| Charity Collection Sacks. |
| William R | We all get them, but last week the usual bag had been delivered and some in my street obliged, nice green bags on the footpath. Sat there having a drink, when a lady (of eastern appearance) P.C.? came along the street collecting them. All looked legitimate. Later that morning along came a Transit with the Charity Logo on its side, to collect sacks, they didn`t have any to pick up and went off disappointed. Should I be suspicious? From over the Pennines, Bill. |
| Martin | It disturbs me when I see the pressure tactics used by charities these days, when they are trying to get your money. In the past few years, I have recieved envelopes containing gifts and in some cases, money (usually 5p). All in an attempt to provoke some kind of emotional response, to make you put your hand in your pocket. Or, make you feel guilty for not doing so. Wouldn't they be better spending that money in other more useful ways?
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| LDunlop76 | quote:
Originally posted by William R
Should I be suspicious?
Yes, I think so! The lady may have been legit, but it does seem odd that a van with the charity's logo turned up later. Either a c*ck-up on the communication front on the part of the charity or someone has twigged that if they can get to the bags before the real collection, they can pick up some goods for free. (And probably dump what they don't want, so it never gets to its intended destination.) If you have a contact phone number for the charity, Bill, I would be tempted to give them a quick ring and let them know what you saw - they may want to change their operating methods rather than lose out on donations. |
| LDunlop76 | quote:
Originally posted by Martin
It disturbs me when I see the pressure tactics used by charities these days, when they are trying to get your money. In the past few years, I have recieved envelopes containing gifts and in some cases, money (usually 5p). All in an attempt to provoke some kind of emotional response
Yeah, we all get those heart-tugging leaflets with a freebie pen in the post. I don't mind those so much. I feel guilty, but I already have direct debits to a couple of charities and my bank account is not a bottomless pit. But it's not so hard to bin the unwanted ones. What I resent is this new practice of having people with clipboards nabbing folk in the high street, trying to talk them into signing charity direct debits on the spot. What's wrong with the old-fashioned tin-rattling flag day? I was also rather displeased to get a phone call from Oxfam (it's always at teatime, isn't it?) asking me to double my direct debit to them over the phone - I told the woman to stick me a letter in the post and I would consider increasing the amount, but I certainly wasn't going to double it whilst watching my pans boiling over!
I know charity fund-raisers have to come up with ways to keep us giving, but I agree with you, Martin, that the pressure tactics can go too far. I'm far more inclined to be generous to something like Live Aid or Comic Relief when everything's done in an atmosphere of fun and I don't feel like I'm having my arm twisted too much! |
| William R | Linda, A very sobering thought, just after Margaret died of Cancer last year I was inundated with requests from various Cancer charities sympathising with my loss and outlining how I could contribute to them. I think it most insensitive of them to do this when you are at your emotional lowest, how do they get to know? I think hospitals and hospices are giving out this type of thing. We gave all the flowers to the Hospice, and all donations in lieu, and they put it in the press "Thanks" feature. Could this be a source? I got thropuhg it, and didn`t stop my "giving" where I want it to go. Sorry to have burdened the Forum with this, after all I`m only human. Anybody want a free pen!! From over the Pennines, Cheerio, Bill. |
| William R | Sorry for spelling mistake which should have read THROUGH. Bill. |
| LDunlop76 | Bill, firstly don't apologise for unburdening on here - that's what mates are for and we're all mates by now, surely? What happened re cancer charities was disgusting. How could so-called caring organisations be so insensitive? That makes me so cross! Someone ought to have a sharp word with them about fundraising tactics! |
| Lady Griffin | It's a sad thought that there is so little trust anymore.
I understand that there are people employed by the Welfare Dept here,and probably other organisations judging by the mail and phone calls I received, to go through the public notices in the daily newspapers.
Although notifying the Welfare agency when my husband died and giving them all details I still got a form to fill in three weeks later to make sure I was still living alone.It's very distressing.
The word quickly spread and about the same time a letter arrived to make sure I wasn't entitled to anything from UK.I'm not and wouldn't have got it anyway as any payment would have gone to the NZ Government.
A pity these bureacracies are not a bit faster to respond when it's not to their advantage.
Charity bags are alive and well in this part of the world also and we have large numbers of containers placed at strategic points for donations of clothing etc.They are extremely unsightly -especially when people leave cartons and bags of rubbish piled up near them to get sodden in the rain or scattered in the wind.
We also have half yearly inorganic rubbish collections, and good to get rid of old fridges,pots and pans, garden gear, dead TV sets etc.but it's an insight into human nature to see the consequences of trundling your unwanted stuff down to the roadside to be placed in a neat pile ready for collection.
No sooner have you turned your back than there's a squeal of brakes and the scavengers move in-supposed to be against Coucil regulations but they do it anyway.
