# Why don't humans just donate blood for vamps? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 2, 2014, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-humans-just-donate-blood-for-vamps/692177 "2014-07-02T10:02:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-humans-just-donate-blood-for-vamps/692177/1 "2014-07-02T10:02:43Z")
In a heck of a lot of vampire fiction there is a war theme between vampires/humans/werewolves/etc. I’ve never figured out why humanity or individual nations don’t just offer a vampire amnesty, people will donate blood for you to live on AS long as you don’t kill. 😕Has anyone explored this idea? ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-humans-just-donate-blood-for-vamps/692177/2 "2014-07-02T10:08:07Z")
I think the victim’s (live) body must be totally drained of blood in order to have a saturating effect. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-humans-just-donate-blood-for-vamps/692177/3 "2014-07-02T10:08:43Z")
1. Most vampires don’t bother asking. 2. Once you have paid him the Dane-geld, you never get rid of the Dane. 3. … (fill in the blank yourself) ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-humans-just-donate-blood-for-vamps/692177/4 "2014-07-02T10:13:57Z")
I’d be worried about the logistics - how much blood can we provide, and how large is the vampire population? ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-humans-just-donate-blood-for-vamps/692177/5 "2014-07-02T10:19:24Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > 1. Most vampires don’t bother asking. > 2. Once you have paid him the Dane-geld, you never get rid of the Dane. > 3. … (fill in the blank yourself) As for 2 the vamps are out killing already, and seem to have done alright for most of human history. Plus donated blood could cut down on the number of vamps er “born” in the wild. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-humans-just-donate-blood-for-vamps/692177/6 "2014-07-02T12:05:55Z")
What was that show with the vampire detective? Not Angel, the other one… no, not Forever Knight, the other other one…[Moonlight](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0955346/)! That was it. He bought bagged donated blood - I think maybe it was even expired as related to transfusing it, just to drive home that he was Totally Not Evil, He Just Has Good Hair. And in a meta twist, [there was a blood drive](http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/04/02/us-moonlight-idUSN0132502820080402) in reality organized to try to “save the show” when it was (not) canceled. There was a vampire “brothel” in Buffy, where one fairly major character Riley went to let vamps feed on him because…um…because his heart was really black and wounded, or something (it didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me, honestly.) Sort of the inverse, really. I don’t think he was doing it out of the kindness of his heart, but the vampires did get a meal out of the deal without killing anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-humans-just-donate-blood-for-vamps/692177/7 "2014-07-02T12:14:54Z")
It’d be like the provision where businesses that provide health care have to include birth control. “I don’t want my tax dollars paying for those blood suckers!” ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-humans-just-donate-blood-for-vamps/692177/8 "2014-07-02T12:22:59Z")
Jim Jarmusch’s recent _Only Lovers Left Alive_ featured Tilda Swinton & Tom Hiddleston as two elegant, cultured vampires who preferred to feed off blood obtained legally, if discreetly. Medically screened, of course, because you can’t be too careful nowadays. Kim Newman’s _Anno Dracula_ series is a pastiche of all vampire literature & folklore (& _other_ literature & history). It’s an alternate past that began when Van Helsing failed, allowing The Count to turn & marry Queen Victoria. Many undead managed to live with a minimum of fuss–but others tended to get out of hand… ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-humans-just-donate-blood-for-vamps/692177/9 "2014-07-02T12:31:50Z")
Vamps are foodies. If it’s not fresh, it’s not worth it. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-humans-just-donate-blood-for-vamps/692177/10 "2014-07-02T12:39:48Z")
Yeah. Or for them, it’s like having sex with a condom. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-humans-just-donate-blood-for-vamps/692177/11 "2014-07-02T13:26:23Z")
How would they ever make new vampires? ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-humans-just-donate-blood-for-vamps/692177/12 "2014-07-02T13:30:09Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Vamps are foodies. If it’s not fresh, it’s not worth it. Two relevant quotes: “What was that maniac drinking? His blood tasted like the Volga River at low tide?” “I fed on a flower person… and spent the next six hours staring at my hand!” ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-humans-just-donate-blood-for-vamps/692177/13 "2014-07-02T13:57:17Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > How would they ever make new vampires? Not every vampire wants to spawn offspring every time they need to sate their thirst for blood. What if they wish to remain Spawnfree? ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-humans-just-donate-blood-for-vamps/692177/14 "2014-07-02T14:02:10Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > I think maybe it was even expired as related to transfusing it My first thought on reading the thread title was “Because we’re barely able to get people to donate enough blood to keep _people_ alive.” ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-humans-just-donate-blood-for-vamps/692177/15 "2014-07-02T14:19:57Z")
> [@grude](#): > > In a heck of a lot of vampire fiction there is a war theme between vampires/humans/werewolves/etc. > > I’ve never figured out why humanity or individual nations don’t just offer a vampire amnesty, people will donate blood for you to live on AS long as you don’t kill. > > 😕Has anyone explored this idea? It is a valid approach. Either the Friendly Neighbourhood Vampire or the Vampire Overlord could act in this manner, drinking donated blood or from groupies rather than operating covertly or demanding more onerous tribute. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-humans-just-donate-blood-for-vamps/692177/16 "2014-07-02T14:22:00Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Medically screened, of course, because you can’t be too careful nowadays. I’d think a benefit to being undead would be an immunity to pathogens. Anyway, “donate” nothin’. I’ve got a commodity they need and you don’t see many poor hobo vampires in the movies. Make with the cash, Drac. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-humans-just-donate-blood-for-vamps/692177/17 "2014-07-02T14:23:09Z")
Because then you would be an enabler. Better to have them kick the habit. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-humans-just-donate-blood-for-vamps/692177/18 "2014-07-02T14:30:00Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > I’d think a benefit to being undead would be an immunity to pathogens. > > Anyway, “donate” nothin’. I’ve got a commodity they need and you don’t see many poor hobo vampires in the movies. Make with the cash, Drac. The _Only Lovers Left Alive_ vamps aren’t immune… ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-humans-just-donate-blood-for-vamps/692177/19 "2014-07-02T14:57:12Z")
Can’t we just kill all the vampires? That would be easier. Go all “Picard at Borg” on them and infect a person with some vampire-deadly pathogen than can be spread like rat poison to the vampire hive. Or nuke 'em from orbit. Whatever. What IS it with vampire fascination? Goddamned (literally) blood suckers! At least John Carpenter’s Vampires had the right idea. High tech hit teams hunting them with the Vatican’s blessing (again, literally). ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2014, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-humans-just-donate-blood-for-vamps/692177/20 "2014-07-02T15:00:02Z")
We already are doing that. The government just covers it up. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-humans-just-donate-blood-for-vamps/692177.md?page=2)