What say you?

[Medusa]

I just came back from the bank where there were firefighters at each entrance and exit. At first I thought there might have been a fire or an explosion at the bank. No. The firefighters were standing in the middle of the road, on the yellow line, holding out a boot for drivers to drop money into. They got ya going into the bank or coming out, no escape. They weren't even standing on the side of the road but right in the middle! I can recall when this happened right after 9/11. A firefighter ran right out in front of my car and yelled something. I put my window down and he said "Put some money in the boot for fire fighters!"

I feel I should say that I have the utmost respect for fire fighters. No amount of money is worth a life lost. However, there's got to be a better way to ask for donations than this. Money should be given from a loving and generous heart; otherwise, they're shaming people into giving, not to mention that stopping traffic and standing on the yellow line is just plain dangerous. As I was coming out of the bank and walking to my car, I observed the facial expressions of some of the drivers. Most were shocked b/c they, too, probably thought something bad had happened. A few of them waved the fire fighter out of their way and kept on driving. Some gave but most didn't.

It's becoming oppressive in these parts b/c of all the people asking for donations. Scantily clad girls screaming "Car wash!", veterans stopping us when we enter or exist the grocery store, kids going door-to-door selling everything from candy to light bulbs. Light bulbs, really? What's next, door knobs? I give b/c I want to give and I give generously but to organizations that are my choice and not b/c someone else thinks I should. And when I refuse, I don't appreciate hearing "So you don't care about kids' futures then?" (or fill in the blank w/the word "veteran" or "fire fighter" or "the disabled" or whatever.) One woman who works at a hair salon actually had a jar on her work station asking for donations for her 3 year old daughter so that she can go to cheerleading camp! And, of course, we can't forget the victims of natural and man made disasters. It's nearly an every day occurrence now but I won't allow it to annoy me to the point where I stop giving. I'll still be selective, though. I wonder how many others feel this way.

What say you?

[Lady's Human]

I don't give where I'm unsure where the money is going. Period.

We give to the church, and the church uses the money for missions.

We give food to the church food bank, and it goes to the needy.

I will occasionally donate to the American Legion.

I will not donate to the Red Cross, sorry, too many shenanigans with that money.

The various and sundry disaster relief donations that are constantly requested? I remember all too well the insanity that went on with the money donated to the 9/11 victims funds, and have a hard time donating to a charity organization when the head of the charity makes more than the CEO of some companies.

I don't give to panhandlers, whether they're firefighters or just the regular ones on the street.

[pomtzu]

Well Mary - I have to say that I agree. You can't go to the bank or mall or grocery store, without someone trying to nail you for a donation for something. I've gotten to the point where I just say - "sorry - I don't carry cash - only my ATM card", which really is the truth most of the time. I donate to who I want, and I just won't let anyone make me think I'm a cheapskate by not dumping money into every jar, canister, bucket, boot, or whatever.
My rural fire company exists only thru donations since it is a volunteer, and not a paid company. Their equipment, firehouse, training, etc is funded thru donations only. I give to them during their fund drive once a year, and to the Cancer Society and Heart Association. When I was working, 100% of what I had withheld from my check for The United Way, went to the DE Humane Society - a no-kill facility. To me, those are the important ones in my life, and not the frivolous ones. An occasional toss of a dollar for some cause being peddled in front of the bank - sure - but occasional is the key word there! Enough is enough - most people just cannot do what they would like as far a donating, but they shouldn't feel guilty about it either.

[Grace]

I absolutely agree. Retired, on a fixed income, I'm really careful where my extra money goes. We give to two animal welfare organizations and church.

If that fireman thing had happened in my town, I think I would have called the police and complained that traffic was being obstructed.

My biggest pet peeve are the phone calls from all sorts of charities - some I've never heard of before. I usually interrupt them and say we don't respond to phone solicitations - then hang up.

[cassiesmom]

"The Stoplight Stickup" - Chicago Tribune, 9/1/10

Green means go. Yellow means caution. And red means roll down your window and donate your parking meter change to a worthy cause. Weekends, it seems, are all about running errands and dodging solicitors in intersections.

