[Frazod]

Originally Posted by FAX

I think it has gotten a little out of control. These opportunities are now everywhere. I was in Walgreens the other day and, as she was ringing up my order, the cashier lady asked me if I wanted to donate a dollar to something or other (I think it was to save sick children from an even worse fate).

I found the encounter troubling on several levels. First off, the sign on the counter was very obvious and I assume they place the sign there assuming that the customers are literate (I didn't need to have the opportunity explained to me). Secondly, her attitude was a little abrasive in the first place. If she had a sick child, I'm pretty sure the child would try to run away from her. Third, it put me in an awkward position. If I say "okay", it felt like it was her idea - not mine. If I say "no thanks" I feel like a total greedy bastard who ranks Mammon above Human Compassion.

In my worldview, charitable giving is a private matter. Not a public one. If I am both capable of reading the sign and capable of giving to a worthy cause, I'm good. I don't, however, want to feel some sort of social pressure to donate to some unknown charity while standing in a line with 3 or 4 other people who are evaluating my generosity (or lack, thereof). Besides, how do I know she's promoting a legitimate organization? After all, Walgreens partnered with Theranos, for crying out loud.

I'm all for doing what I can to save all the sick children in the world. If I was a true bastard, I would have told the cashier lady that I would match every dollar she put in the pot. But I didn't ... that would have been rude.

FAX

As I mentioned earlier, these employees are required to pester customers about this shit. They don't do it because they want to.