i was watching a bloke sell the big issue on Saturday and he may as well of hit the passers by with a brick and robbed their bags!!!...... you would of thought he would have known to change his aggressive style of selling as he didn't get rid of 1 single mag in the 30 minutes i watched him!!! (i was having a drink in a cafe opposite) excuse me for my ignorance but do these people get paid to sell this magazine?
I think they get a percentage of the sales,dont know how many big issues they have to sell,around my way,funny enough not so many selling these days,except this one foreign girl,who loooks like a little gypsy!!!!Was in liverpool some years visting and one female was really threatening and arrogant,never had any probs before, most of them are quite pleasant!!!
People should repot them to the big issue if they are aggresive, they have to sign a "Code of conduct" before they can sell and if they break that code, they can be stopped from selling them.
I think I must be very lucky where I live. They are quite pleasant, not aggressive at all. In fact even when you decline to buy they still wish you a nice day!
I have to say that the guy who used to be outside Waitrose in Beaconsfield was an absolute sweetie ... he always just said Good Morning and helped the old dears with no agenda. I think he did a reasonable trade as a result of just being a nice chap ... I have felt more violated in the High Street by "Chuggers" of late.
Shame a few spoil it for the majority who no doubt are trying to help themselves.
Have to say the minority -who can barely get a mag to me cos they are on their moby- whilst smoking a fag does p!ss me off -hence i'm reluctant to support any BI sellers now.