Why I Will Not Be Giving MASSPIRG Any Money

[gnomi]

Yesterday, mabfan had a medical procedure in the morning, and then he and I went home for him to recuperate. We got home at about 1:00 PM, had lunch, and then I set about doing random Stuff while he rested and worked on healing.

At about 2:45, the buzzer rang. I went down the three flights of stairs to the front door to see who it was (we weren’t expecting anyone, but we didn’t know if perhaps a package was being delivered). It was a perky-grinned, earnest young woman wearing a MASSPIRG jacket. “Good afternoon,” she started. “I’m sorry,” I said. “My husband just had surgery this morning; I don’t really have time to talk to you today.” She apologized and left the building and I headed back upstairs. We heard the buzzer in the apartment below ours buzzing as I got back into our apartment, so I figured that MASSPIRG Chick had decided to come back into the building and try her luck with some of our neighbors.

The afternoon progressed, I got more Stuff done, and then at about 6:15, the buzzer rang again. I sighed and headed back downstairs. Again, we weren’t expecting anyone, but since our building intercom doesn’t work properly, there was no way for me to determine if it was someone who we wanted to see or not without going back downstairs. To my surprise, who was at the door but the same MASSPIRG Chick. She greeted me with the same perky grin she’d had the first time until I got the door open. She then realized who I was. “I thought I told you I didn’t have time to talk to you today,” I said. “I didn’t mean to buzz you again,” she replied. Of course, she’d already buzzed folks in the building earlier, so she’d come back to harass someone again. “You’ve just guaranteed that I won’t be giving money to MASSPIRG this year,” I said. “I’m sorry,” she said, and then she turned and left the building again. I didn’t see her come back this time, nor did I hear her buzz anyone else in the building, so I do believe she left for good.

An overreaction on my part? Perhaps. But once you’ve been told that a person you’re trying to solicit money from is not interested, it’s in your best interest to make a note on your sheet so you don’t bother them again within a four-hour period.

Comments

[sdelmonte]

I wish I could say this surprsies me, but the PIRGs have always rubbed me the wrong way.

[samcdermott65.livejournal.com]

I don't this it's an overreaction. I would have been royally pissed having them come back after saying no. They should have made note of it. Crap like that happens with phone solicitations too. - shari

[cbpotts.livejournal.com]

Maybe she thought you'd forget her? Or that in the interim, you'd have won the lottery and be blessed with newfound riches that you had to share with random buzzer ringers...

Best wishes for Mabfan, I hope he is mending well.

[madfilkentist]

MASSPIG has been obnoxious from the very beginning. Several decades ago, they managed to finagle their way into getting funding from their lobbying out of student activity funds from various universities. Whatever you may think of their cause, this isn't an appropriate way to get people's money.

[jenwrites.livejournal.com]

They did that at Wellesley when I was a student there in the 80s, and were so horrid about the whole thing that they've guaranteed that I'll never give them money ever.

[osewalrus.livejournal.com]

Why, if the money is available to any student organization?
When I was at Princeton, the university funded a variety of student activities, from the Prospect (a conservative newsletter) to student voter registration drives, to various other student organizations dedicated to advocacy. The money went to financing activities for the students at Princeton.

Why shouldn't the university give money to students who want to lobby for causes or candidates, as long as it does so in a manner that genuinely promotes diversity of views on campus?

[bostonista.livejournal.com]

I escorted one of these perky young things out of my building long ago. She'd waited for a tenant to leave, and then walked in to knock on everyone's door in person.

MassPIRGers: raised by wolves.

[tsuki-no-bara.livejournal.com]

i've never even seen them in my neighborhood, and they're always perfectly pleasant when i run into them in belmont, but no, i don't think you overreacted, because that was kind of rude of her. "i don't have time to talk to you today" means just that, not "i don't have time to talk to you right now, but come back in a couple hours anyway." plus which, did she miss the part where you said you were home because your husband was recovering from surgery? nice of her to apologize, but still. my guess is she was hoping someone else would answer your buzzer the second time around and she could solicit them.

i hope mabfan's doing ok, at least.

