The Tellytubbygiraffe exposes the dark art of chugging today.
An investigation in this weekend’s Sunday Telegraph has found that one of the country’s biggest street fundraising companies failed to abide by a series of regulations governing their conduct as they solicit on behalf of leading charities.
This is one of those “where have you been all this time?” exposés. I mean, we already knew all of this before, didn’t we? So what took the Telegraph so long to catch up? And that much of what is raised ends up going to the company that employs the chuggers, not the charity – yeah, we knew that, too.
I do find it interesting when watching these people try to educate their charges in the various psychological sales techniques to trap unsuspecting members of the public.
Personally, I find that a firm “no” usually works. I might have to repeat it for those who think that asking twice might elicit a different answer, but I never, ever, give into these coves.
One of the questions being asked is; should it be banned? Much as I despise the practice, I have to say no to that one. It is up to the public to educate themselves and refuse their solicitations. It really isn’t difficult. These organisations only do it because there are those too weak willed to resist.
O.K. Thats a new one on me…what is “Chugging”?
I have heard it used when drinking, as in “Chugging a liter of Beer”, but in this context?
Charity Mugging. People stop you in the street and try to sign you up to a direct debit for the relevant charity. It’s a form of aggressive begging.
O.K. Thanks. Amazing how language changes so quickly.
Pity…I got stopped by a lovely girl named Amy the other day on behalf of Tiger Conservation, and I was already wearing a tiger conservation wristband (from a genuine charity, of course).
If I hadn’t already known that she was a freelance chugger, well…I’ll just let my imagination do the rest.
I had one pretty girlie try to stop me “for a chat” about the nspcc in Huddersfield a few months back.
She was a bit taken aback when told she was working for a bunch of anti-smacking nutters whose agenda is to criminalize 94% of parents and have not saved a single child from real abuse in decades.
I popped into Boots and when I emerged 10 minutes later there was no sign of either her or her colleagues. Result?