Disclaimer
All Contents © Copyright Peter C. Hayward 2008-2009 unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.2010
All Contents © Copyright Peter C. Hayward 2008-2009 unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.2010
12:00 am – Gavin dropped me off. As soon as he was out of sight I got a bit jumpy with the sleeping bag. I felt like an obvious and immediate target. I jumped every time someone even slightly tougher-looking than me glared my way, and if you’ve met me you’ll know that’s pretty much everyone. After about 15mins of this I remembered what someone had commented, about valuable members of society being most at risk and tried to look less valuable. This helped me both look and feel more calm.
12:20 – After wandering around for 20mins admiring how bright Melbourne looks at night, I read that going wide eyed at everything probably wasn’t helping me look more tough, and definitely wasn’t helping me find somewhere to sleep. I’m woeful at directions but great with maps, but even with a map I was lost and confused. Eventually I worked out where I was and set off for the nearest park. Passed the Queen Victoria markets; there was a security guard in there. Like that whole area, it was really brightly lit (Melbourne is really freaking bright at night) so it wasn’t particularly tempting for a place to sleep.
(The first night, at least, I wanted somewhere a bit hidden, a bit out of sight to sleep. I’ll decide night-by-night whether or not this is the best strategy)
Once I saw that there was a security guard, it was suddenly a lot more tempting. He was more than likely there to stop things from getting stolen (Gavin here- I originally read “things” as “thugs”. It didn’t make a lot of sense), but I saw him and thought “Hey, this is such a great sleeping-place that they’ve put a guard here to stop me.”
12:34 – Got to the park. Passed another guy in a sleeping-bag sleeping under a tree, which really helped put my mind at ease. Clearly this park is safe to sleep in, evidenced by the simple fact that there’s someone sleeping here.
12:40 – Possum jumped down from a tree and ran across the park. Possums aren’t known for clawing people’s faces off while they sleep, are they?
1am – 7:19am – Slept. Obviously I can only speak for this one park for this one night, but let me say now- there is no possible way that my presence caused someone else to miss out on a spot to sleep. There were literally more than two dozen equally good places to sleep. Its completely impossible that someone “missed out” because of me.
I slept okay; intermittently at first. I kept having dreams of angry people from the comments coming along and stealing my things. It started to rain lightly at one point, but when I awoke I was dry again, so it can’t have lasted long. I was using my jacket as a pillow when I went to sleep, but in the morning I was wearing it, so I must have gotten cold during the night.
I was worried about someone taking my stuff as I slept (as was shown by my dreams) so I ended up using my backpack as a pillow, so I’d notice if anything happened to it, and putting anything that could fit into my sleeping bag with me.
7:20 – I’d set an alarm on my phone for 8, but I woke up several times throughout the night, and at 7:20 it was clear that I wasn’t getting back to sleep again. There were a group of women doing yoga about 30m from where I was sleeping.
I walked back out the way I came, noticed another homeless person sleeping under a tree. They’d arranged their sleeping bag in such a way that it completely covered their face, which I thought was a clever way to do it. I don’t think I’ll be able to do that, as I’ve got the wrong kind of sleeping bag. It would nicely keep the rain and bugs off though.
I could also see that the first guy I found had a dog tied to a bench near the tree he was sleeping under. Probably a good thing I didn’t spot that last night. I would have been much more nervous about sleeping in the park if I thought you needed a dog for protection.
I’m an extremely sound sleeper, which I’m hoping will be an advantage this month. At one point in the night, I half woke-up thinking that I was in a hotel room, the breeze was an air-conditioner, and the sound of traffic was the sound of a fan.
My plan at the moment is to try and find a different place to sleep each night (or day) so unless I have a lot of trouble finding somewhere, I won’t be going back to that park, great though it was.
8:34 – I’d just spent half an hour sitting on a bench in the city, writing everything up, when I ran out of things to say, so I put the pen and paper away and just watched people walking by. One woman caught my eye, and without me even saying anything, shook her head and muttered “Not here, bud.” I assume she assumed I was looking for money. Just thought I’d record her reaction to me literally doing nothing more than sitting on a bench and looking at her.
9:30 – Sitting on another park bench (I figure I’ll very quickly get sick of my own company, so I’m enjoying it while I can) outside a place called “Tropicana Juice Fruit Bar”. They have several flags up- New Zealand, USA, Italy- not really places that I think of as “tropical”.
