Stockpiling...

[alter ego]

The Sally Army is like a lot of religions/charities and suffering from a lack of new blood and money. Several of their Social Services premises closed down (including mine) and the hostels, orphanages and care homes were taken over by large money orientated service providers.
Fewer and fewer people were applying to their training colleges to become SA Officers and some of their citadels were sold off plus local authorities began insisting on care providers having more and more qualifications to work in or run their social services and so they had to employ more civilian workers such as myself and pay the going rate for them.
Donations were shrinking, the cost of running their premises or citadels was ever increasing and congregations and new SA members were shrinking too. The big guys at the top of the SA became less Christian and more business managers but I suppose they had to and they could be ruthless.
The little guys and gals at the bottom were the salt of the Earth. They worked regular jobs but gave up their leisure time and donate their own money to work for free, volunteer to rattle a tin, organise a fund raiser, clean or maintain the church, play in the band, sing in the choir or anything else they were needed to do. They weren`t in it for the title of Captain or Major or as a power trip or to strut around headquarters in a uniform, they were in it because they truly cared but sadly many are getting old and not enough younger members are taking their place.
Believe me when I say I`ve known of SA senior members who`ve had affairs, been guilt of sexual harassment, swindled money, lied, bullied people and stabbed many another person in the back. They have frequently been power mad and many of them have looked down their noses at us lesser mortals because they believe they are better than anybody else and I speak from 13 experience working for them.

It's definitely the little guys and gals at the bottom that make the biggest difference.

We had a customer once - an odious little man that loved to brag about anything Tighter than the proverbial duck's backside and never missed the opportunity to accidentally brush past me, managing to touch me up at the same time. Ugh!

He was the regional manager for Oxfam and the least charitable person I've ever known. I was in the local Oxfam shop one day and was amazed to overhear the little old dears running the place arguing over who was going to make his coffee and scolding the one that had brought the 'cheaper' biscuits from the shop across the road. They clearly thought he was wonderful and I wished I could have opened their eyes to the real bloke who earned more than they could imagine yet never contributed to their tea kitty.

One of my dearest friends used to love volunteering in that shop until he took over the region. I was in my 20s at that time, she was in her 60s and widowed. He groped her in the stockroom one day. She was mortified and never went back. I absolutely believe the stories about charity workers abroad trading sex for favours.

The little people are lovely. The ones at the top not so much. Is it something that's in them anyway or something that comes with an increase in pay and status? Or am I too jaded with the way I see things these days?

 

[candycane]

Charity workers trading sex for favours. Abusing the very people they are meant to protect. Beyond the pale that these predators see easy pickings. I haven't given to the big charities for a very long time. I do give to SA every Christmas though (reason) and I constantly give to Dogs Trust. Charities are big business these days and how much of the donations actually go to help the cause and how much is syphoned off for the top brass' benefit. My mum worked for cancer research and she would never donate one penny to that charity.

CC

 

[stratobuddy]

 

[donna255]

Oxfam it was found for every £1 given only 10p went to the actual cause the rest was so-called admin. The people at the top and this is true for cancer charities all drive very high-end jeeps etc which are the company cars and get renewed every 2 years or so. I know someone who volunteered at an Oxfam shop and she said there was a pecking order amongst them. They used to pick through the clothes and take the good stuff for themselves pricing them really low. A neighbour had volunteered at a number of different charities shops over the years and swore the only one that was above board was St Vincent de Paul now just called St.Vincent.

I remember the Chuggers, the ones that used to stand in the streets and tried to sign you up for monthly donations to charities, they go I believe it was a £10 bonus for each person they signed up. Of course, paid by the charity. It was all in the national newspapers and whistleblower even said if you did not make your quota in a week they dropped you. I used to have verbals with quite a few Chuggers, one I remember it was raining and I was carrying shopping on my way home to catch the bus. I saw them bouncing across the pavement towards me and said loudly, " Open your mouth and I will rip your head off!" Their face was a picture. Usually, they just got Freck Off! from me.

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

Just a heads up. I received a email from DPD to day and checking it out it appears to be a scam.

