topic Re: Getting Ambushed at the Grocery Store in Community Chat

Getting Ambushed at the Grocery Store

shaggygirl — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 17:11:37 GMT

Maybe this only happens in my neck of the woods. You go to the big grocery store and at both ends of the building where the enter/exit doors are you see a table set up and a bunch of kids. You don't get within 10 feet of the entrance door and you have a whole bunch of them in your face at once trying to collect donations or selling tickets for car washes or one thing or another. This past Saturday it was to raise money to get to the finals for I forget what. Now I don't mind contributing to things for local high school groups and such but geez louise give me a chance to get near the door before you all rush me at once. My usual response is "catch me on the way out" and on the way you get the same rush of kids in your face all at once. The only problem is sometimes I only have some 5's or 10's or 20's in my wallet and I might only want to give a buck or two. I wish they'd designate just one of the entrance/exit areas in case you want to escape them. Just venting!

Re: Getting Ambushed at the Grocery Store

Purrrfect — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 17:25:23 GMT

Keep some loose change or singles handy when you go grocery shopping if this ambushing goes on regularly. Also I would speak to the store manager and explain that the kids are rushing up to store patrons making it difficult to navigate in and out without feeling pressured. There's no need for the kids to be doing it in that manner. We have had kids selling cookies and other things but they are well behaved and not right on top of the entryway to the store. Good luck!

Re: Getting Ambushed at the Grocery Store

VioletEyes — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 17:26:27 GMT

Yes, it happens here a lot too. The solicitation of charities, I have even seen at lights in my neighborhood where they are passing around a basket with moving traffic, walking into it.. Some of these kids are very young too. It is just dangerous and it amazes me that parents allow it.

Re: Getting Ambushed at the Grocery Store

Clover29 — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 17:27:37 GMT

I don't like it when they have ambush stations at both doors, but I suppose they know most people would use the other door if they only guarded one.

My local Target has signs saying they want their customers to have a hassle-free shopping experience and therefore no one may solicit signatures, sell cookies or ask for donations at their entrance (and they only have the one doorway for customers).

Where I used to live, I think the QFC store actually encouraged local activists.

Re: Getting Ambushed at the Grocery Store

straykatz — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 17:27:48 GMT

It's not just kids....latley our local Sam's has people camped outside the doors taking donations/food for different charities.

Re: Getting Ambushed at the Grocery Store

Puzzle Piece — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 17:28:45 GMT

I understand.

Re: Getting Ambushed at the Grocery Store

Pashmina_1 — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 17:29:33 GMT

I don't divvy out cash to anyone on the street begging. I am more selective of charites I give to and I don't appreciate being bombarded at the store either.

Re: Getting Ambushed at the Grocery Store

Tinkrbl44 — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 17:32:46 GMT

On 4/7/2015 shaggygirl said:
Maybe this only happens in my neck of the woods. You go to the big grocery store and at both ends of the building where the enter/exit doors are you see a table set up and a bunch of kids. You don't get within 10 feet of the entrance door and you have a whole bunch of them in your face at once trying to collect donations or selling tickets for car washes or one thing or another. This past Saturday it was to raise money to get to the finals for I forget what. Now I don't mind contributing to things for local high school groups and such but geez louise give me a chance to get near the door before you all rush me at once. My usual response is "catch me on the way out" and on the way you get the same rush of kids in your face all at once. The only problem is sometimes I only have some 5's or 10's or 20's in my wallet and I might only want to give a buck or two. I wish they'd designate just one of the entrance/exit areas in case you want to escape them. Just venting!

If it really bothers you, when you go into the store, please DO NOT miss an opportunity to complain to the store manager ..... or go on the company's website.

As my grandmother would say ..... The squeaky wheel gets the grease!

Re: Getting Ambushed at the Grocery Store

Purrrfect — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 17:47:45 GMT

On 4/7/2015 Tinkrbl44 said:
On 4/7/2015 shaggygirl said:
Maybe this only happens in my neck of the woods. You go to the big grocery store and at both ends of the building where the enter/exit doors are you see a table set up and a bunch of kids. You don't get within 10 feet of the entrance door and you have a whole bunch of them in your face at once trying to collect donations or selling tickets for car washes or one thing or another. This past Saturday it was to raise money to get to the finals for I forget what. Now I don't mind contributing to things for local high school groups and such but geez louise give me a chance to get near the door before you all rush me at once. My usual response is "catch me on the way out" and on the way you get the same rush of kids in your face all at once. The only problem is sometimes I only have some 5's or 10's or 20's in my wallet and I might only want to give a buck or two. I wish they'd designate just one of the entrance/exit areas in case you want to escape them. Just venting!

If it really bothers you, when you go into the store, please DO NOT miss an opportunity to complain to the store manager ..... or go on the company's website.

As my grandmother would say ..... The squeaky wheel gets the grease!

Re: Getting Ambushed at the Grocery Store

hckynut — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 17:56:23 GMT

I assume, along with "venting here", you spoke to someone in this store that is in a position to do something about your "cause to vent". If not! Like I used to tell many of my unhappy co-workers:

"Go tell your issue to someone that can do something about it, and that ain't me". If you did speak to "that someone"? Good for you for letting them know how you feel about this issue.