Everyone who sits down sits with their back to me. I’d have assumed this was a coincidence, except one guy sat down, noticed me, then moved chairs so he had his back to me.
I’m hoping that someone will leave a meal half-eaten so I can grab a bite or two before the plate is cleared away, but I’m not too worried.
Just observed an interesting exchange; a woman was enquiring about a certain dish, so when the waiter brought it out for another patron, he first showed it to her. The man who ordered it offered her a bite, so she could see what it was like, which she accepted. Neither of them knew each other. I just thought that it was kind of nifty.
I was worried I’d get bored, but as long as there are people to watch, I don’t think I will.
10:02 – Lady walking past Tropicana: “Oh my gosh, there’s a pineapple on the table! How funny!”
10:56 – Asked 4 groups of people if they had any spare change. First 3 were sympathetic and polite but unable to help. Fourth guy looked bewildered and asked how much I wanted. I wasn’t sure how to answer, so I said $2, which he gave to me. Thanked him profusely.
11:00 – A guy saw my sleeping bag and started chatting. He used to be homeless – in winter it’s impossible to sleep on the ground; it’s just too cold. He said that my best bet would be to catch a train out to whoop-whoop, find a football field and find a football field to sleep in. Will try that in a few days time.
He also told me that all the parks in the city have automatic sprinkler systems that come on at night. That explains a lot.
I’m writing this on the riverbank near Federation Square. It’s really nice and peaceful. I might try sleeping here tonight. Mid-morning and there’s already a guy sleeping on one of the benches, so I’d say they’re in demand. I’ll come back tonight and if there’s room, I’ll sleep on the ground somewhere.
11:12 – Observation: almost none of the people sitting along the riverbank speak English.
11:13 – A lady just walked by in full work-out gear, counting her steps while listening to music… and smoking a cigarette. Obviously very health-conscious.
12 noon – Had a dry spell for a while there – about 20 people in a row to either didn’t speak English or were distinctly unfriendly, so I stopped to watch some trapeze artists in the city (I love Melbourne). Got up again, and the second guy I talked to gave me $4.15. $4.15! I feel rich. “Get some food” he said, and so I shall.
12:05 – Both people who have given me change so far have been in their late/early 20s. Theory: Every human has a limited amount of change that they can give out in their life, and most people run out by the age of 25.
12:43 – After a lot of wandering around the city, found a supermarket. If you ask someone for directions, they’re much more likely to chat, and when you check to see if they have any change, they look genuinely sad that they don’t have any.
Was 20c short at the supermarket, so asked two people if they could spare some change. Second lady gave me $2. Bought a 1.5L bottle of water (99c, and the bottle should last me for a while), a jar of Coles-brand orange spread ($1.39) and peanut butter was on sale, so I bought a jar for $2. The cheapest bread was $1.94. There’s no way I would have been able to do 28 Days, 28 Dollars down here – cheap bread is what got me through it.
Sitting at a food court writing this, listening to two girls chat about a weird boy that one is dating. One of them threw away half a sandwich before I could ask if I could finish it.
1:00pm – Found a lovely, grassy food court. Made two pieces of orange spread-on-bread and one slice of peanut-butter-on-bread and then lay down for a nap. When I went to sleep my feet were the only thing in the sun.
3:30 – Woke up because the sun was in my eyes.
I got up and put my shoes on, and an extremely tall man in a sharp suit passed and looked at me. I nodded in greeting to him, and he reciprocated in a friendly way.
A few seconds later he stopped near a man in an identical suit and I realised they must be security for the area. They had a long conversation which involved them both looking over to me several times. I’ve never before been so sure that someone was talking about me, but had such little idea what they could be saying. Neither of them tried to move me along in any way, but I thought it was time to move on anyway.
3:40 – Rather than walking back to the riverbank on the other side of town, I headed for the nearest park, a few blocks away. The grass grows in strange patterns here – a swirl of green, healthy grass surrounded by brown, barely-alive grass. I’m taking this as a sign that they don’t use sprinklers overnight.
