A weekly reporter pretended to be a homeless person in a town centre for the day to see how people would respond.
Barnsley Chronicle journalist Mike Cotton decided to experience life in the shoes of a beggar but collected just £1.22 on a rainy Wednesday morning in the South Yorkshire town.
After placing himself on a bench wearing trainers, jogging bottoms and a hooded top, David asked anyone who passed within a few feet if they could spare anything.
He said that it took less than five minutes of sitting on the bench asking people for spare change, before he felt “almost invisible.”
Mike Cotton clutches a dirty cup as he pretends to be a homeless person
Mike recounted his experiences in a first-person piece on the Barnsley Chronicle website.
“I held a dirty mug out towards the passing crowds. I counted, and within one hour, I had asked 150 people. Most ignored me and kept their eyes straight ahead. Some turned to look at me and quickly turned away,” he wrote.
“A couple apologised that they ‘didn’t have anything’. Only one person put anything into the mug.
“She was a kind-faced lady with long white hair and a purple coat. I caught her eye, and as she passed, asked: “Could you spare any change, please?”
“She stopped on the spot, but didn’t turn to look at me. She rummaged in her purse, neither of us spoke.
“She broke the awkward silence after what seemed like minutes, by dropping a handful of silver coins and a couple of coppers into the mug – £1.22, and said: “I’m sorry love, this is all I have”.
“In the fleeting glance she passed me, she looked genuinely sorry she didn’t have more. She looked very sad that I was doing this – begging on the streets. I’d been there nearly an hour, and had planned to stay for several more.”
Although the number of homeless people has fallen across Barnsley by more than half in recent years, Mike felt it was important to bring the problem to light.
He was eventually moved on by a police officer despite the authority being pre-warned about his undercover feature.
“Her superiors knew what I was doing and said they would tell officers to leave me alone, but the message clearly hadn’t filtered down the chain of command,” he wrote.
“I was only there for an hour, but it was enough to make me think hard about the people who don’t have a warm house and a bath or shower to go home to.”
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I wouldn’t have given anything. He looks clean and is sitting on a bench, which is not usual.
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Yes….sitting on the pavement,dirty blanket..scruffy dog….cardboard sign…..unshaven for at least 5 hours..he would have collected double figures..come on…do the job properly please….
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Good effort but ‘only an hour’ kind of weakens the story. So if he had stayed there all day (footfall highest at lunchtime) he might have made 10 to 15 quid – tax free works out I dunno 17-20? Not bad if you are desperate. Still hats off for trying.
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Or wrap yourself in Bacofoil with a colander on your head and stand stock still for hours on end?
Actually Mike, I don’t think it was a bad idea for a feature and should stand you in good stead for a future in journalism.
I mean feature writing, not actually being jobless, homeless and begging in the street!
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People don’t give directly to beggars for very good reasons, mostly I don’t because of the suspicion that they would spend the money on booze or drugs.
Much better to either buy a big issue or to donate to homeless charities to help them get back on their feet and not get sucked into the cycle of substance abuse.
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What did he do with the £1.22?
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Do you ever think that it is only the least quoted person in the office that gets lumbered with a job like this one?
Maybe someone who is perhaps not terribly well treated?
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Not exactly Down and Out in Paris and London is it?
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What’s he complaining about? You can buy a house with £1.22 in Barnsley.
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Probably earned more in that hour than he would have been paid as a junior reporter these days.
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If a plain clothes reporter came shuffling up to you and began thrusting his “dirty cup” in your face, wouldn’t you also “walk on by” without giving him sight of your wallet?
You know what reporters are like.
Sorry, but it is rather callous to go around “pretending” to be homeless.
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Cheers!
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No it isnt callous to pretend to be homeless for a feature! This was a really good idea but giving up after an hour derails any value in either doing it or writing about it.
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you should have given that lady her money back –
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I didn’t give up after an hour. I was threatened with arrest. I tried to explain to the officer that we’d been promised a blind eye would be turned, but the message hadn’t got through to the beat officers.
I merely asked the woman if she could spare any change. I never indicated what it was for. However it went to a homeless charity along with an additional donation from the paper.
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Well done Mike… it’s certainly highlighted a problem which many people choose to ignore. I must admit I never give money to people in the street, BUT I do offer to buy them a coffee/sandwich and a treat for their dog, if they have one. At least that way, they all get fed.
I’d like to think that certain highly paid celebrities/footballers/hedge fund managers might contribute financially, or in some other way highlight the issue of homelessness in 2014, but I imagine they are too busy taking selfies and buying yachts, new cars, etc.
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