Man throws money in the street.
He may have succeeded in spreading a little sunshine as was his intent.
(I think twenty thousand pounds sterling is way off, though, probably more like two thousand.)
I suspect one might be more successful at it, though, if one gave away one twenty-pound bill at a time, personally. For one thing I know that while I would pick up money on the street, I would feel foolish about it, especially being in competition with strangers. For another thing, I think most people feel guilty getting something for free, and I think they are more likely to be able to feel good about a twenty-pound bill, where more substantial amounts would be troublesome. And for a third thing, I think that the personal contact of somebody deliberately handing you something as a gift will make it mean a lot more than cash you pick up from the asphalt because somebody had so much he threw it away.
I can see advantages to both sides of this. If I found $40 laying on the pavement, it would seem like magic to me and have a bit of mystery to it. On the other hand, if someone handed me $40, I'd feel a bit better about humanity. So, either way, it would be positive.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking I wouldn't have picked up any of the money. I have a suspicious mind, and I would have seen this as bad news: perhaps it's all fake money, and while people are scrambling around to pick it up, his cohorts are picking pockets for real money; perhaps it's a diversion, to get the police interested in the strange doings on this corner so they don't notice the jewelry store holdup on the next corner; perhaps he's a terrorist and the money has all been soaked in a nerve agent that will be absorbed through the skin and kill everyone who touches it.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe he's giving away money in exchange for lost dignity. I've seen The Magic Christian.
I think I would have put my hand over my wallet, taken several steps back, and watched in all directions for trouble.
The people in the video seem pretty sensible and well-behaved. I don't see anyone fighting over the money. A mother keeps one of her children from stepping out into the street, and there's one lady there who seems content to stand back and watch -- warily, I would say.
I once found a five pound note in London's streets. A had a nice cup of Starbacks, along with a cake.
ReplyDeleteI also found a 10 Marks note (5 Euros) on the pavement in Germany. I think I saved it, and enjoy the interest payments, lol.
I even pick up 1 cent coins, I also pick up returnable bottles. Money's lying in/on the street, literally.