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

[thebostonreader.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I feel a little sorry for them because they are so earnest, and I know they don't make a lot of money, but I also go out of my way to avoid them.

The approach must work, though, or the PIRGs wouldn't keep sending them out every day, right? I don't think I've ever given them money or signed up on their clipboards or whatever they are looking for. I actually don't really know because I avoid them so much.

[lonelyholiday.livejournal.com]

Ha, this kind of goes along with my over-long comment above. I really wonder how this works out for them because I see three or four of the SAME PEOPLE from the SAME ORGANIZATIONS over and over... I would assume in places like Davis and Porter, you have mostly the same people walking by all the time, not a high turnover of new faces/new potential customers (customers? donators?) like you would in a touristy area or something.

So what kind of return are they getting? Do they snag a new person or two every day who hasn't seen them before? Do they just finally wear people down, and when they see MASSPIRG for the billion-and-first time, they suddenly say "Hey, I should donate"? Hasn't happened to me yet, and I've been walking by those dudes for probably 6 years now.

It just seems like they should be changing it up more often. But clearly I'm no expert.

[toilandtrouble.livejournal.com]

The catch is that they cannot accept a one-time donation. If you're going to give via the clipboard carrier on the street, you have to commit to an automatic monthly donation of some sort via credit card or your bank account.

I got suckered in by Greenpeace a few months ago on Elm Street in Davis and resent that I'm now giving them $15/month. Yes, I could call and cancel, but I don't want to hear their spiel again. I'll get up the gumption to do it at some point. At least I have an excuse not to talk to the clipboard carriers anymore!

[nonnihil.livejournal.com]

Usually you can just cancel it with your credit card company and you'll never have to talk to them again.

I've also heard good things about the newish single-use credit card numbers for dealing with scams of this sort.

[nyusha81.livejournal.com]

i don't think this approach works - i'm pretty sure they get a very minimum pay plus commission which is why they're super-cheap to have for the organization. I'm sure the HQ thinks they're "raising brand awareness" or something.

[mihmo.livejournal.com]

i dont think they are that earnest or interested in their cause or other human beings really

first off, every single person trying to go to the davis sq farmers market this wednesday was accosted. i'm just trying to get groceries, i'm not interested. but i humor them. i tell him right off the top, i just paid over $600 to get my car repaired, i am hurting for money and have none for you. he insists on pushing it anyway. he blows through some statistics that seem wrong to me, like 80% of waste in massachusetts could be recycled or otherwise processed and is not. so i ask him, what about the deer island treatment plant? is that being counted in your statistic? and he has NO IDEA what deer island is. you would think if he were an earnest MA little tree hugger he would have at least heard of the deer island treatment plant, no?

blocking the entrance way to the farmers market is definitely totally not cool though.