Re: Getting Ambushed at the Grocery Store

CouponQueen — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 17:57:19 GMT

I agree with the OP..you get it often here too..and I stopped.

I had a co worker whose daughter played softball on a local county league..they were in their late teens..and traveled around the state playing other softball teams.

They would solicite at Walmart outside and she was able to keep her donations to offset HER cost of following the team and watching them play...She would snag around $400 on a Saturday. She did not tell the donations were for her to travel in her own car, meals and hotel. They thought it was for the local county girls Team.

I don't like the Little League kids doing it either..as I watched them shake the taped cans to get change for the soda machine..

Our local Walmart allows this one ministry table of baked goods to be set up..I do not buy baked goods out ..don't know the cleanliness of who made them. The one guy who does it a couple times a month will approach you as you are entering/exiting the store ...he smells of booze so bad..and when you say no thank you..he starts preaching scripture really loud.

Re: Getting Ambushed at the Grocery Store

shaggygirl — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 18:26:11 GMT

Nah, I didn't complain to anyone inside the store, but yep I probably should have so in the future management might set some rules out for them before they set up. But speaking of kids out in traffic with baskets, the firemen do that here once a year. They're out in the street in front of the firehouses with their black boots held out for drivers and stop to drop money in them for I don't even remember what cause.

Re: Getting Ambushed at the Grocery Store

Elstongunn — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 18:32:40 GMT

I don't care for it, either. If they would just stand off to one side out of the way of the doors and not stand in front of me or run up to me, that would be fine.

I've noticed that most of the stores don't allow this kind of rushing up to customers entering or exiting the stores anymore. It had gotten so bad at one time that it was like going through a gauntlet just to get in or out.

Re: Getting Ambushed at the Grocery Store

shoptilyadropagain — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 18:35:53 GMT

We never have kids rushing up to the door but, rather, they will sit behind a table and ask you if you're interested as you are arriving and leaving. Our local grocery store really only has this twice a year....Girl Scouts/Cookies and Boy Scouts/Popcorn. At Christmas, we have the Salvation Army ringers ring outside by the doors.

Re: Getting Ambushed at the Grocery Store

sfnative — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 18:42:03 GMT

I've had some pretty bad experiences with people blocking my way into stores and stuff. When it got to the point where people were actually touching me, that was it. Legally, that's assault and I called them on it. Took out my cell phone and told them if they didn't get back to their table to hawk their baked goods I was going to call 9-1-1 and report a group assault. Worked.

They were at that Albertson's quite often. Never approached me again.

These kids clearly had poor adult leadership and I DID speak with the store manager.

*******

There were a bunch of folks on strike for something. They were blocking all entrances to the market, which is against the law in California. My husband told me we'd just come back later, but not me. Nobody is going to prevent me from going into my market. I mean, who are these je-rks anyway. So, I walked up to them and said, "Get out of my way. I'm going into this market." They said, "No way." So I told them I was going to barge between them, which I did, and told them while I was doing it that what they were doing was illegal and don't you dare call the police on me barging through you. My husband stayed outside. I had a great time shopping, as nearly everyone was afraid of the strikers or would not cross a strike line, even through it blocked business extrances and was illegal.

Re: Getting Ambushed at the Grocery Store

foundinlv — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 20:19:09 GMT

Out here the kids can be aggressive but most are pretty shy when asking you to buy something. I prefer to be asked when I'm leaving though. At Sam's Club they were popping theater style popcorn recently and taking donations for a nice sized bag and I couldn't resist that but I don't don't buy candy bars....I bought Girl Scout cookies recently but 1st time in about 10 years just to see how they tasted.

Re: Getting Ambushed at the Grocery Store

Cranberries — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 20:28:34 GMT

Outside our Sam's was a table set up and they asked for a donation to ____ charity. I had no cash so I just said no.

Re: Getting Ambushed at the Grocery Store

Isobel Archer — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 21:00:04 GMT

I give to charities and I buy candy/wrapping paper/cookies/etc. to support various kids' functions.

However, I don't just hand kids money when it's so they can go to a music/sports/etc. camp/trip. In that case, I personally think they should earn it by selling something, washing cars, cutting grass, shoveling snow - whatever.

If others want to hand them money, fine. I just don't.

Re: Getting Ambushed at the Grocery Store

luvmyteddy4 — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 21:16:45 GMT

I was ambushed in a different way at the store today. I have Whole Foods shop for me and I pick up the groceries. I can't leave my elderly dog at home alone so this is easier for now. I went to pick them up and they weren't there waiting for me. I ran in and the manager told me they put them back.

I am already stressed out because of my dog. My freezer broke and I had to throw out food, the cable went out and my computer shut down yesterday. My neighbors are driving me crazy. I have fruit flies in my backyard from their trash cans, the list goes on and on.

As I was pulling out the manager ran out with my groceries, they had made a mistake. Are you kidding me!

I should have posted under the stress thread. I have reached my limit. If someone had asked me for money I would have...

Re: Getting Ambushed at the Grocery Store

ROMARY — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 21:50:39 GMT

Every year someone calls for a donation of min. $250, $500, and up, for a college student to be able to visit and learn all about Europe. I'm figuring that they can go when they have a job and have a couple of weeks vacation. Also, one can learn a lot by viewing Rick Steve's Travel episodes on PBS.