Do you have a moment for the environment?
July 1st, 2009
Surely you’ve encountered “chuggers”–the British term for those young people employed to accost you on the street and ask for donations or signatures for a worthy cause. (Charity + muggers = “chuggers.” I do love the Brits.)
Slate’s Sandy Stonesifer sorts out the ethical and etiquette dilemmas these folks pose. Good read. (Amusingly, the person who wrote her about this is from Boston. I wonder which group of activists she encounters most often? I run into them in Harvard Square, of course, and at Porter outside my gym. Et vous, if you’re local?)
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Oh, interesting. They are the robins of Coolidge Corner — a sign of spring. I no longer feel bad about smiling politely and shaking my head after someone from Greenpeace angrily lectured me about the dangers of apathy when I declined to stop once after a bad day. (I wanted to turn around and lecture him on the dangers of yelling at passersby who might be at the end of their emotional ropes but thought better of it.)
For me, I just don’t like the idea of my information sitting in someone’s backpack or in full view on their clipboard all day. My job is so focused on the importance of data security, and it’s all I can think of in those situations.
I see them everywhere. Copley Square after work, Coolidge Corner on my way home, Harvard Square when I’m over there, Downtown Crossing. These guys are everywhere at once. Sometimes I recognize from different places too. I always smile and say I don’t have time at the moment. But honestly it gets very annoying after a while. It’s like a daily annoyance now.
Thanks for sharing the article.
I’m a pretty charitable person, but I avoid the canvassers whenever I can. If I care enough about the cause, you can bet I’m donating to the charity directly (either my time or money in better times).
Even if they’re only asking for a signature, not money, I’m quite warry. Back when people were trying to get gay marrage reversed in MA, I read stories of people being tricked into signing a petition by saying it was for another ballot initative (selling wine in grocery stores.)
The last time I talked to a canvasser it was in Downtown Crossing. The Fund for Public Intrest has an office in the same building as a company I was interviewing at. I was asked to give a recuring donation to save the children of $48. I looked at the canvaser and said, “I’m sorry, but I was laid off last week. I donate to charities directly when I have paychecks coming in.” I felt a little bad afterwards because the canvaser looked genuinly sad for me when I told him my story.
Also, I find it funny that my feed reader listed your post, followed by this one about a man posing as a Spare Change seller: http://community.livejournal.com/b0st0n/6668042.html
The term “Chuggers” has now become part of my lexicon.
I volunteer at a homeless shelter in Back Bay almost every day and am accosted by Chuggers in Copley Square all the time. Sometimes I give a guilty smile and say I don’t have time, but that gets tiring when there’s one posted every ten yards on Boylston. However, I also feel bad ignoring them; they’re just doing their job. I can never decide what’s the best thing to do– decline every canvasser’s request to talk, or just ignore them all.
I did once stop to talk to a Save the Children rep, and we had a delightful debate in Coolidge Corner on working for a human rights organization vs. donating (since I also do the former). We didn’t end up talking about saving the children, and I think that’s what made the encounter enjoyable.
I just smile and give a cheery, guilt-free “No!” when asked if I have five minutes to save the ailing whatevers. It’s really an atrocious, back-firing way to raise either money or awareness. All of the telemarketing annoyance plus a delicious guilt-trip.
I’m certainly missing something obvious, but I can’t imagine that canvassing is actually a financial (or branding) plus for charitable organizations. It’s not something that small not-for-profits (like mine) or even mid-size ones do, the overhead is too huge for not much return. It seems to be the most heavy-handed, assertive groups like Greenpeace that do it the most, maybe out of of some institutional habit, or bizarre hope that it helps persuade random strangers to a cause? There’s very little cold-calling anymore (does spam count as cold-calling?). Even if you’re a small not-for-profit, you target your donors carefully so you don’t waste anyone’s time or money.
I also don’t have much faith that petitions EVER do any good. Especially the internet petitions, which seem like the height of slacktivism to me. If anyone has evidence that petitions are actually helpful, I’d love to hear it. Otherwise, I’ll gladly keep ignoring them.
they used to stand outside the starbucks on 59th street and 9th ave in NYC….a location I had to walk past in order to get to my classes at john jay college. so they are not unique to boston.
so no i don’t have time for the environment, gay rights, aids research, or whatever else you’re trying to get me to give money/time for…I JUST WANT TO GET TO CLASS! Crank up the ipod, nod and smile….and walk faster.
I have lucked into the best possible brush-off for chuggers: “Sorry, I’m a journalist, I can’t sign anything.”
I recommend people use it even if it’s a lie. Especially if, like mine, your chuggers are hanging around the National Press Building.
This is a late post since I’m catching up from last week, but I thought that I’d say I just ran into my first chugger in awhile outside Park Street on the common. I certainly tried to be nice to him and we had a semi-amusing exchange, “You sure you don’t want to sponsor a child?” “Me, yup still no” [pause] “How about now?”
I don’t know if everyone would be amused but given what kind of a job it is I thought there are worse things!
Love fillyjonk’s suggestion too…