Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Ontario Provincial Election Candidates, Listen Up
Hi, Good morning!
Wait, I'd love to talk to you but you see that train over there? It leaves in two minutes and I have to get on it.
(Shoves a pamphlet at me. The hell?)
Hey, I don't live in Oshawa.
What? Give it to someone I know on the train who lives in Oshawa? Uh, I'm not canvassing for you, buddy. Even if I had time to talk to you, you don't represent my riding. I can't vote for you even if I wanted to.
Do you have any concerns ... ?
Um yeah, can you do something about this parking situation here in the GO lot? Oh you can't. I see ... anyway, like I said, I have to catch the train.
WORST FORM OF ELECTION CAMPAIGNING EVER.
Look, it's ineffective and I don't know if it really works. GO commuters have one mission in the morning and that is to get off the bus, or get a parking spot, and get on the train. Often with minutes to spare depending on traffic and parking lot congestion.
The last thing many of us want to do is spend time chatting with you lot. Plus, your printed literature is a waste of a tree. Give me a pen with your web address on it and when I have time, maybe I'll log on and read about you - provided I live in your riding. But campaigning at the end of the line for a GO corridor is just bad strategy. Oshawa services a whole bunch of communities you don't represent. So either you show up and represent your party or you just stick to canvassing the riding itself.
I do care about this election but I am annoyed by this "in your face" approach especially when you're not my candidate. At the very least, stop trying to shove your brochure into my hand. I really dislike that.
16 comments:
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And lots of the pamphlets end up on the ground (shame on you fellow commuters - there are garbage cans on the platform)!
ReplyDeleteReminds me of those Black History Month canvasers outside Union. They can be quite aggressive, and if you decide to take one of their booklets they charge you $10.
ReplyDeleteAnd don't get me started on those "Because I am a Girl" Charity 'look at me with my three-ring-binder ding-dongs' on Bay Street. I wanted to strangle one a few weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteUsually to get away, I switch to bastardized Ukrainian and this shuts them up real quick.
When people talk to me in public I tend to freeze up and not know what to say. Which results in me just silently staring at them as I walk past. People probably think I'm mute or don't know English, haha. No no, I'm perfectly capable of speaking, I've just been working alone in my closet-office all day and don't know how to communicate with humans anymore, that's all.
ReplyDeleteI just do the Lloyd impression from dumb and dumber, cover both ears and go lalalalalalalalalalalalala while walking past them.
ReplyDeleteThere is a candidate that every year hands out Dads Oatmeal cookies. He was at Ajax recently. I just walked by as he was handing out the cookies and said "sugar for breakfast? Thanks but no thanks" and kept walking.
ReplyDeleteIf you think politicians are bad last week a Priest was standing at the ajax station handing out pamphlets saying "please join us for church service this weekend". I just ignored him and kept walking. Like wtf!! Now they're trying to cram religion down my throat??!! Guess the church must be hurting for cash too.
You refused Dad's Oatmeal cookies??? For the love of God woman, are you nuts??? ;-)
ReplyDeleteGive me a break ...
ReplyDeleteOn the cookies, the priest, the politicians, the Because-I'm-A-Girl people??? Which is it???
ReplyDeleteCookies were from a political candidate.
ReplyDeleteAnd Hanna what exactly would you like a break on?
I guess I don't really care about the canvessing, or politicing, but I am pretty pissed at the recycling disaster afterwards. I would be ashamed as a candidate if my brick pounding resulted in that mess!
ReplyDeleteHanna are you sure you want to follow this blog?
People who take the pamphlet and then chuck it away two steps later annoy me. Just don't take the pamphlet!
ReplyDeleteAjax St.: It's the current MPP that handed them out once a year as a Thank You for Voting for me. This year, he was there twice, once for the thank you, once for the Please Vote for Me.
ReplyDeleteI do not take them, but my reasoning is that they refuse to tell me who actually pays for them. If it comes from his own, personal pocket, yes I will take them. If it comes from a slush fund or he expense accounts them, no thank you. I will not be bribed with my own tax money. Especially with cookies.
I guess I leave too early in the morning. Not too many candidates at the station at 5:30am. :o)
ReplyDeleteAs for the charities, they're more like professional fundraisers. I'm having serious doubts on how many are actually spending on "good works".
Ah well, come October 7, it will all be over.
I'm always a bit cautious about breezing past people handing out pamphlets at the GO....last year they were handing out coupons for a free bottle of wine at LCBO. It was just copper moon merlot, but I never turn down free red wine.
ReplyDelete(And just to clarify, it wasn't politicians handing out the coupons.)
Good lord, free wine? Which station? Dang, I would so stop for that!
ReplyDelete