I hate DPD and will not buy if they are the couriers so I wasn’t expecting anything but I know lots of members use them often

 

[donna255]

Yes, loads of warnings all over the web about the DPD since before Black Friday. I get the spam ones from different couriers saying I need to sign in to check a delivery when I have no deliveries due. I just mark them Phishing Spam

 

[SusieSue]

Yes, loads of warnings all over the web about the DPD since before Black Friday. I get the spam ones from different couriers saying I need to sign in to check a delivery when I have no deliveries due. I just mark them Phishing Spam

I got a fake email supposedly from Royal Mail, sorry we couldn't deliver your letter from HMRC click here to reschedule delivery.

It looked very authentic, I'm pretty savvy with spotting fake emails but it almost fooled me!

 

[shopperholic]

I got a fake email supposedly from Royal Mail, sorry we couldn't deliver your letter from HMRC click here to reschedule delivery.

It looked very authentic, I'm pretty savvy with spotting fake emails but it almost fooled me!

I’ve had the exact same one too, when I clicked it wouldn’t take me any further but makes you wonder if RM are selling email addresses.

 

[donna255]

Quite a few online retailers have been hacked over the past year. Many keeping quiet until months later you might get an email saying sorry but don't worry none of your payment details was hacked.

There is no reason why RM cannot deliver a letter from HMRC is should just come through the letterbox. They do not send cheques but put money directly into your bank account.

 

[ClaireKelly]

Quite a few online retailers have been hacked over the past year. Many keeping quiet until months later you might get an email saying sorry but don't worry none of your payment details was hacked.

There is no reason why RM cannot deliver a letter from HMRC is should just come through the letterbox. They do not send cheques but put money directly into your bank account.

They do send cheques, my hubby had one.

 

[Boris Bear]

Quite a few online retailers have been hacked over the past year. Many keeping quiet until months later you might get an email saying sorry but don't worry none of your payment details was hacked.

There is no reason why RM cannot deliver a letter from HMRC is should just come through the letterbox. They do not send cheques but put money directly into your bank account.

I’m not sure they could put money in your bank as they wouldn’t have your bank details if you are an individual who pays tax through PAYE. I‘m sure I got a cheque but that was a few years ago.

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

If you file a tax return there is a section where you can either give your bank details or tick a box to get it (cheque) sent to your home address - assuming you are due a refund of course.
HMRC is one of the most scammed organisation.

 

[Evie]

If you file a tax return there is a section where you can either give your bank details or tick a box to get it (cheque) sent to your home address - assuming you are due a refund of course.
HMRC is one of the most scammed organisation.

Fed up receiving text messages asking me to call a number because I am about to be investigated by HMRC!

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

I’m woken every morning by a message on my BT landline that I have a text message telling me my broadband is going to be disconnected.

 

[Vienna]

We get regular spam calls on our house phone. Automatic robotic voices telling us our Amazon Prime account is being stopped (we don`t have it) or BT is going to cut off our internet (we don`t have it) or we get Indian sounding real voices saying they`re from Microsoft, the bank, our credit card company or somesuch. I just hang up on them all and they are a total pain in the bum. I wouldn`t care but we joined the telephone preference service which is supposed to stop such calls but it`s a fat lot of good.

 

[stratobuddy]

A rather long post I've copied from somewhere else. It makes you think.

This is a (long) PSA from a Postie.

Please, give us (and any delivery person) a break, cut a little slack and have some compassion and understanding. We are ALL physically exhausted and yet, with a smile on our face we leave the office, usually after several hours of hell prepping and sorting, to bring you your mail and your parcels.
EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

I don't know one Postie who isn't about ready to break down, some of us already have, and yet we bring you your stuff
EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

We've been under pressure since April, you've probably heard us moan that it's "been like Xmas" since then, well guess what? Now It IS Xmas on top of "being like Xmas".
We've just had black Friday and Cyber Monday, the deals are still flowing, the parcels keep coming in. And guess what? We bring them to you,
EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

Sure, some days they may not arrive 12 hours after you placed that order, sometimes they may get held up for a few days, I can assure you that it's not because we're slacking, it's that there are not enough hours in the day, and not enough Posties to complete.

