uncharitable

[MAPLEMAN]

So I go into town today to visit my local 'car parts' store
As I approach the entrance of the shop,i am approached by a charity worker asking for money
I said 'no way' and continued my way to the front door of the shop
Only to then hear him call me a f#@%en maggot dog :(( along with a chorus of other expletives :~
I turned to him and said 'mate,you can't talk to me like that...I am off the have a chat to the police about this :(
He crossed the line of decency I.M.O...a totally inappropriate rant!
So I start making my way across the road to the local police station and he follows me closely,abusing and threatening me with the most vicious diatribe imaginable
Unfortunately the police station was closed but he did retreat as soon as I walked through the gate!
Still hurling abuse at me though
Was and still am rattled by the ordeal...my friend was witness to everything and made her feel quite scared and unsettled also
What recourse do I have? Has an offence been committed?
Any advice welcomed...MM

[Pat]

Chris, what "charity" does this person supposedly work for? Did they have any identification?

[Pat]

Well, Monday morning, ring the "charity" head office and verify that he is actually a "collector" and request that the "charity" revoke his employment.

[ian]

you probably could launch a civil prosecution -- but you'd need very deep pockets and at the end of the day the other party probably doesn't have any money so what's the point?

Probably bets to ignore him.

Once I found out that that the people who employ on the street "charity collectors" pocket around 70% of any funds donated, I now only donate directly to the charity.

[Mr Brush]

Sounds to me like he's collecting for himself.......:rolleyes:

As stated above, I never donate to street collectors either. I pick a couple of charities each year (and I do a bit of research into how they spend their $$$), and donate directly.

[MAPLEMAN]

you probably could launch a civil prosecution -- but you'd need very deep pockets and at the end of the day the other party probably doesn't have any money so what's the point?

Probably bets to ignore him.

Once I found out that that the people who employ on the street "charity collectors" pocket around 70% of any funds donated, I now only donate directly to the charity.This bloke gets around on a brand new Harley...he's not short of money...but he is short of manners!
Sorry but will not ignore him Ian...he will lose his charity job at the very least...no one deserves to be intimidated whilst going about their daily duties and he has chosen the wrong person to abuse
Will talk to a legal brain on Monday...MM

[FenceFurniture]

I agree with Pat and Ian. Talk to the charity he was representing on that particular occasion, and don't give to any charity on the street - at least not without asking how much of your donation they will keep!

Katoomba Street (in a holiday destination town just out of Sydney) used to be a mega-magnet for backpackers to represent "The Charity of the Day" (aka whoever has the highest commission). They were SO keen to know how I was going, I thought they must have been my best friends. :no::oo:

What they didn't know is that I can (note: not always, not even often) be a crusty old bastard who has been well trained in sales and obfuscation (although the latter comes somewhat naturally...:D) and who is an world expert in wasting the time of untrained dickheads (if I feel so inclined of course).

BPTAC = Back Packer Trying A Con
COB-SIAB-WTMT = Crusty Old Bastard-Seen It All Before-Waaaay Too Many Times

BPTAC: "HI! How are YOU!"
COB-SIAB-WTMT : (still walking) "Yeah mate, nobbad. You?" (still walking, BPTAC taking a couple of paces towards a quarry who seems receptive/stupid)
BPTAC: (COB-SIAB-WTMT slowing a little to apparently listen) "Do you care about yap yap yappity yap?"(aka Charity of the Day)
COB-SIAB: "Oh yeah, course I do - who doesn't eh?"
BPTAC: (deciding to stroll along, as this MUST be a mark!) "Well, yap yap yap, yap blah yap yap. What do you think of that yap? And could you slow down a bit? Pretty good speed for a COB-SIAB!"
COB-SIAB: "I think you undoubtedly want some money from me to support you holiday addiction."
BPTAC: "Sorry, my English suddenly not so good - what was middle bit again?"
You can prolly imagine the ending.......something along the lines of "FOYI". :;


Heh heh. Do it enough times and word spreads (Katoomba is a small town). They just point and leave me alone :D



*The above is of course a complete fabrication - I have never been known to string along the completely unaware BPTAC.
Only the partially unaware (PUBPTAC).