Your nice large neat pile becomes smaller and smaller as your rubbish becomes someone else's treasure.What nobody wants is strewn down the road.
I could hardly believe that someone would want an old armchair-fifty times worse than Les Battersby's -but it disappeared before I got back to my door.If they'd come and asked me it would have saved me a lot of effort getting it down the drive.
No free pens here though. |
| William R | Lady G, This will make you laugh. The bin emptiers didn`t call at the appointed time last week, glum looks all round. Bins all stacked tidy on the footpaths (wheelie bins), night came and "they" had not been. The following day, bins all stacked in the same place, where are the bin men? Late that day it was discovered that they had been very early, been very quiet, and put every bin back where it was, as if it hadn`t been touched. Just for a laugh?? I wonder. Cheerio, from one of the "dead beats", Bill. |
| Lady Griffin | That is a laugh Bill and I hope the bin men did have a sense of humour and did it for a joke.Thank goodness for fun.
The collecting of rubbish is a very serious matter not at all trivial.
I remember when we had real round bins-in fact I've still got mine- and the habit of leaving a couple of bottles of beer under the lid at Christmas time.Nobody does that any more.We have progressed from bins to paper rubbish bags to black sacks to prepaid green Council bags.Wheelie bins both small and enormous are used in some areas.Do Councils round the world copy each others ideas as we always seem to be following UK.
Even the Auckland Council are now looking at introducing tolls for driving into the city at certain times as I understand they are doing in London with lots of big brother stuff to track down non-payers of hefty fines.
The collectors keep us guessing.We have to put bags out the previous night and hope there are no marauding dogs as the bags may or may not be collected at the crack of dawn.
I feel personally offended if my rubbish does not go as expected.I used to be able to run after the coalman in early days if he missed delivering my order but these guys are too fast.
L
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| rocketmanjohn | We have 'wheely bins' here in New Orleans as well, although rubbish is put in plastic bags first, the stink in summer would be too much without. The 'binners'are great, always black guys [sounds racist, but is'nt] and will take anything else that won't go in the bin, just drag it to the kerb, and they take it. The truck does'nt stop, it drives slowly, and the guys run from house to house, you should see the muscles, any body builder would be proud.
We have tolls as well, always have had. There's one across the GNO bridge, lowest bridging point on the Mississippi, and one across Lake Pontchartrain, the longest bridge in the world at 26 miles.
John |
| Spitfire | If there is a better refuse collection service than we have in Leyland, I would sure like to hear about it. I do hope that vacancies for collectors that appear every single week in the local newspaper is not directly connected to their `burn-out` rate. |
| Lady Griffin | Our guys run fast too -lots of rippling muscles- and many take on the job to get fit for the rugby season, but I have to say nothing is taken away if it's not in a regulation pre-paid green plastic bag.
We pay a dollar per bag for bags from the local supermarket to replace rubbish rates.The Council do say the amount of rubbish put out has been reduced as a result.There were the usual complaints at the start but it seems to be working fine.
Sorry this is garbage!!!!!!! |
| LDunlop76 | quote:
Originally posted by Lady Griffin
Sorry this is garbage!!!!!!!
LOL! Thanks for the smile!
So you have green bin bags? Here in Wigan, our wheelie bins are black. In St Helens they are brown, but in Liverpool they are bright purple! [:0] I wonder why Liverpool council chose that colour? My own theory is they picked something halfway between Everton and Liverpool FC's team colours. [:o)] |
| Caroline | I should be so lucky!! We have to take all our stuff up to the big bins behind the church, none of yer personal service here; we do, however, have three different recycling bins. On one, it says ' No Animal Carcasses!'
What a rubbish topic! |
| LDunlop76 | quote:
Originally posted by Caroline
we do, however, have three different recycling bins. On one, it says ' No Animal Carcasses!'
Well, I can kind of see the logic behind that. The in-laws used to live in the Outer Hebrides. Not long after they moved up there, while better half and I were staying with them, all the toilets along their street became blocked. Someone took off a manhole cover in the street and found the sewer had been blocked by animal intestines. Some daft s*d had poached a sheep and tried to dispose of the guts by flushing them down the loo![:0] |
| William R | We`ve had a skip in our street for over a week waitng collection. Its been interesting to see how the contents have changed during the week from the original. I even saw workman from a very good double glazing firm picking out suitable pieces of wood for using. Its gone now, so everybody has moved their cars in the nightly chess game. Cheerio, Bill. |
| Star Sailor Cat | I used to give to two charites at xmas time but the blighters seem to sold my address to about 100 other charites so I just throw them all away now as they arrive weekley and 'buy chickens'for friends here... http://www.heifer.org/ I know the money is not wasted and its "a gift that goes on giving "
I just use the charity bags as trash bags and leave unwanted stuff where I know homeless hang out.Ive had to harden my heart a little or I will end up pennyless and homeless too !
peace and love to all jackie x x |