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A social experiment...

If you go to Sydney there's a soup kitchen in Ashfield. I worked there a year ago and the food's actually quite good. They do breakfast and lunch every day but I'm not sure about dinner.

It's a very interesting idea and I hope you make it safely and learn a lot.

This thread reminds me of the end scene of Pulp Fiction. What did he call it again?
 
Thanks for your support! I'm very interested in seeing how potential employers will look at me.

I wonder if I'll be able to get myself a job. I will also like to see if the employer even gives me a chance to speak to them... I wish I could secretly video tape what will happen but since i dont have any type of budget.. i'll have to rely on the old fashion paper and pen!

In terms of safety.. I might keep 50 bucks in my shoe just in case something happens and I need to get in to a cab.
 
it won't work at all

1) you are treating it like a game
2) you won't grasp the direness of the situation due to you having a 'normal life' for you to fall back on

people aren't homeless by choice, yet you choose to put yourself in their shoes. kind of belittles their situation to the point of making it a joke.

but hey, what would i know, im middle class and ignorant.
 
Hi,

No, I want to actually see what it is like to be 'homeless'. Go to the missions, beg, see if i can get a job.. see how desperate I become.

I think through desperation I would start doing desperate things.. I always wondered what it would take before I started to beg.. or even eat out of a rubbish bin.. or pick up some left over food from people who leave their McDonalds 1/2 eaten... I've seen people do this and have wondered what drives them... I guess i'm trying to get a glimpse in to their lives.. to record it down and try and make people aware of what it is like...

If anyone remembers the movie 'trading places' I see myself in that situation...

I guess a bit of background about myself.. I work for a very large company earn almost a 6 figure salary... so it's going to be VERY tough.. I'm not use to being hungry.. or use to cold..

When I was younger my parents had to really struggle.. I remember some nights my parents wouldn't eat so my brother and I could... My parents sometimes remind me that it does not take much to fall.. that I should be greatful for what I have.. and I guess this is a way of me bringing myself back to the ground.. to understand how the less fortunate side of society lives..

It's not a game for me.. I take this very seriously.
 
friskk: what will you do with your newfound insight once you've obtained it?

I know it's a personal social experiement for you, but I can't help but think the scope is a little narrow. How is your experiment going to help change the situation for those who are homeless? How are you going to put your revelations to good (and practical) use?

Not knocking your idea at all - I think it's brave (if a little nuts ;) ) - but perhaps think about the practical outcome a little more. Will you spread the word? If so, how? Perhaps you could make it a fundraiser - get people to sponsor you and contribute that money to homeless organisations? How about a website log/journal of your experience? An article for a magazine?

Just ideas.
 
josh_nexus said:
All Australian Banks require a postal address and at least one form of primary ID or 3 forms of secondary ID. I dont know the figures but I would imagion there arent to many homeless people with PO Boxes and current Drvers Licences and Passports. Esspecially concidering you cant get either form of primary ID (Drvers Licence or Passpor) without a home address. So its a vicious cycle I suppose.
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I'm pretty sure that a few charity orginisations allow people to use them as a reference and "home address" for centrelink. A few in Newcastle do anyway. This lets people get one step closer to government assistance.
 
^ SLM has a point, if you keep a journal why not write up an atricle afterwards. Get a mate to take before and after photos too. You could try sending it to the local university's student unions to chuck in their student magazines. I know the union at UQ pays for contributions too :)

If the expereince is enlightening and you can write up a decent report then this is the kind of thing that'd definitely make it into a student magazine. It would then be read by 1,000s of people =D

Throw in some contact details at the end for some charities and you never know what long-term effects your experiment may have...
 
^^^^

True... True... I guess I have kept it pretty quiet as i'm scared of failing. I dont want to build it up and last on the streets one night. I had initially felt that this was my personal quest and that I would write about it on bluelight and tell my friends.. but it seems that it could be so much more...

I do plan on keeping a journal but my writing is so poor that i'll probably loose so much i'm trying to explain...

I'll see what happens.
 
^^ ha ha, I wouldn't worry about the quality of writing if it was for a student mag. I remeber recently seeing a haiku in one describing how shit uni was and how everyone should fuck off... I'll see if I can track it down...

In the meantime - don't feel pressured to have any wonderful results or write up a fantastic journal or anything from the experiment etc. it is, as you said, a personal quest after all.

best of luck to you anyway!!!
 
smart-e said:
acturally all they need is a bank account and everyone can ge one of those but im not an expert and I wont argue with you guys.
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Just on that note....I don't have a driver's licence or a passport, and when I moved to Sydney it took me fucking weeks to find a bank that would let me open an account with them because none of them were happy with the ID I did have. And this is coming from a person employed in a full-time job with a stable residence and many people who could vouch for me.

Imagine how much harder it would be without all that stuff. There are certainly some homeless people who do it as a lifestyle choice; my uncle roamed from place to place without ever having a fixed address because he preferred it that way, but he also made sure he had somewhere he could receive mail specifically so that he could get benefits.