[MAPLEMAN]

Will definitely be contacting 2 of the charities that I know for certain this bloke collects for
He apparently raised $100,000 for Heart kids Qld only a couple of years ago
Last year it was Cystic Fibrosis
Assuming he is still collecting for them now
A very aggressive creature this one
By the way I did manage to speak to the police from another branch and they took all my complaint details
Will be making a written statement on Monday at Woodford
Thugs of this ilk should be placed on notice...fortunate I had a witness with me too
Yes normally I would ignore these sort of encounters but what was said was way too nasty and threatening...MM

[FenceFurniture]

He apparently raised $100,000 for Heart kids Qld only a couple of years agoSo let's say his comm is as low as 25% - that's 25K just from that one. If, as been suggested, it's as much as 70%, then that's $70k. O'course, if the $100k is nett to Hearts for Kids then his 25% would be $33k, or his 70% would be .....only $233k. Reckon that would support a new Harley every 6 months or so. Can't possibly be 70% with $100k going to them....can it?

Thugs of this ilk should be placed on notice...fortunate I had a witness with me tooIndeed, on both counts.

[rustynail]

Gees Chris, harden up a bit. The world is full of less than desirable morons, mostly drug induced personalities and a chip on their shoulder. You have just had the pleasure of meeting one.
Was recently in the city, stopped at the lights, bloke comes up wanting to clean the windscreen, I say "No thanks, its fine." He spits the dummy and tosses the bucket of water at me through the open window. Guess he had had one too many knock backs for the day. A few years ago, I would have gotten out of the car and knocked him into the middle of next week. Now I just laugh them off and laughter is good for the soul.

[Bohdan]

But it doesn't teach him that such actions may have consequences and a knuckle sandwich may result in more respect for the next customer.

[MAPLEMAN]

But it doesn't teach him that such actions may have consequences and a knuckle sandwich may result in more respect for the next customer.Exactly right...MM

[ian]

But it doesn't teach him that such actions may have consequences and a knuckle sandwich may result in more respect for the next customer.
or a whole world of pain for yourself

[MAPLEMAN]

I'll say this...tis a very fine line to walk away from a situation when your life and that of your friend(s) is being threatened
This bloke followed/stalked me for about 50 meters...I repeatedly told him to get away from me
He continued verbally spraying me with threats and obscenities
Laughing at him would have sent him into a psychotic orbit
Thankfully my arrival at the police station worked wonders...MM

[ian]

Just imagine ...

in Texas you probably could have shot him

[Twisted Tenon]

I think contacting the charities is the way to go. I am curious about this bloke though. If he was able to raise over $100K for charities in the past, he must have some well developed social/entrepreneurial skills. His behaviour doesn't fit. I wasn't there, but I am wondering about his mental health. I wonder if there is some sort of disorder that needs addressing?

TT

[prozac]

I hope you do not dwell on it overnight. Sit down, write out a statement to use tomorrow, then try and put it out of your mind for the rest of the night.

You might find the charity is not able to do anything directly as collections are mostly done by 3rd party companies who then have sub-companies (an individual) within them who each run their own team. The head company gets around 80% which they filter down to the urks who do the collecting. The big money is once you build your own team.

For sure you need to see that this person is dealt with under the letter of the law. I used to sort my own problems and I can tell you I only just scrapped out of a few situations by the skin of my teeth. Hand it over but don't let the police sweep it under the carpet. They'd be right on your case had you redecorated his face.

[truckjohn]

Contact the charities. I can assure you that not one charity wants to be associated with the sort of behavior you are talking about. And in fact - you would be helping the charities in question an immense amount by reporting the fellow....

Think about this for a moment....

Do you think donations increase or decrease as a whole when a character like that becomes involved? Oh - they go down a LOT.. Across the board... And even donations through people who are upstanding and wonderful saints... One or two characters like this can shut down 100% of donations to a local charity.. The reason is that this fellow is now the Public Face of the organization.... That's who the community sees...

And so the reality is - they have to get rid of him and fast if they don't want their charity to dry up "inexplicably".....

[rustynail]

Chris, I'm sorry my take on the situation is causing you angst, but the fact of the matter is I have seen this type of thing happen many times. In a past life I worked as a bouncer - Ive seen it all - the offended member of the public, the drug crazed moron, the innocent bystander, the uninterested cop, the over enthusiastic cop, etc, etc.
How dare I suggest you harden up? Because I can and I know it's the best thing to do in situations such as this. Yes, you can run off and squeal to the charity. Fat lot of good that is going to do. And even if they do give him the flick, he'll see that as a good reason to come gunning for you. Oh hang on a minute, nobody has mentioned that yet. Funny thing, that was the first thing that came into my mind. Yes, I can appreciate that living in a tent is less than ideal and rather than hardening a person it can make them far more sensitive than they may otherwise be. If you want to go through life teaching misfits a lesson, as many are suggesting here, I wish you the best of luck. As for those suggesting a smack in the mouth may be the best thing for it, may I suggest that would be the stupidest thing to do.
Hate me if you must, I care not. But try and be a little more rational. Oh, and by the way, you don't have to laugh in the blokes face, just laugh at him on the inside. Works wonders, believe me. If you didnt do that in my old line of work, you would have ended up in more blues than you knew what to do with. And you cannot win them all.
Someone giving you a gob full is much better than a knife between the ribs or a bullet in the head or being the victim of a hit and run. All viable options these days.
If you need a house and can tolerate Brisbane I may be able to help.

