"Hi! How are you today?"

[PCIntern]

So I'm walking thru Center City Philadelphia yesterday, trying to accomplish a few things in the 105 degree heat-index day, and no fewer than fifteen times, did someone attempt to stop me with that salutation or a slight variation of it, in the solicitation for one charity or another. I'm not going to get into the worthiness or unworthiness of the organizations involved, except to say that virtually all of them have the word 'children' in the appellation.

Now, believe it or not, I'm a pretty polite guy on the outside, since: a) it's how I was raised and 2) I don't want to get into a fistfight on the street. But it was getting a mite difficult to be sweet with all these earnest young men and women. The 'end' finally came when this 6 foot four or six inch guy literally stood in my way, and asked me how I was today. I said to him, "Would you really like to know?" He replied, warily, "Sure..." My turn, "I'm really hot and tired and quite frankly, my income is so far down the scale that I'm considering allowing the bank to foreclose on my house. They've already repo'd my car, and I don't know how I'm going to get the money together to pay for my kid's college tuition next semester. My wife is leaving me and I haven't been feeling particularly well and am waiting for test results from my doctor who called me and said that I needed to come in to speak with him."

Almost unbelievably, the guy did not miss a beat. He said, "That's rough. Do you know anything about the Save the Children Foundation? You can (etc.)....

I let him go thru the whole spiel, and then asked him for a donation. "Do you have a couple of extra dollars to help a downtrodden dentist get back on his feet?" When he just stood there, I said, "Look...why don't you go up to Rhinebeck New York...if you drive fast you can get there while all the people with real money are at Chelsea's wedding." He had absolutely no idea of what I was speaking...

"My finish: "Have a nice day and God bless you!"

I know I know...there are quite a few legit charities which have to solicit individuals on the street b/c there isn't enough money to do mass mailings and caller ID has made it easier for folks to avoid the calls, but I feel often that I'm in some third-world country with people begging for alms. At least there, you can assume that they really are poor. Here, I am definitely NOT going to give out my Visa numbers to some kid in the street who walks and talks like a Moonie. Sorry if this sounds 'cold', but I donate what I can thru channels which are at least considered by the masses to be reasonable, although some to which I won't donate, have huge 'overhead' margins.

[WinkyDink]

1. On the street? Moonies. I've not known a legit group not to hire phone-bank companies.

[PCIntern]

2. We have "Save the Children"...

here. Someone told me they were kind of OK as these things go...

But I would tend to agree with you...

Jews for Jesus is my 'favorite',,,

[snagglepuss]

4. We have the same sort of solicitation in Toronto. The most effective

response I've found is simply to say I'm running late and always wear dark glasses (mirrored glasses are particularly effective keeping people at bay.)

[PCIntern]

6. when I had a beard...

I was rarely approached...as soon as I shaved it off, I became a magnet for everyone, including some attractive women who asked directions...I don't recall ever being asked by a young woman when i had the beard..."innaresting!"

[geckosfeet]

3. Why aren't the governments responsible for their citizens saving their children?

As you say, 'if you drive fast you can get there while all the people with real money are at Chelsea's wedding'.

The people with the real money are being allowed to suck our blood. They accumulate more and keep everything that they already have.

I refuse to throw money down rat holes. I am going after the privileged who are simply not doing their share.

[Turbineguy]

5. Here in Ft Lauderdale

There is some sort of charity for Veterans. They have guys dressed up in uniforms collecting money. My colleagues (who are mostly republicans) claim it's a scam.

But it bothers me to see soldiers panhandling on the streets.

[Robb]

7. One of my oldest friends

has worked for Save The Children in Ethiopia for the last, at least, 15 years. They are an excellent group, from what I can tell.

That said, I'm rarely generous to people who approach me on the street.