[fibro-witch.livejournal.com]

Hi, I just bounced over here from UniversalHub. I worked for Connpirg for a very short period of time.

The kids get to take 15% of the money they receive from door to door canvasing, as well as receiving little bit from what ever monies the other canvasers get. The staff people take an additional 25% of what the kids take in.

The rest goest to headquarters.

Jeez

[(Anonymous)]

Sounds like a simple mistake too me. Have you ever dialed a wrong number? I bet you have. Mistakes happen. I can't imagine the MassPIRGer wanted to bother you again -- she did apologize after all -- but she probably just forgot to note your apartment number on her sheet.

I think it's awful how you and other people are beating up someone for an innocent mistake. There are plenty of worse things to be upset about.

Re: Jeez

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

First of all, hiding behind anonymity can be considered a cowardly thing to do. If you truly believe in your statement, identify yourself.

As the aforementioned recovering husband, I will note that we were most forgiving of the first time the person rang the bell, and we assumed that this would be the end of it. But there is really no excuse for her ringing the bell again only a few hours later. I'm involved in local politics, and I make sure always to note when someone has said "Do not bother me" for whatever reason.

As for your ridiculous question -- sure I've dialed a wrong number. But I never dialed the same wrong number a second time, after being told the first time that a person at the number was recovering from surgery and please don't call again.

Re: Jeez

[osewalrus.livejournal.com]

I do agree that posting a criticism anonymously is rather cowardly.

That said, I still think that this was as described, an innocent accident, and that it had the bad timing to occur on a bad day for you guys. The first time your bell got wrung was not "a wrong number." The first time was a legitimate "I'm hitting up everyone to solicit."

The second time, based on my experience, was likely hitting the wrong button in the dark at the end of the day, because a neighbor had been a "no response" previously.

As I said in my previous comment: someone genuinely doing a return in the hope you had changed you mind would have repitched you.

Re: Jeez

[(Anonymous)]

hey buddy, get your facts straight. the anonymous person was defending the actions of an innocent low-wage massachusetts youngster. if you call that an act of 'criticism' then you need to screw your head on straight.

Re: Jeez

[mabfan.livejournal.com]

Another anonymous person heard from.

If you feel so strongly about your position, stand behind your words with your name.

And from the way I read the phrase, "I think it's awful how you and other people are beating up someone for an innocent mistake," I interpret that as an act of criticism. The person is clearly criticising our actions, in which we complain about being bothered twice on a day I was recovering from surgery.

I also wish to point out that neither my wife nor I ever beat up anyone, nor do we enjoy the accusation. Instead, we shared a complaint about how we felt harrassed by a representative of MASSPIRG. Perhaps this will convince MASSPIRG to give better training to their volunteers, issue better procedures, and help them raise more money in the long run. So on the flip side, isn't it good that we brought this to their attention?

[caryabend.livejournal.com]

What a scam. This incentivizes recruiting for personal gain, rather than ideological purposes. And the staff gets 25% of the take?

Can I just send my 60c for each dollar directly to HQ?

[osewalrus.livejournal.com]

That's a change from when I worked at MASSPIRG 20 years ago. I got $5/hour and no incentive.

[ianrandalstrock.livejournal.com]

Doesn't sound like an overreaction to me. They snookered me fresh out of college, when I was looking for a job. The help-wanted ad was right up my alley: intelligent, political science, who knew what else; sounded like a think-tank or at least some sort of quasi-governmental office. So I showed up in suit and tie, and they started talking at me, and it took them probably 10 or 15 minutes to get around to the fact that the job was door-to-door begging. It would have been so much easier, and more above-board, to write the ad properly. Instead, well... (And then, of course, there was Ralph Nader's visit to campus, wherein he dictated that he definitely wanted his organization on campus, but wouldn't let it happen unless he got the negative-check-off option on the tuition bill -- meaning everyone would pay him dues unless they said no. The administration offered him the postivie-check-off option -- if you want to be a member, check here and pay a few more bucks -- but that was just evil, in his opinion. He did not endear himself to me with that tirade.)