[rustynail]

But it doesn't teach him that such actions may have consequences and a knuckle sandwich may result in more respect for the next customer.
A knuckle sandwich comes with an interesting dessert - Assault charge.

[rustynail]

Exactly right...MM
Not even close.

[Toymaker Len]

Whipping out the phone camera and starting to record is a great option in that kind of situation.

[MAPLEMAN]

His behaviour doesn't fit. I wasn't there, but I am wondering about his mental health. I wonder if there is some sort of disorder that needs addressing?

TTAbsolutely spot on...spoke to the charity concerned yesterday and she confirmed my fears too...he has mental health issues and was being monitored apparently. Well contemplated TT...he is only licensed to operate at the local market,NOT along the footpath or outside any business in town.He will be released from his charitable duties pronto...MM

[MAPLEMAN]

Chris, I'm sorry my take on the situation is causing you angst, but the fact of the matter is I have seen this type of thing happen many times. In a past life I worked as a bouncer - Ive seen it all - the offended member of the public, the drug crazed moron, the innocent bystander, the uninterested cop, the over enthusiastic cop, etc, etc.
How dare I suggest you harden up? Because I can and I know it's the best thing to do in situations such as this. Yes, you can run off and squeal to the charity. Fat lot of good that is going to do. And even if they do give him the flick, he'll see that as a good reason to come gunning for you. Oh hang on a minute, nobody has mentioned that yet. Funny thing, that was the first thing that came into my mind. Yes, I can appreciate that living in a tent is less than ideal and rather than hardening a person it can make them far more sensitive than they may otherwise be. If you want to go through life teaching misfits a lesson, as many are suggesting here, I wish you the best of luck. As for those suggesting a smack in the mouth may be the best thing for it, may I suggest that would be the stupidest thing to do.
Hate me if you must, I care not. But try and be a little more rational. Oh, and by the way, you don't have to laugh in the blokes face, just laugh at him on the inside. Works wonders, believe me. If you didnt do that in my old line of work, you would have ended up in more blues than you knew what to do with. And you cannot win them all.
Someone giving you a gob full is much better than a knife between the ribs or a bullet in the head or being the victim of a hit and run. All viable options these days.
If you need a house and can tolerate Brisbane I may be able to help.Ken I am as tough as a nutshell and will not be dictated by fear or intimidation from anyone...and as I am a carer I take my role very seriously.If any one dares to emotionally or physically threaten my friend it will be at their peril!I chose to refrain from retaliating at this bloke with my fist as then I would have been the villain...can live without the consequences that would have delivered me.As tempting as it was!My actions were very rational I.M.O.And it seems I achieved my objective yesterday as he will no longer be afforded charity work...and I am not scared of him or any of his friends retaliating either...and as I mentioned he wasn't legally supposed to be canvasing money on the street in the first instance,so he shot himself in the foot!...stupid is what stupid does...MM

[rustynail]

If you take your caring roll seriously, you would be well advised to pull your head in. Makes little difference how tough you think you are or how scared or intimidated you are not, the fact is he has had far more effect on you than is healthy - for all parties. Tough is walking away. Tough is laughing it off. Tough is letting it run off like water off a ducks back. By doing what you have done has only added fuel to the fire. It now remains to be seen what his reaction is going to be. Hopefully, he will be man enough to do the things I have previously suggested, but I doubt it.
You seem to have a real problem with anyone that flies in your face. Not healthy mate not healthy at all.
Any thoughts on the house?

[cava]

...he has mental health issues and was being monitored apparently.MM
And he rides a bike, and presumably drives a car..?

I think that (if you chose) something to restrict his mobility could be done here...