There comes a point, usually around the tenth hour, that you decide, "you know what, I should have finished four hours ago, I've walked 10 miles, I'm cold, I'm wet and I haven't had a break, I'm done for the day". We hate taking stuff back, we have to scan it all back in, we have to prep it again the next day, we have to load it into our van again, this time alongside today's parcels and mail.
But you know what? We'll still attempt to bring it to you
EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

Not going to be in? Set a safe place to leave it, we still HAVE to knock, it's policy, but at least we maybe won't wait for 60 seconds knocking several times, for you to not answer. It's only a minute right? But over the course of a day we'll spend several hours standing, staring at a door that isn't going to open.
But we'll be back,
EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

I'm sure some of you must think that we only do your street, the way you talk to us when we're an hour "late", most of us have 400-500 calls on our walks. Your parcel and mail are just as important as anybody's, but they are not more important (unless it's a Special Delivery). We treat all mail with equal urgency, with the one exception that if you're rude to us often enough then you cannot expect us to care all that much about getting to your property, we'll get there when we get there, and we'll get there
EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

Even though none of us want to be doing this right now, even though we have an overwhelming, terrifying, amount to do, even though we get berated and abused daily, we'll still be out, we'll still be checking on Mrs Morris, we'll still ask Mr Lambert how his greenhouse extension is coming along, or how Miss Smiths hip is, or if Mr Johnson has been able to get hold of his grandkids, we'll still give your dogs a cuddle, we'll smile, we'll chat, we'll notice when somethings wrong and we'll bring you your stuff and we'll do it
EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

Because this is more than a job, it's a way of life. It's a public service. We might be struggling, but we still care.

Here's some simple rules to make everyone's lives better:
- Thank your Postie. I hear a thank you probably 150 times a day, each one is special.
- If you think you should have a parcel, ask nicely. We may well have it in our bag/van/trolley, but amongst the other 500 we might have misplaced it or forgotten. We'll look if you're nice, unlikely if you're rude.
- If you've got a wreath on your door knocker then don't expect us to use it. Likewise if you have decorations covering your letter box don't expect mail.
- If your door isn't easily accessible, is blocked or looks dangerous we won't come to your door. Company policy as well as common sense.
- Please keep your dogs away from us unless WE know them. There are, on average, 7 serious dog attacks on Posties every day. Don't make us a statistic because "oooooooOoOOOHhh, he's fine with the other guy".
- Offer us a biscuit or a drink. We'll say no, we absolutely don't have time, but we'll smile for the rest of that loop that you cared enough to offer.
- Remember that we're human. We have feelings, we have bad days, we may have just been screamed at because somebody's tracked 48 arrived after only 36 hours and they expected it yesterday. Don't be that person that makes our whole day stink.
- Just don't be a dick. We're trying, honestly, we're trying, but we're so, so tired!

 

[Vienna]

Funnily enough Strato my niece is a post lady and a few days ago she posted a photo of her hand on facebook showing her badly bruised knuckles and writing that people complain posties don`t knock. I must admit even though she said otherwise I`m convinced some posties don`t knock. My dog barks whenever the door is chapped but there have been times I`ve found a card on the mat saying a delivery has been taken back and neither the dog nor myself have heard anything. I admit my hearing isn`t the greatest but the dog`s is and she never fails to bark.

 

[Mazza]

Did anyone see the pix of the crowds outside Harrods and in Covent Garden yesterday. Hundreds upon hundreds of people rammed together! Needless to say only a few were wearing masks. In normal times I couldn’t bear to be caught up in a scrum like that let alone this year.

 

[stratobuddy]

Did anyone see the pix of the crowds outside Harrods and in Covent Garden yesterday. Hundreds upon hundreds of people rammed together! Needless to say only a few were wearing masks. In normal times I couldn’t bear to be caught up in a scrum like that let alone this year.

Debenhams Weymouth

 

[Silver Fox]

Did anyone see the pix of the crowds outside Harrods and in Covent Garden yesterday. Hundreds upon hundreds of people rammed together! Needless to say only a few were wearing masks. In normal times I couldn’t bear to be caught up in a scrum like that let alone this year.

Yes saw that, what on earth was going on? That is unusual even in ‘normal’ times, perhaps they are making sure they have COVID for Christmas?Meanwhile the rest of us aka more sensible of us keep closer to home and observe the practises we are advised to follow.