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"Free hugs!"

Started by Ciarán2, October 27, 2006, 03:17:09 PM

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Ciarán2

Over the last week I've seen a few teenage girls going around offering free hugs to people on the street. Slightly goth-y looking girls too, about 15 or 16, I'd say. What is that about? Just a few minutes ago a couple of them were walking down Grafton St with FREE HUGS written in permanent marker on their white t-shirts. The first time I saw it was last week, there was a girl standing outside the George's Arcade holding up a cardboard sign with FREE HUGS written on it. And right enough she was hugging anyone who approached her. I wanted to say "Wow! Well done you!" but didn't because she might offer to hug me and I'm repressed and I'd be worried it'd look funny or that I'd get a pant-pole and frighten her with it.

There's no such thing as a free lunch, but is there such thing as a free hug? Is it a charity thing? Dreaded "viral marketing"? A TV programme? A band? What? What is all that about eh? As a stand up comedian might say.

I like the idea of free hugs though.

Marv Orange


Is it these people?

www.freehugs.co.uk

I like how cynical you are to question it in the first place :-).  I'd personally karate chop any stranger that tried to hug me while sober.

Free gropes! Just like on japanese subway trains!

Neville Chamberlain

Sounds bloody annoying to me, like the kind of people who say things like "Cheer up! It'll never happen!"

If I want a free "hug", I'll just pop to the nearest public lavatory or pop behind a bush and have a wank thankyewverymuch.


Carlos Tevez

They'll be fucking sorry if they try that on with me.

Binky

There were two young guys doing that in the theatre district of Seoul, South Korea last week, but they seemed to be focusing on the women and ignoring any male volunteers. It all seemed a little creepy to me.

Ciarán2

Quote from: "Banana Woofwoof"Is it these people?

www.freehugs.co.uk

Yes, that's it! Arr. I don't know that I like it now really. I loved the idea of a girl deciding to go out of her own accord on a drizzly Saturday afternoon and stand there with a sign offering hugs. But this faddish thing. How long before it becomes "that little craze from the mid 00s"? I'm familar with the phrase "chugger" to mean "charity mugger", so these are "charity mugger huggers" are they?

It's not a genuine hug then is it? It's not really spontaneous, although it appears to be so. It's better than a kick in the balls, but...oh I don't know... Good luck to them I suppose. I don't think I'll be accepting their offer. It's a bit like my now stock response (which I've never had to cheek to actually used) when approached by an aggressive charity worker on the street: if a girl with a clip board approaches me and says "Hi would you like to spare a moment for a chat with me?" I'm dying to say back: "WOULD YOU COME OVER AND SAY THAT TO ME IN A NIGHTCLUB??"

Anyway.

On a possibly related note, I saw a girl I used to know yesterday evening and she walking up to people on the street, asking them something, and then they'd look confused and walk away sharpish and then she'd approach someone else. Whatever she was asking these people she was appraoching, they were making a quick getaway and had very baffled looks on their faces. I remember this girl had a few mental problems, she's a lovely sweet girl, but I don't think she recognises me anymore. She used to take a fair bit of medication. I kind of wanted to see what was up with her, and almost regret I didn't now. I wonder if she was asking people to hug her? Sometimes people in manic states do that and get carted away, unfortunately.

Neville Chamberlain

Quote from: "Ciarán"It's better than a kick in the balls...

Now that gives me an idea...

QuoteI wonder if she was asking people to hug her? Sometimes people in manic states do that and get carted away, unfortunately.

I have before in the street but luckily it was usually outside the house and Rob would come looking for me.  No-one ever objected, either.

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

Quote from: "Jim"
Quote from: "Ciarán"It's better than a kick in the balls...

Now that gives me an idea...
Yes. Lets kick people in the balls for free. Their day is bound to seem more pleasant in comparison to that.

Deadman97

Quote from: "Banana Woofwoof"
QuoteI wonder if she was asking people to hug her?

I have before in the street...
Bloody hell, really? Nutter.

Neville Chamberlain

Quote from: "Banana Woofwoof"
QuoteI wonder if she was asking people to hug her? Sometimes people in manic states do that and get carted away, unfortunately.

I have before in the street but luckily it was usually outside the house and Rob would come looking for me.  No-one ever objected, either.

Bah! Why does this kind of thing never happen to me?

Ciarán2

Quote from: "Banana Woofwoof"
QuoteI wonder if she was asking people to hug her? Sometimes people in manic states do that and get carted away, unfortunately.

I have before in the street but luckily it was usually outside the house and Rob would come looking for me.  No-one ever objected, either.

My mad friend stayed over at my house once while my flatmate's sister was staying in Dublin. She met my mad* mate for the first time in the morning when he walked into the bathroom when she was doing here make up. She apparently said "Oh hello..." rather startled. My mate's response was to say "Give us a hug..." and he stretched his arms out! Well the roar she let out of her woke the house up. Hehe. I often think the mad people have got it right, actually. The response to people offering hugs seems to speak volumes about that.