[MAPLEMAN]

If you take your caring roll seriously, you would be well advised to pull your head in. Makes little difference how tough you think you are or how scared or intimidated you are not, the fact is he has had far more effect on you than is healthy - for all parties. Tough is walking away. Tough is laughing it off. Tough is letting it run off like water off a ducks back. By doing what you have done has only added fuel to the fire. It now remains to be seen what his reaction is going to be. Hopefully, he will be man enough to do the things I have previously suggested, but I doubt it.
You seem to have a real problem with anyone that flies in your face. Not healthy mate not healthy at all.
Any thoughts on the house?Pull my head in eh!...are you serious Ken?...I did walk away...yes this person did have an unhealthy impact on myself and my friend...sure I have a problem with people that fly in my face...and I also have the courage to stand up and fight for justice too...I WON'T ever accept being abused by a stranger in the street...that's my prerogative Ken!...MM

[MAPLEMAN]

And he rides a bike, and presumably drives a car..?

I think that (if you chose) something to restrict his mobility could be done here...Thanks for your thoughts George...the charity concerned have conceded that this bloke needs a spell away from dealing with the public...I agreed with them on this point...and they were most supportive of me bringing up the issue of his unnecessary diatribe...they certainly didn't tell me to pull my head in! Quite the contrary!They too were mortified by his behaviour.This chap needs to go away and deal with his mental health issues so that into the future he doesn't reoffend and cause further angst in the community...MM

[MAPLEMAN]

Whipping out the phone camera and starting to record is a great option in that kind of situation.Will be investing in a phone with camera this week Len...the one i presently have is about to become obsolete by vodaphone...out will the old in with the new!...MM

[MAPLEMAN]

Contact the charities. I can assure you that not one charity wants to be associated with the sort of behavior you are talking about. And in fact - you would be helping the charities in question an immense amount by reporting the fellow....

Think about this for a moment....

Do you think donations increase or decrease as a whole when a character like that becomes involved? Oh - they go down a LOT.. Across the board... And even donations through people who are upstanding and wonderful saints... One or two characters like this can shut down 100% of donations to a local charity.. The reason is that this fellow is now the Public Face of the organization.... That's who the community sees...

And so the reality is - they have to get rid of him and fast if they don't want their charity to dry up "inexplicably".....Thanks truckjohn for your input too...everything sentence you have penned makes GOOD sense...appreciate your opinion...MM:)

[MAPLEMAN]

As an aside,the N.R.L and Souths are pursuing a chap responsible for a disgusting 'racial slur' made during a match the other day against Rabbitoh great Greg Inglis...this 'grub' called him a 'black dog':~:((
Good too see a robust response from the N.R.L and the Police in dealing with this scumbag behaviour
Hope they ban him for life and slap him with a $ fine!
People are becoming sick and tired of being verbally and physically abused...doesn't matter where it happens...it is no longer acceptable!
Bad behaviour = consequences...MM

[rustynail]

Pull my head in eh!...are you serious Ken?...I did walk away...yes this person did have an unhealthy impact on myself and my friend...sure I have a problem with people that fly in my face...and I also have the courage to stand up and fight for justice too...I WON'T ever accept being abused by a stranger in the street...that's my prerogative Ken!...MM
No problem Chris. You are perfectly entitled to your opinion and have every right to follow your convictions. Sometimes, in so doing we only make the situation worse. As a doorman, I have been verbally abused and threatened by the best of them, its all part of the job. How good you are at that job is determined not only by your ability to belt the guy into submission, but also the ability to keep your head when those about you are losing theirs.
You say you wont accept being abused by a stranger in the street. Well that is unfortunate. The stranger could well have a mental condition, may suffer from tourettes syndrome, etc, etc. I can remember an incident outside a hotel I worked at where a young bloke gave a middle aged gentleman a mouth full of expletives. The said gent then took it upon himself to teach the kid some manners. His chosen educational tool was his fist, by way of an excellent right cross, fracturing the young blokes jaw. Upon hitting the deck the youngen was then lined up for a slippering. This is when I stepped in and suggested enough was enough. The gent, like yourself, thought otherwise and continued to try and lay the boot in, unsuccessfully, as I was now standing between him and the chap on the ground. This only added to his frustration and seeing he had had such good results with his first right cross, he decided he might try his luck once more, on me. Well, it wasn't as effective as his first and he was soon resting peacefully on the ground next to his "mate." When the young bloke came to his senses, he was most concerned when he saw his sleeping partner. I assured him he wasn't responsible and asked why the gob full in the first place?
"I'm sorry,I have Tourettes." Was the reply. A trip to hospital revealed a broken jaw. As for his assailant, I have no idea. He just slithered off into the crowd.
Now where does that leave you and your no go attitude?
If we all just took the time to understand were the other person is coming from , before hauling of and seeking or delivering whatever justice we, in the heat of the moment, think is appropriate, the better this place would be. you got a gob full. So what? And as for standing up for yourself, I don't think so. You are expecting others to do that for you. By what you have said took place during the confrontation, there is no mention of any effort to reason with the bloke. He probably took exception to your "No way" response to his initial request, unjustified as that may be. But hey, "No thank you" would have been far less offensive and probably would have left a much better impression. But maybe you didn't mind giving him a bit of a gee up with your haughty response? Well, old son, if that's the case, I guess you got what you wanted.
Again I ask, do you need a house or not?

