It's that time of year again....

[kyrielle]

...when the Salvation Army bell-ringers are out. Ugh.

I have nothing against the Salvation Army most of the year; I generally approve of them. But from the time the bell-ringers come out until the bells are stuffed back in a closet, I hate them. Sometimes intensely, sometimes with a weary vagueness. I will give no money to a bell-ringer. I will give no money to the organization sponsoring the bell ringers for the duration they are out. They are very lucky that I don't say I will give them no money ever, although I admit, they seldom seem to solicit it outside the holiday season, so maybe it does not matter much.

I'm sorry you think a constant ring-ring of bells is seasonal and a good way to draw attention and get donations. I'm really sorry most ringers follow it, and use cheap shrill bells. But if you think you're getting money for me in response to causing me physical discomfort or even pain, think again.

Those bells are shrill and painful. They're bad enough outside, but on really bad-weather days when the ringer has been allowed to take shelter inside a double-door lobby (happened a couple times last year), they are agonizing. The Fred Meyer's in Newberg is probably off my list to use for the rest of the holiday season, unless I forget. It turns out the acoustics of their outside area is such that an outdoor bell ringer is exquisitely loud and echoing, ie, very painful to me. I went in with my fingers jammed in my ears - and the bell ringer looked right at me, with my face twisted with pain, and kept ringing. I suppose he thought I was just trying to be rude.

Comments

[minion.livejournal.com]

I don't normally mind the bell ringers and I save a few bucks to toss their way if I have it to spare.

However, the hag working outside my grocery store gets NONE as she thinks it is proper to stand RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE DOOR.

That's just rude and makes it hard for me to get to my groceries.

[kyrielle]

That is obnoxious. :/

Normally they position themselves fairly well around here, but the bells are just shrill and nasty and hurt. I don't want to pay people to hurt me, that just encourages them. I approve of what they do with the money, but not how they get it. If they just stood there and wished you a Merry Christmas without the bell, I'd give them money.

[davmoo.livejournal.com]

Under past conditions, I have tried to be generous with the bell ringers, and always toss in some change, if not more.

In cases where the bell ringer stands in *front* of the door, though, thus blocking it, I've made it a point to complain to the manager of the business. And made it clear its not the collecting I object to, its doing it right in the middle of the doorway.

But this year, even Salvation Army has broken my taboo...the bell ringers have appeared before Thanksgiving. It may be different in other areas, but here, that's never been done before. Therefore they may not get a penny from me this year...I haven't decided yet.

I've pretty much have decided this year that any time anyone says "Merry Christmas" to me, my response is going to be something like "May Allah bless your family" just to see what happens.

[kyrielle]

I don't think I've seen them before Thanksgiving until this year either. Besides the fact that it is not the holiday season yet, that also means about an extra week of pain for me when I must shop. Sigh.

[geordie.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I can't stand pan handlers of any sort. I avoid shopping where they guard the place. That incessant ringing. Not as bad as the agressive types at the local Shell station though, I left there half full yesterday as the four vultures closed in on me.

[kyrielle]

The incessant ringing gets to me. If they stood there and wished people happy holidays and asked for money, though, I might give. It is for a good cause, I truly believe that. But I don't enjoy being tortured, I won't pay people to do it.

[geordie.livejournal.com]

In the UK the folks collecting money are volunteers but the execs are well paid. So I am very careful to only give to places where the money will bge used for charity.

[phoenixscribe.livejournal.com]

As someone who has done the aforementioned bell-ringing, as well as someone who has benefitted from the programs offered by the Salvation Army (they kept a roof over my head immediately after my ex and I were in a really bad car accident), I can honestly say that the vast majority of the Salvation Army's funds come directly from the bell-ringing. They employ almost exclusively people who have utilized their services in one way or another to make the infernal noises. Without the funds they gather at this time of year, there are lots and lots of people who would be in really bad situations.

That said, you're right. The bells are horrible sounding. Most ringers don't know how to ring them without a) exhausting their arms, and b) irritating the hell out of everyone who passes. A gentle movement with the bell at the bottom of a relaxed arm effects a much softer, much more tolerable sound. And SA has a policy that all ringer are to be to the side of the entrance, not dead center.

To top that off, I really don't know who made the decision to let the ringers hit the streets before Thanksgiving this year, but seeing a SA stand at the Wal-Mart door this morning irritated me to no end.

[kyrielle]

I can believe they do, and if they used quieter bells and less frequent ringing, I might give money. If they ditched the bells and simply settled for speaking, I would give money. But I won't pay someone for causing me pain.

I always feel bad about not giving them money, because I know that what they do for those they help is so good. But what they do TO those that help THEM is so painful. If there is anything that makes me hate the holiday season, it is their bell-ringers. Unfortunately they like the grocery stores around here and I can't afford to starve just to refuse to shop anywhere that has them. (But I can, and will, avoid the places that also have acoustics that make it worse.)

I should note that I have, just ONCE, encountered someone who was not making the bell a pain to listen to. I did give money then. If they could figure out how to teach people to do that so it didn't hurt, they might do much better.

For that matter, ditch the bell and bring a small cheap stereo out and play holiday tunes. Not too loud. :P Something. Anything.

[mandydax.livejournal.com]

Last year, I actually saw one of the ringers with earplugs under their earmuffs. (I could tell because they were the professional earplugs with the plastic cord between them.) I could think of some horrible things to do, and I do think of them usually. The same guy with the earplugs was aiming his bell at passersby and ringing it extra loudly. Git. If they got a glockenspiel and played jingle bells and silver bells and god rest ye merry gentlemen etc, that would be a street performance and charity request in one, and I'm sure would get a lot more donations, and it wouldn't be so painful (well, not if they have the slightest talent with the instrument, and it's not that hard).

[kyrielle]

Yeah, but it'd require a more expensive instrument (times all the installations, which is a lot) and a lot of training (when you count up all the ringers). Even just recordings of Christmas music would be better.

And wow, doing it when they know it's painful (or why would they be blocking it out?) is even more hate-worthy. Ugh.