And I didn't know about Michael's procedure: hope it went very easily.

[sdelmonte]

I always wondered about those ads.

[ianrandalstrock.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah. That ad was tailor-made for someone like me: fresh out of college with a political science degree. But I don't understand why they wasted the money/effort to place the ad: they can't have attracted too many people who thought they'd be working in a political capacity to turn them into door-to-door people.

[sorek.livejournal.com]

You mean they have actual *lists* of places they've been to check off? I'd assume they just have papers with blank lines with columns like Name, Address, and Amount Willing to Donate. If you don't donate they don't waste a line. Having actual lists of addresses sounds much too organized and professional.

[osewalrus.livejournal.com]

We had it in my day. You don't want to waste time rehitting a "no". Any person doing door to door is out there for a limited time and you want to make the most of it.

When we did it in my day, we had a team of folks covering a particular neighborhood. Each person had an aea to try to cover. If you finished your section, you doubled back and tried the "no responses" again to see if anyone had come home.

[joecoustic.livejournal.com]

I too think you reacted reasonably.

I have had it happen a number of times where I have gotten a sales call for a local paper (I'm not sure if that still happens with do not call) or from the state troopers looking for money (you know, the ones that try to sound like "tough" cops to intimidate). I often tell them that I am not in the position to give money right now. Sometimes they accept that well sometimes not but what really peeves me is when I get between one and three more calls, sometimes in the same day. There must be a way to cross someone off of electronic shared lists and if they don't learn how to do it they will lose a lot of good will.

I was a perky young thing once . . . .

[osewalrus.livejournal.com]

I suspect that many of your neighbors were not home (it was, after all, mid-day). Standard practice (at least back when I was doing this 20 years ago) is to circle back to the homes where no one answered and try again if you finish your service area.

Yes, you get a check list. You have the list of addresses and (again, in my time) you noted if there was a response, if they said no, if they said yes (and what amount), if they asked you to return later or follow up in some other fashion, or if no one answered.

So I find it quite credible that she came before, noted your no, tried other neighbors, had no response, cirled back, tried to get the "no response," but accidentally pushed your button.

No intent to nag, no intent to rehit a no (no one wants to rehit a no, it wastes time and is phenomenally unpleasant). Also, she did not repitch you or ask if this were a better time, which she certainly would have done had she intended to repitch you.

So yes, contrary to the comment trend, I do think it was an over-reaction. An understandable one given the circumstances, but still an over reaction. If you are generally inclined to give to Masspirg (an occassional client and former employer of mine), I would urge you to reconsider and not let this episode dissuade you. From all apperances, it was a genuine mistake by a an inexperienced youth on a bad day for you rather than an attempt to harrass you or anyone else after a no.

Re: I was a perky young thing once . . . .

[ghilledhu.livejournal.com]

I was one, too -- I worked for Connpirg one summer. (Only one, because I hated the begging aspect, even though I liked the idea of working to help the environment).

I agree that this really sounds like a mistake. A mistake made on a very bad day for you when your resources were already strained (and btw, all best thoughts and healing vibes for mabfan!) but not a deliberate attempt to harrass. The fact that her perky smile vanished when she saw you, and she said she hadn't meant to buzz you again, lead me to think that she was trying someone else (maybe a non-answer) and either her finger slipped or she forgot what buzzers she'd already hit, both of which are really easy to do on multi-family buildings.

Just so we're clear, I'm not blaming you for being upset or reacting the way you did -- it's a frustrating thing to have happen, particularly on a difficult day for you. But I don't think the girl was trying to harrass you, and she was probably mortified to have bothered you a second time. I know I would have been, back in my doorbell-ringing days.

Re: I was a perky young thing once . . . .