[MAPLEMAN]

No problem Chris. You are perfectly entitled to your opinion and have every right to follow your convictions. Sometimes, in so doing we only make the situation worse. As a doorman, I have been verbally abused and threatened by the best of them, its all part of the job. How good you are at that job is determined not only by your ability to belt the guy into submission, but also the ability to keep your head when those about you are losing theirs.
You say you wont accept being abused by a stranger in the street. Well that is unfortunate. The stranger could well have a mental condition, may suffer from tourettes syndrome, etc, etc. I can remember an incident outside a hotel I worked at where a young bloke gave a middle aged gentleman a mouth full of expletives. The said gent then took it upon himself to teach the kid some manners. His chosen educational tool was his fist, by way of an excellent right cross, fracturing the young blokes jaw. Upon hitting the deck the youngen was then lined up for a slippering. This is when I stepped in and suggested enough was enough. The gent, like yourself, thought otherwise and continued to try and lay the boot in, unsuccessfully, as I was now standing between him and the chap on the ground. This only added to his frustration and seeing he had had such good results with his first right cross, he decided he might try his luck once more, on me. Well, it wasn't as effective as his first and he was soon resting peacefully on the ground next to his "mate." When the young bloke came to his senses, he was most concerned when he saw his sleeping partner. I assured him he wasn't responsible and asked why the gob full in the first place?
"I'm sorry,I have Tourettes." Was the reply. A trip to hospital revealed a broken jaw. As for his assailant, I have no idea. He just slithered off into the crowd.
Now where does that leave you and your no go attitude?
If we all just took the time to understand were the other person is coming from , before hauling of and seeking or delivering whatever justice we, in the heat of the moment, think is appropriate, the better this place would be. you got a gob full. So what? And as for standing up for yourself, I don't think so. You are expecting others to do that for you. By what you have said took place during the confrontation, there is no mention of any effort to reason with the bloke. He probably took exception to your "No way" response to his initial request, unjustified as that may be. But hey, "No thank you" would have been far less offensive and probably would have left a much better impression. But maybe you didn't mind giving him a bit of a gee up with your haughty response? Well, old son, if that's the case, I guess you got what you wanted.
Again I ask, do you need a house or not?Think i'll respectfully agree to disagree on this one Ken...so that the argument doesn't become heated...hindsight is a very convenient excuse but doesn't always apply in every instance...I maintain I did nothing offensive and as I mentioned this bloke was operating outside his jurisdiction as well...all good as I achieved a suitable outcome...p.m sent...MM

[rustynail]

Why should it become heated? I'm cool with it. You are among friends. It's just one of your friends having a somewhat different point of view. No harm in that surely. As for the outcome - I dont think you have seen the last of this bloke. I hope I'm wrong.
I take it my offer of a house is unacceptable?

[MAPLEMAN]

Why should it become heated? I'm cool with it. You are among friends. It's just one of your friends having a somewhat different point of view. No harm in that surely. As for the outcome - I dont think you have seen the last of this bloke. I hope I'm wrong.
I take it my offer of a house is unacceptable?No, I sent you a p.m asking about it Ken...just awaiting your reply...MM

[rustynail]

Reply sent

[MAPLEMAN]

Extraordinary offer Ken...thank you!...MM

[MAPLEMAN]

Decided to close the door on this thread as I have nothing further to add
Will let 'sleeping dogs lie' so to speak and move on
I will no longer respond to any posts
Ken's point taken...time to leave it well alone...MM:2tsup:

[John Saxton]

One last input MM ,I have never given to collecters on the street ,I used to give to regular charities but since I retired I don't anymore.
If I get hounded on the street I say "sorry I'm unemployed "which is true when I'm not in my workshop!