Firefighters urge motorists to "fill the boot" to fight muscular dystrophy. Teenagers plead for donations for the marching band's trip to California. Volunteers ask for support for the local homeless shelter, for cancer research, for unwanted pets.

But that traffic signal is there for a reason: Intersections are dangerous places. The busier the corner, the greater its potential for fundraising — and for trouble. A few weeks ago, Homewood village trustees voted to ban fundraising at intersections. Other communities are considering tighter rules or outright bans.

Homewood officials say they just want to shepherd the solicitors to safer locations, like storefronts and train stations. A representative for the Muscular Dystrophy Association who attended the meeting said, not surprisingly, that collections are three to four times as high at intersections. No wonder they're so crowded.

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I put in a buck to help fill the boot. I also put in a buck for Kiwanis, VFW poppies, Misericordia tag day, and the Lions. If it is kids raising money for their youth group trip I might think twice. I guess it just depends on the organization and what the traffic is doing.

I walk past tables with Girl Scouts and their parents selling cookies and Boy Scouts and their parents selling popcorn. No can do.

Requests for money in the mail usually get tossed. If I want to donate I know where to find you. Also, I've found that they tend to multiply.

[Catherinedana]

Street solicitation AND selling of newspapers in the middle of the street is now illegal in St Pete, FL. woo hoo!

[Medusa]

Homewood officials say they just want to shepherd the solicitors to safer locations, like storefronts and train stations.

Better but not good enough. I'm tired of being accosted and a train station is hardly a safe place to take your money out. My local grocery store is one of the worst offenders; girl/boy scouts, HS soccer teams, disabled veterans, the blind, the deaf, church groups, you name it. They ask you when you go in AND when you come out. Inside the store there are sales people trying to get you to buy their product. One man walked up to me yesterday and actually walked beside me as I shopped down the aisle. Finally I said "May I shop now?" and he left me alone after that. It isn't even so much that they ask for donations; it's the manner in which they ask. I feel as though I'm in a live video game or a pinball machine, dodging all these people.

[Laura's Babies]

When I lived in Pensacola, there was always someone at the traffic lights collecting for something and I didn't like it and thought it should be banned. Bad enough you got crazy drivers out there without having to deal with that too!

I give where I WANT to, not where I am cornered. If they were at my bank door, I would have left and called the bank and voiced my opinion and warned them if it happened again, I would be finding another bank!

[Medusa]

If they were at my bank door, I would have left and called the bank and voiced my opinion and warned them if it happened again, I would be finding another bank!

Well, they weren't at the bank doors but to the entrances and exits to the bank parking lot. You couldn't drive in or out w/o them stopping you. Pretty clever, huh? I guess they figure when you come out of the bank you'll have money on you. And I did complain to the bank. I told them that it's unsafe, especially considering that they're standing not on the side of the street but right in the middle of it and that I give b/c I want to and not b/c someone shoves a boot in my face for the fire fighters. One teller there agreed w/me but the bank mgr. wasn't there today. (Of course. Any other day she's there and chats w/me.)

[Husky_mom]

I hate (sorry if word is too strong).. when they ask, as Mary said, on your way in and in your way out.. it even happened to me at my work place, which I went in and out like 10 times or more and all times I was asked.. come on!!..

some causes are worth giving... IMO school trips and such are not.. at least for me.. I give but only when I feel like it.. there´s always this feeling i get with certain people young or old.. disabled or not.. I just get it sometimes adn it makes me give...

at the supermarket they always ask if you wanna round up your tab which I mostly do.. and maybe I wouldn´t because it´s supposed to go to an organization but it never shows up as you donating.. it all ends as the store donating and a way for them to get taxes back .. but since it´s almost a few cents which you won´t get back in change anyway.. (the lowest coin in cents we have is 10 so if it´s not rounded to that... and even at times, it almost always gets rounded to 50 cents )

[Medusa]

