The 'Infiltrators' in our lives are making me VERY irritated

Most of us must have been so used to and perhaps immuned by the weekly flag day when students, young adults, senior citizens volunteer (or for some, being volunteered) to seek donations from the public, with their little donation cans and stickers, for some charitable organisations. Yes, this is for a good cause but I am also guilty of having developed a feeling of frustration - frustrated of my way being 'obtructed' every Saturday.

But as I have mentioned, that is for a good cause and will not dwell too much on that.

In the recent years, I realise that I have been faced with more frustrations with other infiltrations, like:

The money solicitor:

The dunno real or not real monks and nuns seeking money at the hawker centres. And I wish to also include, under this category, the occasional 'beggars' who literally ask you for money, and some even tell you specifically how much they want! They seem to be everywhere and everytime you sit and eat, they appear in front of you, mumbling something which I do not understand. A friendly no, once, twice, thrice, and gradually the irritation sets in.

The Sales Persons

On a few occasions, some sales persons target my table at the food centre, persuading me how good their 'whatever-products-they-are-selling' is and please get one of two. A friendly no, once, twice, thrice, and gradually the irriation sets in.

The 'Litterer' (I wish I can find a way to deal with them!)

There used to be junk mails that are delivered into our mailboxes on a daily basis. Most of the time, I picked out a stack of papers from the mailboxes with only less than 10% of the contents being important letters. Since some years back, the mailboxes are locked with access given only to the postmen (I THINK so) who delivers the real letters and some official newsletters.

But what happens now? The ads and commercial leaflets are now 'littered' right at our doorstep!!! This is very ridiculous. Even when our door is opened, the worker simply walked past your unit and shaft the leaflet into the grille door or even throw the leaflet into the house! Wah, how rude and they think they have a right to do that. Well, I have no chance to say no yet, but I am definitely very irritated enough to throw the next leaflet back at the person when I next witness it again.

The Leaftlet Distributors

I am not sure if this is also the result of the unavailability of our mail boxes that I noticed and increase of people standing at MRT stations and along the streets- in fact anywhere and everywhere, distributing promotional or advert leftlets to passers-by. This has also become one of the irritations I face when I am out on streets, especially on crowded places and especially when I am rushing for time.

Out of nowhere, a hand will suddenly stick out in front of me to pass me the leaflets. At the beginning, I will entertain them by accepting the leaflets very politely. But I realise that there are more and more and more! Along the same streets, you will probably see 2 or 3 different persons distributing different leaflets!

And the thing I really cannot tolerate is that the hand sticks out like the gantry that blocks your vehicles when you enter or exit a carpark! It really obstructs your way. I wish I can bring a cane out with me and if that hand sticks out, then a whack it gets!

The Can-Collectors

And most recently, there is this thing about collecting drink cans (I wonder if they earn better than the traditional rag-and-bone man, but I believe it's definitely easier). You will see some elderly folks who scouting the hawker centres and coffeeshops for empty cans, collect them, flatten the cans at the foot and place them in the carrier they carry with them. And I thought, wow, I think I salute them for making the effort to make some living with the earnings and might as well, the cans can then be recycled. Isn't that good?

But good things are always marred by some black sheep. More and more, people start appearing again at these food centres looking for empty cans. At one particular hawker centre at AMK I went to (the most recent was just last night), you will see at least 5 different faces (within less than 30 minutes) walking past your table and ask if you have finish that can drink you have on your table. A friendly no, once, twice, thrice, I almost few in a rage.

Last night was especially atrocious, with one of them sitting next to our table, just waiting for us to clear the contents of our cans into our cups. He was about the 3rd person who had asked us for our cans in less than 15 minutes. My temper was rising to near boiling point as he started to sit at the next table (through my peripheral vision), eyeing for our cans which we have yet to empty. It made me so uncomfortable with someone sitting and watching you...eyeing anxiously for my drink can. I stubbornly refused to empty my can and I was on the verge of throwing my chopsticks and slamming my hands on the table to ask what was he waiting for!! From something I thought was a good sign to something that has already started to irritate me. Has can-collecting gotten so competitively now?

Has our world become so stressed that one can even enjoy a simple meal at the food centre anymore?

I definitely do empathize with the situations these people I mentioned above are in and for most of them, this is one of the ways to earn for a basic living or one way to earn a decent living. I feel bad about ignoring them, turning them away, or rejecting them, but the frustration has also gotten to the extend of me trying to avoid them and silently praying they won't approach you.

So, when things are overdone, they really drive us crazy, and that is what I see myself facing now. I wonder what's the next irritating thing that is going to appear.

And I am not sure if I will slowly become a 'colder' person.

30 Sep 07 (9.55am)