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

But I don't think the girl was trying to harrass you, and she was probably mortified to have bothered you a second time. I know I would have been, back in my doorbell-ringing days.

The problem was, she wasn't all that abashed at having interrupted us a second time. It was more at my "I thought I told you that today wasn't good" that she seemed to realize that I hadn't meant "see if you have more luck in a couple of hours" or "see if someone else answers the door the next time you ring."

Re: I was a perky young thing once . . . .

[ghilledhu.livejournal.com]

If she wasn't embarrassed to get you again, that's a different story. It sounded like she recognized her oops when she saw you...but then I wasn't there, of course.

Re: I was a perky young thing once . . . .

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

The first time was not a problem at all. I completely understand the whole idea of trying to get what one can when soliciting for an organization.

My problem was the second time, when it took me saying "I thought I told you I didn't have time for this today" before she apologized. I got the impression that "I don't have time for this," to her, meant "try again in a couple of hours," when I'd actually said, "my husband had surgery earlier; today is not a good day."

Canvassing sucks...

[fynixsoul.livejournal.com]

Most of what I'm thinking has already been said, so I'll be brief...

I was a canvasser for the DNC this summer. It sucked, and was awkward; there was one night where I hit a republican's house three times, just because it was in a row of five houses that all looked the same and were poorly numbered. it was indeed mortifying. I'd say you should forget the whole thing, roll your eyes over it, as it was much more likely to be a flakey mistake than an effort to annoy money out of you. The timing does sound pretty bad, though...my sympathies for that.


I haven't been online since last year (also known as last saturday) so I haven't seen any posts that mabfan needed surgury...I hope he's okay and recovering, and that they fixed whatever was wrong!
(And i'll wait a while before I bug him about my novel again ;-) )

[twitch124.livejournal.com]

That's not okay. jerks. Door to door fundraisers have been getting weird and agressive lately.

I had a scary experience with an HRC fundraiser door-to-door guy in December, bad enough that I got an apology email from the HRC when I emailed them to complain. It was the really cold night, so I let him in the door when he asked and stepped in before I could say anything (I didn't slam the door on him because I had other people present and thus felt safe). I asked him to leave some literature and go, and he refused. He said he had a quota to meet. I asked him to leave again. He said "Just $10, please," and was getting even creepier. I ended up getting a $20 from a roommate and he left with that. The guy was a short, skinny, very gay-club-kid looking young white guy, so I didn't really feel threatened until his eyes went weird, but then I got freaked out.

(Also, I hope Micheal's recovery goes well.)

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

Sorry you had to tromp down the stairs twice for nothing... hope the procedure was minor, and he recovers quickly.

[estherchaya.livejournal.com]

I imagine it was an innocent mistake or misunderstanding on her part, but I definitely understand your frustration. I despise door-to-door canvassing of any kind.

I hope M recovers from his procedure quickly.

[doeeyedbunny.livejournal.com]

PIRG canvasers are trained about getting a quick "no." She really should not have come back.

I worked for NJPIRG one summer for less than a week. I rang the doorbell of a DuPont chemist who listed to my spiel and then proceeded to pull it apart piece by piece. He pointed out how PIRG oversimplifies and uses trigger words to put the scare into people. We talked for about a half hour and when we were done, I walked back to my pick-up point, sat down on the curb and read for two hours. (For the record, I still support the environmental movement - I just choose to give money to organizations I trust, and not ones that give bonuses of % of money raised.)

[lisafeld.livejournal.com]

Ugh! Very irritating. It's one thing to make a mistake, but it doesn't sound like she was embarrassed or surprised; it sounds like she just didn't care WHAT you had said. I've sometimes gotten calls from police charities (there are always several, and giving to one just makes the others smell blood in the water) that get harassing and belligerent when you don't give them money or refuse to upgrade your donation once they do get a yes. It doesn't exactly inspire one to support their efforts, and I end up giving to less pushy charities.

Hope Mab is doing okay! Hugs to you both.