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

[ron_newman]

I'm not aware of any city ordinance prohibiting busking. Are you sure about this?

[nyusha81.livejournal.com]

oh man, I cannot stand those people. I often think that this street-team approach is actually doing a disservice to the cause, because I now i just want to hide every time I hear "save the children". I've actually changed where I walk because they irritate me so much.

[maelithil.livejournal.com]

Whine harder.

[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.

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

And as far as I know, there's no street performer permits in Somerville either. Cambridge and the MBTA require them, and Brookline bans street performers entirely, but I don't think permits are required anywhere else around here, including Boston.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, since it's not inconceivable that I'd busk in Somerville at some point.

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

You should tell local businesses that you no longer walk past them because you want to avoid these people. I bet that would get the attention of some businesspeople!

[lonelyholiday.livejournal.com]

I've actually changed where I walk because they irritate me so much.
I agree with koshmom. The Porter Dunkin Donuts in particular should object, because I walk by both there and the Brueggers every morning on my way to work. I usually stop at DD for coffee, but when there's a solicitor out front, I'll cross the street earlier and go to Brueggers instead. The Amnesty/Save the Children kids are costing DD my hard-earned $2 many, many days.

It especially annoys me when there are three or four of them from the same organization in a couple-block radius and I have to put on my polite face to turn them ALL down, over and over. Though I know it sounds totally insane (because it probably wears on them a lot more being constantly turned down, and probably by people a lot ruder than me), it really starts to wear on me when I have to walk by six or seven solicitors and/or panhandlers in one trip. My lovely parents have instilled such guilt and such a constant need to be polite to EVERYONE that no matter how nicely I say "sorry" or "no thanks" or "not today" or whatever, I STILL get kind of upset and feel really guilty about it.

Like I said, I'm crazy, and I know that. Doesn't make me feel any better about it. I really take it to heart that each person probably thinks I'm cold-hearted.

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

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

This is a brilliant idea and I hope some adventurous MASSPIRG chapter takes it on.

[miss-lisa-ma.livejournal.com]

I actually complaiend to the HQ of Save the Children about one of their teams in Quincy Center recently. They were so aggressive, rude and self-righteous they were driving people away, taking 4 or 5 "no"'s and challenging you on every response before they'd leave you alone. Not the greatest approach to compel people to see you and your cause sympathetically.

I got a very nice response from HQ. Haven't seen the little buggers back. They really need a new coach/supervisor/whatever.

[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.

[ron_newman]

I remember when Cambridge adopted their permit system. The problem they needed to solve was too many performers in too small a space trying to out-amplify each other, which annoyed the neighbors and everyone else in Harvard Square.

So far this has not been a problem in Somerville.

[ron_newman]

I don't think it's really whining. The constant solicitations on Elm Street are a real annoyance. I give to some of these organizations but do so by mail and not because someone is harassing me on the street.

[stormsdotter.livejournal.com]

I tend to say, "No thanks," and keep walking. These people plague the area near where I work, and they drive me crazy. If one of them had a guitar, and a box for change, I'd be much more likely to give them a dollar.

I do not like giving money to beggars. People who improve the noise of the city I try to give something to, even if it's just a quarter.

[maelithil.livejournal.com]

I agree that the solicitors are a giant pain in the ass, I really do. What I find whiny is the term "political missionaries" and, well, the tried and true "what's up with the priorities here" sob story.

It would be a much more constructive post if it were asking where one could complain to the local authorities/charities chapters involved/businesses to minimize the impact those volunteers have than to simply play the WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU POEPLE card.

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

such folx get one polite "no", and if they persist, it depends on how good or bad my day has been what phrase they get next ;) it's performance art :)

#

[ron_newman]

I'm thinking this may be a reasonable topic to bring up with DARBI or the Davis Square Task Force or both.

[whaler.livejournal.com]

I don't even think you could hand them cash to "give to green peace" they want you credit card number/bank account and monthly donations.

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

I feel badly for the kids doing this. They mean well and they want to work at a job that satisfies their desire to make a positive impact. But the system itself sucks- these kids are paid crap plus commission, so yeah, they're eager to try to get donations. That's not to say I don't cross the street or tell them I'm in favor of nuking whales and then using the bones to club seals when I'm feeling a bit peckish and in no mood to be approached. But still, I do understand where they're coming from.

And thanks to all who support musicians. My wife might be one of them out there after she arrives. :)

[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.

[nyusha81.livejournal.com]

yes

[nyusha81.livejournal.com]

that's actually a very good idea.

[nyusha81.livejournal.com]

again, agreeing with you :)

[tober.livejournal.com]

I would even argue that a prohibition on busking or even requiring busking permits[1], at least under certain circumstances, infringes unacceptably on one's first amendment rights. Particularly, for example, it is possible for busking to be a form of political statement and if it is done in a public place and in a manner that does not unreasonably interfere with other users of that space and if it is not overly loud then that very much ought to be considered a protected activity. Further, busking is really not an act of commerce even if the performer leaves his instrument case open to receive tips. Donation-soliciting, on the other hand, in many cases is a commercial activity especially when, as is often the case, the person soliciting donations is an employee of a for-profit organization that has been hired by a non-profit group for the purpose of fund-raising. Thus, it seems to me that, if anything, fund-raising ought to be considered a less-constitutionally-protected activity than busking.

[1] I don't like the idea of needing a busking permit but if they're going to be required (as they are in Cambridge) then I think they're only acceptable if they are "must issue" and provided on a non-discriminatory basis and only for the purpose of controlling the density of busking in popular locations.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Boston I'm fairly sure there's some sort of process in place, but if I remember correctly it's fairly loose. Ever since Quincy Market lost that 1st Amendment lawsuit, the city's been understandably lax on enforcing any permit laws it may have.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Somerville has absolutely no permit process for busking whatsoever. So, basically, those kids COULD strap on a guitar.

As for limiting canvassers, I refer you to the Bill of Rights, Amendment One.