know what they're getting in to.

Lextalionis13

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Never once had this happen and i live in the city centre.

Which part, the kids imported from elsewhere being intrusive or the physically grabbing bit?

pleasant Co.

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Never once had this happen and i live in the city centre.

I have, and on one occasion one of these chugger types even went so far as to pull my headphones off my head, can't say I reacted in a jovial manner.

Lextalionis13

pleasant Co. wrote: »

I have, and on one occasion one of these chugger types even went so far as to pull my headphones off my head, can't say I reacted in a jovial manner.

That's the kind of **** they pull though, someone's told them they're cheeky and charming once and it's gone to their heads - very common for chuggers to start asking people for hugs and reaching for your hand to shake it before even letting on who they are just to "lock you in" like the gullible eejit some people must be.

branie2

have the Gardai ever intervened?

Squeeonline

Lextalionis13 wrote: »

That's the kind of **** they pull though, someone's told them they're cheeky and charming once and it's gone to their heads - very common for chuggers to start asking people for hugs and reaching for your hand to shake it before even letting on who they are just to "lock you in" like the gullible eejit some people must be.

I was handed a toy once "could you hold this for a second?" Then they proceeded to talk to me as if they had made some kind of connection.

I've had others recognise me like friends, and the clueless person I am thought it was someone I had just forgotten about. Then I see the small ID at their belts, and move on.

They used to be highly visible, all wearing the same bright coloured tshirts but now they blend in.

Stealthfins

Turn the tables on them.
Tell them you're broke and need a fiver to get some bread eggs and milk.

I did that once,you should see their reaction lol

tightropetom

If they ask "Can I talk to you for a second?", just reply "You already have."

If they persist - you could try this approach: (warning NSFW)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjdHZPKPUB8

FouxDaFaFa

FouxDaFaFa wrote: »

There's also the problem of scam collectors. I called the guards about a woman who was pretending to be deaf and collecting for a charity that does not do collections in Galway. They didn't really care.

They're Romas.

I was in Berlin last year and it was pretty rife over there among their younger population.

Same crap, pretend they cant talk and having a clipboard with donations wrote out.

Wasn't back a week before I saw them at it here, saw one at it again lately but that was the first time in a year.

I guess its a summer season scam, get the unwitting tourists.

The ones I really hate are those scummy lads you get collecting cash in buckets etc...
That should be outright illegal, as if the charities get anything from those lads.
They make me sick.
I spend a bit of time in Athlone and its even more rife with those sorts.
All done by lads you'd expect to see outside a court, don't even present themselves as decent citizens(tracksuits etc).

pmasterson95

Lextalionis13 wrote: »

Not lived in Galway for about a year and a half, been back for the day once - they really do spoil Shop Street. It's one thing when they sort of approach and you ignore/say no thanks and they leave you, but they seemed to start shipping down really Billy-Barry kid types who'd try to be funny and start literally grabbing at you from Dublin or somewhere.

pleasant Co. wrote: »

I have, and on one occasion one of these chugger types even went so far as to pull my headphones off my head, can't say I reacted in a jovial manner.

Should just smile politely and tell them that if they dare grab your arm to restrain you and prevent you moving away from them or if they try to grab at your possesions again would they like to face assault charges.