Compare that with someone who has a mental illness, or who is living on the streets because they don't perceive that they have any other choice, and it just makes things that much harder. As other people have said, there really are a massive amount of people not receiving benefits who really do live literally hand-to-mouth.

friskk, I think what you're doing is a really fascinating thing, and I would love to hear what you get from the experience.
 
I could'nt sleeps so I thought I'd rely to this thread.

Your theory is a good one, and I think your intentions are noble but the christmas period is a very busy time for homeless agencies.

I know this because my mother is a welfare co-ordinator for the biggest homeless shelter in my city.

They are run of their feet and they don't have enough room for people at the best of times, they turn away people constantly.

I think your idea is flawed in the sense that you would be taking away a bed for someone that is genuinely needy. There's not enough beds to go around period, especially in the holiday season and I think it's a bit rough that someone would take a much needed bed away from someone just to slum it for a fortnight.

You won't get ANY accomodation unless you have moey of some form. If you don't have any money in your pocket the agencies will arrange a meeting for you with centrelink, don't bank on an emergency payment though, they don't always deliver.

If you would truely like to see what it is like without taking away much needed bed space perhaps you could contact me via PM. I can speak to my mother and see if she can arrange a placement for you to do some volunteer work as she is in constant contact with agencies around australia.
 
Hi,

No... No.. I actually plan on sleeping on the streets. I'm going to give myself one week of sleeping on the streets. I mean not utilising the welfare or anything. Then I plan on trying to get myself some employment.. as I want to judge the reactions on potential employees faces...

If the reaction is bad... I'll probably go back and visit them... a week or so later, once i've cleaned myself up and see if they remember me... and see what reaction I get.

I will only get my money through begging, finding money...
I dont want to take anyone's bed... but I will definitely go check it all out...

Inside my own head everything seems so clear... i just want to see how society will treat me. How society percieves people.
 
frissk - fantastic idea - but as already mentioned, i also think it would be better if you can let others know about you experience afterwards, in the best way possible.

i would be happy to help you out - i can borrow a video camera from someone - so we can tape your thoughts and daily 'adventures'! there is more i would like to talk to you about, so please send me a msg, or i think you have my e-mail addy? either way, plz get in contact if interested in recording your time in more detail. cheerz.
 
I believe you are wrong – this experiment can potentially educate a number of people about what a homeless person goes through and how difficult it is for a human-being to start all over in a ‘modern society’ – how is it that someone can spend thousands of dollars on, I don’t know, a pair of shoes for example, and someone else has to think about wether they are going to make it through the night alive! For example, once I was talking to a home-less guy on the tram and he was going on about what a wasteful society Australia is. And how right he was.

Okay I’m getting carried away here…

for people who are so worried about the “waste of allocated resources” – instead of calling this experiment “stupid” – look at this problem in a more serious light – and see what YOU can do to add to such resources. (and before pointing the finger back at me, yes I do help out such charities.)

my 5c + GST.
 
So you are saying that I should validate this experiment by funding it ? You are nuts.

Educate a number of people ? I dont see what he can learn that we dont already know. I.e: homeless people have no rights and arent respected. A number of people ? Who ? His mates down at the pub and us losers on BL ?

Im completely unconvinced
 
BREAKaBEAT said:
I think its a stupid waste of allocated resources going to someone who doesnt need it.
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I agree with that, someone could go bed-less or dinner-less and perhaps die the night you take that persons place to stay and food.....
 
You need to calm down – if you like to think of yourself as a loser – by all means go ahead – but I would not consider everyone and myself as one.

Furthermore – no one asked you to fund this experiment – so again - relax.

Lastly every one is entitled to their opinion, and I personally, who have worked with the homeless (not boasting about my work here, merely using it as a way to show that, I hope, I know a bit about their lives) believe that you are wrong, not enough people know about this problem, and not enough people really understand how big this problem is.

And as for convincing you – my post was not about proving anything to anyone – simply stating my point of view.
 
Shadow said:
I believe you are wrong – this experiment can potentially educate a number of people about what a homeless person goes through and how difficult it is for a human-being to start all over in a ‘modern society’ – how is it that someone can spend thousands of dollars on, I don’t know, a pair of shoes for example, and someone else has to think about wether they are going to make it through the night alive! For example, once I was talking to a home-less guy on the tram and he was going on about what a wasteful society Australia is. And how right he was.

Okay I’m getting carried away here…

for people who are so worried about the “waste of allocated resources” – instead of calling this experiment “stupid” – look at this problem in a more serious light – and see what YOU can do to add to such resources. (and before pointing the finger back at me, yes I do help out such charities.)

my 5c + GST.
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Well bud, I DO work on the odd occasion with the homeless so I can put my money where my mouth is.

And I think taking a bed away from someone who really needs it because they want to see what it's like to slum it for a few weeks is selfish.

Yes I also know that the riginal poster said he's not going to do this, but there's still going to be time and resources expended on someone that does'nt really need them.
 
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