I hate (sorry if word is too strong).. when they ask, as Mary said, on your way in and in your way out.. it even happened to me at my work place, which I went in and out like 10 times or more and all times I was asked.. come on!!..

some causes are worth giving... IMO school trips and such are not.. at least for me.. I give but only when I feel like it.. there´s always this feeling i get with certain people young or old.. disabled or not.. I just get it sometimes adn it makes me give...

at the supermarket they always ask if you wanna round up your tab which I mostly do.. and maybe I wouldn´t because it´s supposed to go to an organization but it never shows up as you donating.. it all ends as the store donating and a way for them to get taxes back .. but since it´s almost a few cents which you won´t get back in change anyway.. (the lowest coin in cents we have is 10 so if it´s not rounded to that... and even at times, it almost always gets rounded to 50 cents )

Yep, I forgot about that. Our grocery store always asks "Would you like to donate $1 or more to the literacy program?" or the "Harvest for Hunger" program or whatever one they come up w/that week. The only one that I welcome is the Salvation Army during the holidays. Yet they're not allowed to ring their bell b/c the store says it annoys customers, so they hold up a sign that says "Ding" on one side and "Dong" on the other side. Oh but it's ok for girls to scream right at your face "Would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies?". I told one girl "I'm standing right here. There's no need to shout. And no, I wouldn't." The local Pizza Hut has young girls in short shorts holding signs and yelling at drivers to come in for a $5 pizza. It's just ridiculous!

Maybe I should set up a table at the grocery store or stand in the middle of the road w/a shopping bag and say "Would you like to donate to a 14 year divorcee who is short of funds b/c she donated so much money to everyone else?" Think they'll fall for it?

[happylabs]

I think it is very inappropriate to solicit money in that way.

I worry about giving to these fire companies and other organizations because there have been so many inside thefts from employees or representatives handling the money. It seems almost weekly we hear on the news here in Pennsylvania that someone handling the money has taken money from the fire company, school function, business, etc. Even charities!

[Freedom]

Hmm, I am really surprised at this thread. But reading through the comments, I can understand, I guess.

We don't have solicitations around here. So every Labor Day weekend, it is traditional to see the firefighters out there to fill the boot for Muscular Dystrophy. Jerry Lewis hosts (used to host?) the weekend telethon. Which I grew up watching, either at home or away on camping trips -- where the whole campground tuned in.

And, whether home or camping, we all wait for that "big moment," when some of our local firefighters show up in the local station to turn in what they collected from our community. CHEERS, APPLAUSE and at the campground, we used to go really crazy as we knew the fellows at the small station which served the area.

All part of Labor Day weekend, like having a parade for July 4th. As I said, it is a tradition. So coming from this background, the whole thread surprises me.

[Medusa]

Hmm, I am really surprised at this thread. But reading through the comments, I can understand, I guess.

We don't have solicitations around here. So every Labor Day weekend, it is traditional to see the firefighters out there to fill the boot for Muscular Dystrophy. Jerry Lewis hosts (used to host?) the weekend telethon. Which I grew up watching, either at home or away on camping trips -- where the whole campground tuned in.

And, whether home or camping, we all wait for that "big moment," when some of our local firefighters show up in the local station to turn in what they collected from our community. CHEERS, APPLAUSE and at the campground, we used to go really crazy as we knew the fellows at the small station which served the area.

All part of Labor Day weekend, like having a parade for July 4th. As I said, it is a tradition. So coming from this background, the whole thread surprises me.

I think if you did have solicitors where you are, Sandie, you'd have a better understanding of what we're talking about. I had to run out to the store about an hour ago just to buy a few things. In that short trip Pizza Hut had the girls screaming at cars as they drive by and that irritating man was in the grocery store again and he stopped people as they walked into the store. As I said, I donate often and in good amounts but I do so to my church, my favorite charities and to animal welfare causes.

[lizbud]

I don't like being hit up for money when I go out on errands or a
shopping trip, but it happens all the time. There are panhandlers at most
every shopping mall. Heck, they even stand on the side of streets and
highway intersections with signs begging for money.