The Toronto Eaton Centre, and Fairview Mall, both huge monuments to consumerism and the money grabbing of retailers, have taken a step to silence the bells rung by an institutional monument to compassion. They have both told the Salvation Army volunteers that the ringing of their traditional bells is now verboten.
Brian O'Hoski, spokesperson for the Eaton Centre, says the volunteers asking mall-goers for donations to the Sally Ann have been asked to still those bell clappers because some merchants were complaining about the "noise" they had to listen to from them. Bah, humbug O'Hoski! Ever tried locating those donation seekers simply by the sound of their bells? In a mall where the noise pollution of Christmas Muzak pouring out of every store entrance is incessant, those canvassers are damn near impossible to locate by the sound of their bells alone. Most times, you have to be close enough to almost trip on the donation kettle's tripod before you hear the ringing sound that seems to be such anathema to O'Hoski and whoever made the grinchy decision at Fairview.
The Sally Ann may not have an entirely blemish free record to their philanthropy, but at least they keep working to help out those in need. How many times do the stores in those two malls subject their shoppers to endless replays of "Jingle Bells" sung by every artist selfishly looking to cash in on the Christmas spirit? How could it really be so objectionable to let the mall shoppers hear the sound of bells being rung in an unselfish attempt to share that same spirit?
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