Edinburgh Clamps Down on Charity Street Solicitations

The Scottish capital of Edinburgh is moving to restrict charity street solicitors, drawing up a code of conduct for fund raisers and regulating when, where, and in what numbers they can operate on the city’s main shopping avenue, The Scotsman says. The clampdown on Princes Street in Edinburgh’s city center is the first of its kind in Scotland. Dozens of English cities have restricted the street fund raising, widely denigrated among the British press and public as “charity mugging,” or “chugging.”

The new rules, set out by the company that manages Edinburgh’s popular tourist area and an association of fund-raising organizations, are aimed at stemming complaints from shoppers and merchants that charity solicitors impede and harass downtown pedestrians.