Bells Are Ringing--make them stop, please!

OK. Curmudgeon warning ahead!

Just letting you know that a rant will be happening. One that I'm slightly nervous about posting lest I get branded a scrooge or a cheapskate. But, regardless, here goes.

Can we please get rid of the Salvation Army bellringers!! Augh! Nothing against SA per se. I haven't done research into them, but overall, they seem to provide good services and I hope they're doing so efficiently and being good stewards of their money, but the ringing--it's got to stop!!

Every flipping time we go near a store for weeks on end, those incessant ringers are there. Could they find a more annoying bell? Really? If they tried? I don't think so. So, first off, I'm already slightly annoyed since I'm doing grocery shopping or running errands and am always in a hurry. The bell just grates on my nerves and makes me crabbier by the second. Then, there's the pang of guilt because 99 out of 100 times I don't put money into the pot. Well, OK, make that 100. I don't want to encourage the bell ringer method of fundraising. At all. I could have just written a check for hundreds of dollars to poor blind starving orphans but since the ringers don't know that, they just see me as someone too rushed and crabby to show a little mercy and grace.

Which is true. I am. Too busy. Too annoyed. Too crabby. Not to give in general, but to give to them in that manner. Paul and I give to numerous causes both worldwide and local. We're pretty dang generous if I do say so myself. But I won't give to the SA bell ringers. I just want them to go away. Silent night--and day--where are you??