A good day

[pch1.livejournal.com]

So I knew yesterday was going to be a good day when I was able to walk by both Starbucks and Diesel Cafe without being approached by any of the kids repping Save The GreenPeace Children from Masspirg.  Then I started to wonder, why is it that these guys can so relentlessly solicit donations everyday, yet if they were to put down their clipboards and strap on a guitar and play for donations they could be ticketed or asked to stop for performing without a permit.

What's up with the priorities around here.  I'd much rather be passing by a street performer than a political missionary.

Comments

Hee

[shadow1869.livejournal.com]

I work for a group that solicits donations, but never ever gives out stuff like that (we believe in spending the donation on, y'know, the cause) and people complain about it all the time! I've had several people refuse to give another donation for the explicitly stated reason that we "didn't give them anything" I usually hope that they're saying it just to get rid of me because otherwise I find it pretty silly.

Extroverts can do it

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

And even enjoy it. You are not the right kind of person for it, apparently.

me too

[svilletheatre.livejournal.com]

I also did this when I was 18 and I agree it was the worst job I'd ever had - and I'd worked kitchens. They would drop us off in the middle of some suburb and I'd spend all day getting doors slammed in my face before they picked me up at the end of the day. Because I was never able to hit their quota, I was always just paid minimum wage. I lasted two weeks! It's actually how I got into working at movie theaters, because I decided that I needed an indoor air conditioned job for the summer, so I quit and became an usher!

-Ian/Somerville Theatre

Re: me too

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

It's like the job of guys who sell crap (i.e., cosmetics) with their carts at various malls. I remember reading an article about only really extroverted people can make it and continue.

[callmetothejedi.livejournal.com]

I interviewed for a job with Grassroots Campaigns earlier this year. The second part of my interview consisted of going out with a team of people and canvassing in Roslindale. I quickly discovered that I hated going door to door, asking for donations, and I decided that working for Grassroots Campaigns was not the job for me.

[soft-shoulder.livejournal.com]

No joke! I've been unemployed for the last month and so now when the pan handlers and solicitors beg for donations I can honestly say I'm unemployed and poor which helps alleviate some of my guilt burden. Rahr.

My favorite incident came about two months ago when I walked the twenty minutes from home to Mikes in Davis to custom order a slice of pizza, I had been craving something awful, to take home with me. No sooner did I walk out of Mikes then some hippie girl with a guitar sitting on the ground all lazy like, "CAN I HAVE A PIECE OF PIZZA!?!!" uhhhh, "No you may not I just custom order 1 slice, I have none to share". "OH FINE BE THAT WAY!"

=(

[elements.livejournal.com]

I had a similar encounter at Pride. They hadn't remotely altered their "Do you have a minute for gay rights?" pitch, and I finally said to one that given I'd just spent the whole day at a queer event, perhaps the issue wasn't whether I had a minute for gay rights, but whether their org had a minute for the rights of any more marginalized queer populations. Doubt it could have any effect, but it really irked me to be asked if I "had a minute" when I was clearly attending an explicitly queer event.