Does doing something "for charity" give you special rights?

[T4tomo]

So people are queueing because they don't want others in their photos, and not because you can't get to the trig point?

Yep, that is the sum of it.

I actually think its because there are a set of steps up to the trig point, so its a bit one up one down. When busy its cases a queue /jam especially when people will inevitably take a selfie there too.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Then you have this 84 year old

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/...mad-84-year-old-scales-alpe-dhuez-for-charity

“I so wanted not to let people down, not to give up at the first bend,” Jones says. “Everyone said the first bit is the hardest, which was quite good in a way, because when you get to the end of the Col du Tourmalet, the end is so difficult. To have the worst bit at the beginning is a bit of a relief, really.”

84yo has also done Tourmalet FGS! Top work, go to the front of the queue!

 

[Binky]

FTFY - now I agree!

I'm not sure that's necessarily correct. I'd say a lot who don't ride view cycling as a kids activity rather than something arduous.
The old chestnut of mamils on bikes regressing to childhood.

 

[T4tomo]

I had a mate who decided to join a school parents cycle ride to Bruges I think. i did point out they would raise more money by just handing over what ££ the bunch of them were spending on bikes & kit etc and not bother doing the ride. He did say they had a good time though.

 

[steverob]

To kinda turn it around, I've been asked if I was doing my ride (be it an audax or my own route) for charity. I'm sure many here have experienced the same thing. It seems some folk can't get their heads around cycling 100km (or whatever) purely for fun/personal challenge/whatever. They figure it must be to raise money. Otherwise why?

Same here. I've done charitable events before but I've tried to make it so that they've all been something "different" and out of the ordinary, rather than cycling the sort of distances that aren't that much above I'd do on a normal weekend anyway.

To that point, I'm doing LEJOG at the end of next month and the amount of people at work who've asked me "who are you raising money for?" and seeing their shock when I say that I'm not, or even if they know that, they'll still out of habit ask "how's the training going for your charity ride?" because that's the only way they can understand it.

Now it's going to be a challenge for me for sure - at 14 days it's the longest multi-day ride I've ever done, compared to 8 days previously (which also had two low mileage days in it), but the main reason I'm doing it is cause it's a bucket list thing that I want to cross off.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I actually think its because there are a set of steps up to the trig point

Whilst there are steps for those with balance issues. It is very easy to reach the trig point from all other directions. No need to join a queue caused by Instagrammers.

 

[classic33]

Did the Three National Peaks in '89. Summit of Snowdon was reached around half seven in the morning, Ben Nevis and back started just before two am the following morning. Scafell was the only one that looked busy.
Not expecting any special treatment on the walks, done for fun but raising money for charity as well.

The Three Peaks I've never expected any special treatment just because a charity is involved.

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

Related but maybe broadening the subject, I don't (or can't remember) sponsoring anybody to do anything.

If I feel a charity worthwhile I will just donate money. If I don't or it's not high enough up my priority list I won't. I consider myself time rich and money poor so whilst I do give to charity I also volunteer on a careful basis (I have some less common qualifications and experience some specialist charities find useful)..

There are a lot of "charities" I don't think should have charitable status (political think-tanks?) not so much from the donations perspective but from the tax breaks benefits.

There are some charities I feel provide resources that should really be provided through Government funding eg when I was much younger the big charity thing was charitable collection for a scanner for a hospital and I felt if the hospital could justify a scanner then the Government (NHS) should be funding it not relying of the goodwill of donors.

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

I do wonder if the term "charity" is being used in a somewhat broader sense than I understand it.

For me raising money "for charity" would imply that one is raising money for a registered charity that is properly registered with the charities Commission, subject to proper accountability, audit, had trustees with responsibilities, etc.

I see that as very different from raising money for somebody. Not that people should not raise money for somebody in need, just to me I'd want it to be very clear as to whether it's money given and distributed privately (albeit for a worthy need) vs money for a registered charity subject to controls and monitoring.

 

[Dave2plates]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/creplqjdxqxo

Personally I wouldn't be queueing up to touch a trig point in the first place. I'd either do it at a quieter time or be satisfied that having a stroll around the top meant I'd climbed it.

That aside I'm sort of with the boo-ers on this. If there was no queue there would be pushing and bedlam so the peculiarly British queue is a good thing.

I don't really think doing something for charity gives you some moral high ground to queue jump or makes your effort more worthy than Muriel from Wolverhampton whose just enjoying a nice day out hill walking.

Where we live we are innundated with frequent motor bike/car/tractor/vintage car rallies causing more traffic and environmental harm. Many of these rallies raise little for charity and contribute to the very issue they were campaigning against. A recent noisy, polluting , motor bike rally to raise funds for childhood asthma!!!! Seriously? It's just an excuse for people to do what they like doing, with the excuse of 'it's for charity'. One recent rally raised £180. I wrote to them and pointed out that if each of the riders were charged £10 to enter they could have raised £3600.