I bet the difference between the men in white coats swooping and getting away with it is that placard. I bet it has to be black marker on a white background and the legend "FREE HUGS" written on it. Otherwise, walk up to someone in America and offer/ask for a hug and see how many sexual harrassment cases are brought against you! ;-)

*I mean "mad" in the nicest possible sense.

I didn't ask them to hug me!  I asked them if they wanted a hug!

Anyway.  Yesh, if this was spontaenous, it would be nicer.  Organised huggers aren't brilliant, are they?  

Ciaran, give one of them a hug and come back and tell us of the quality of the hug.  Do they smell?

Deadman97

Quote from: "Banana Woofwoof"I didn't ask them to hug me!  I asked them if they wanted a hug!
Oh, okay. Still, nutter. I'm of the mind that you get enough hassle on the street from beggars and chuggers as it is. If some oh-so-quirky twee little gothlet tried that with me they'd get nothing but a "fuck off" through gritted teeth.

Ciarán2

If I hug one of them, the problem is I won't know what to say after. I'll feel cheap.

I don't think they smell, well perhaps of pachouli... (I'm going goth this weekend for Halloween by the way).

If it turns out they're being sent out by some HUG CHARITY AGENCY or they're in cahoots with a bank ("Have a hug...with Barclaycard!"), if there is some central organising figure who like the witch in Wizard of Oz is sending these girls off to the job of hugging with a "Fly my little beauties!!!!" then I'll have to start sternly refusing their hugs. It took me long enough to figure out how to deal with the free paper vendors, but this one will be trickier...

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

Quote from: "Ciarán"*I mean "mad" in the nicest possible sense.


I don't know how I'd feel about being offered a free hug. I'm certainly somewhat repressed and introverted but then I do like being hugged by a pretty young lady.

MonkeyDrummer

Quote from: "Deadman97"
Quote from: "Banana Woofwoof"I didn't ask them to hug me!  I asked them if they wanted a hug!
Oh, okay. Still, nutter. I'm of the mind that you get enough hassle on the street from beggars and chuggers as it is. If some oh-so-quirky twee little gothlet tried that with me they'd get nothing but a "fuck off" through gritted teeth.

I'd sneakily grab their arse.

Ciarán2

Quote from: "Claude the Lion Tamer"
Quote from: "Ciarán"*I mean "mad" in the nicest possible sense.
(picture)

Well just to be clear I don't mean mad in the DLT sense, I mean this friend of mine does suffer from bipolar disorder and has a history of manic episodes. But loonies seem to make the best friends a lot of the time. Sweeping generalisation for you there. Two things strike me as cropping up time and time again among those who suffer with manic episodes. One is believing themselves to be Jesus or capable of bringing about world peace by themselves, the other is wanting to hug people. You know...they might actually be right! Perhaps world peace would come about if people just hugged each other. But not with you lot roaming about. Tsk. ;-)

If Audrey Tautou takes to offering FREE HUGS, consider all of my cynicism redundant by the way.

Deadman97

Quote from: "MonkeyDrummer"I'd sneakily grab their arse.
And you'd probably have no legal worries either-

A: "Officer, he grabbed my arse!"

B: "And what were you doing at the time, young lady?"

A: "Offering free hugs to strangers"

B: "I ought to bang you up for being a twat".

Ciarán2

Quote from: "Deadman97"
Quote from: "MonkeyDrummer"I'd sneakily grab their arse.
And you'd probably have no legal worries either-

A: "Officer, he grabbed my arse!"

B: "And what were you doing at the time, young lady?"

A: "Offering free hugs to strangers"

B: "I ought to bang you up for being a twat".

It'd make a good episode of The Bill. "I've got you bang to rights you little slaaaag!"

Blumf

Quote from: "Ciarán"...if there is some central organising figure who like the witch in Wizard of Oz is sending these girls off to the job ...


hencole

WARNING: Try to avoid being hugged by strangers. It's a classic pickpocket move combining distraction and theft all in one move. There been a lot of it happening in Kingston of late by a group of Eastern Eupropeans who come up pretending to be drunk putting their arms around you and asking you what football team you support. All very chummy, but then you find you haven't got your mobile, wallet and football club supporters card.

Gazeuse

I don't want to be hugged by anyone I don't know. You don't know where they've been.

I especially don't want to be hugged by that Australian tramp on that website .

VegaLA

Hold onto your wallet.

untitled_london

i'm with you monkey drummer, totally the obvious approach to take.

i'd not even have to think about it....

you're 16?

you want to hug me?

wanna come back to mine for an extra special long hug?

honest, i couldn't see it going any other way.

Carlos Tevez

That aint a bad idea.

Tokyo Sexwhale