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April 09, 2009
Why yes, I do care. Why no, I don't have $20.
"And the glaciers are now THIS small!", originally uploaded by philliefan99.
I'm kind of a sucker sometimes. I once got roped into signing up for one of those save the children things, to the point where I got a picture of my kid in the mail and everything. Unfortunately for her, my credit card expired and that was the end of that.
Another time, I did the same thing for the ACLU. Now, I'm 100% behind the ACLU, but what I am not for is that they apparently sold my information to Planned Parenthood and other such organizations. So, again, my credit card expired, and that was the end of that.
Now that it's starting to get a little nicer out, the street solicitors are back out in force. I mean the people who stand at intersections and ask passersby if they have a minute for the environment/to help Barack Obama/to save the whales. Most of the time, they're in the Loop. My suburb-workin' self can avoid those people altogether, because I know if they get my attention, I might be walking away with a monthly obligation. Occasionally, they'll pop up near my el station. This time, however, they were in a most devious spot... Right on one of my typical running routes to the lake!
If there's a great way to avoid these guys, it's by having on an iPod and ignoring them as you run in place. On my way back, however, I knocked off early an was toting a Starbucks cup. I knew I could only avoid them by staying on the other side of the street. So, I very deliberately crossed the street and kept walking, although it meant I'd have to risk getting hit by a car to get back to my house.
I think like most people, I care about the environment and want to save the whales. But, like most people, I also don't want to be bothered on the street. It's never appropriate to be mean to these people - after all, it is their job - but I'm also not going to let them snare me, either.
What I'd really like to see is somebody who does that for something like Nazism. "Excuse me sir, do you have a minute for white supremacists? Could I interest you in donating some DNA to create the master race? We have these great totes."
entry no. 1349
Posted at April 9, 2009 05:22 PM