Current Events > (Legal) Solicitors in front of stores

(+) Yeah! (+)

Theres been some friction in my city recently, mostly on local online pages. The issue is the fact that probably 75% of stores (almost every grocery store) has some sort of solicitor out front. They dont set up a table and wait patiently for people to come by, but instead they will run you down and confront you when youre obviously in a hurry.

Does this happen where you live? How do you handle it? I always just say no thank you, but a lot of people are starting to shout at them or push the clipboard away and I think its unnecessary. One reason that people react like this is because theyre so stretched from inflation that the last thing they want is someone else asking for MORE money and I guess they snap. In their defense, sometimes the solicitors wont take no for an answer and will follow you.

that's a thing?

what time of day are you talking about? I rarely shop before dark.

Ya. I see them around here a bit. What's real annoying is I have a business sams account and they let them in the building to annoy the shit out of you. Pretty shitty considering it's a paid membership.

BuckVanHammer posted...

Ya. I see them around here a bit. What's real annoying is I have a business sams account and they let them in the building to annoy the shit out of you. Pretty shitty considering it's a paid membership.

That's like a real life version of paying for a streaming service but still getting ads.

Ever since Covid they have disappeared around here.

I mainly shop at Costco and Target and don't really deal with solicitors. The Target I go to is inside one of the malls.

By solicitors do you guys mean charity muggers like at a mall?

I just walking past them, don't respond to them and look forward.

I used to fall for it and wind up handing over money but not now.

Before the pandemic I remember there'd always be a table with solicitors for the cable company in front of the electronics department at Wal-Mart and I'd intentionally go a long way around just to avoid them.

Back when I worked the parking lot at a grocery store they had a no solicitors policy and at least a few times every year some kids would inevitably try to sell M&Ms or some other candy by the entrance. I'd usually let the manager know and have him/her deal with it because quite honestly I wasn't paid enough to risk getting in a violent altercation with a stranger.

Yeah, I've seen that at some (fast casual) restaurants or at grocery stores occasionally.

I'll either just straight up be rude and completely ignore them or (if I seriously have to) say "No thanks" with a dismissive hand wave.

There's really not much more to it. Something about getting a hand wave of "nah" from somebody is a 99% surefire way to get them to back off.