In the latest issue of Boulevard (fragile link), Ross Crockford talks about leading the initiative to put replacing the Johnson Street Bridge to a referendum. This stood out to me:

Downtown turned out to be one of the hardest places to canvass, because many pedestrians there suffered from panhandler fatigue and refused all solicitations.

The canvassers were wearing blue smocks with a logo on the front and holding a clipboard with petition sheets. Crockford can’t mean that they were mistaken for panhandling street people? No, the canvassers looked like street fundraisers, known in Britain as charity-muggers = chuggers.

Chuggers are paid, sometimes on commission, to solicit donations to private corporations. After the corporation’s shareholders have been paid, any money left over goes to the charity.

Panhandlers use a direct opening: “spare a little change?” “sorry”. Chuggers usually use an indirect opening, which requires more effort to deflect: “how are you today?” “fine” “got time to talk about…” “no”. I find chuggers significantly more annoying than street people, but just because I haven’t resorted to telling them to “fuck off”.

Occasionally I approach people on the street to compliment their clothes or or to ask for assistance or whatever. Since chuggers came to Victoria, I’ve actually been asked if I’m selling something in response to a compliment. Chuggers are poisoning our public spaces.

But Crockford points out something even worse: chuggers are poisoning democracy. Provincial initiatives and the local government alternate approval process rely on volunteer citizens being able to approach others on the street. Representatives of politicians and parties should be able to make a pitch on the street, against apathy if not for their candidates.

I’d like to see an amendment to the Safe Streets Act to ban chuggers or at least a local bylaw.