7:40 – Woke up. My body must be replacing food with sleep. 12 hours sleep in the last 20. Had another 4 slices of bread with spread/peanut butter, did a lap of the park seeing if anyone has any change. Monday night must be couples night. No one did. Couldn’t find a loo so had a cheeky wiz in some bushes. Returned to where I slept earlier and watched the sun set.
9:50 – Went to sleep for the night.
Change Begged: $8.15
Ate: 7 slices of multigrain bread with peanut butter/orange spread.
Slept: Flagstaff Gardens – 6 hours
QU Food Court – 2.5 hours
Carlton Gardens – 6 hours
Songs Stuck in my Head:
-TMBG “New York City”
-TMBG “Birdhouse in Your Soul”
-Evil Dead the Musical “We Will Never Die”
-Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds “People Just Ain’t No Good”
Strangest Thought of the Day:
“I wonder if there’s a Mary Poppins/Captain Planet fanfic where they get together” (Gavin: I had a bit of a look, but couldn’t find any. Leave a link in the comments if you have better luck.)
Tomorrow: Day 2
More Options ...
Categories
Tag Cloud
Blog RSS
Comments RSS
Void 
Life 
Earth 
Wind « Default
Water 
Fire Light
Previous 
Next 
Comment Meta:
Last 50 Posts
Back
Peter, you have no idea how glad I am to read this first post and you haven’t died yet. Or haven’t as of 48 hours ago. That you survived the first day gives me much more confidence in you.
“Not here, bud.”
Maybe your look, to her, said something like “Let’s get it on.” And she wanted you to follow her to a more private place. Eh, eh! Or not…
Bread may have been more expensive because you were getting it from a store in/close to the city?
It’s a shame about that wasted half-sandwich. A right shame.
“I remembered what someone had commented, about valuable members of society being most at risk and tried to look less valuable .”
Thanks for typing this up from Peter’s handwriting, but are you sure Peter didn’t mean ‘vulnerable’?
Right you are, Auntie Christine! I’m going in and changing it now.
On the ball Christine!
Fantastic to hear the story so far. You’re in my thoughts.
This is like travelling back in time!! I wish I knew what was happening right now. Oh well, that’s snail mail for you. Now I see why they invented Twitter!
Interesting reading, you seem to move about a bit and mention places that I have been so I can imagine you there. I love that you thought it rained on you when it was the sprinklers, you must be a sound sleeper. Like Jodhi, I wish I knew what was happening right now. Will be back for the next instalment. PS Glad you’re safe so far.
You are the reason I will no longer give change to ‘homeless’ people.
Wow! Pretty weak reason. Were you looking for an excuse?
By the way I’m just kidding and if you were just kidding please don’t get offended.
If you weren’t just kidding feel free to get as offended as you like.
Jane is scared. It’s been raining all day, on and off, and her clothes are wet. She’s not cold, not yet, but she worries about tonight. If this rain continues, she’ll be cold then. She wasn’t able to take a sleeping bag or anything with her when she fled her abusive stepfather – she didn’t plan this, it just happened.
Now, she’s on the streets.
Jane wanders, aimless, becoming more and more hungry as the day progresses. She swallows her pride and shamefacedly asks a man outside a cafe for some change. He refuses. He turns to his friends. “What’s with all the bloody beggars today?” He’d just handed $2 to some scruffy hobo and here’s another one with her hand out. He shakes his head at her back as she walks down the street, fighting the tears that are in her eyes.
She looks enviously at the people leaving the supermarket, their bags full of food, headed to their homes, warm and dry. She bumps into a woman leaving the store. Before she can apologise, the woman shakes her head, and keeps walking. After all, she’d just given someone $2. She’d done her good deed for the day.
Night falls. She looks for a place to sleep. She comes to a park.. it looks promising.. but she sees a man sleeping there. No, two. Two men – two men who could come at her while she slept – hurt her, rape her. It wouldn’t be the first time.
She doesn’t dare risk it. She moves on..
The place she is forced to go to instead is a bad choice. Jane’s blood is on the streets.
Her blood is also on the hands of some idiot who thinks it’s fun to play at being homeless. Who is telling himself he’s not “stealing a bed” by sleeping under a tree. Who tells himself he’s not hurting anyone by asking strangers for money, testing their charity, taking their coins to feed himself.
This idiot is wrong. And he has blood on his hands.
1. Jane should have gone to a shelter, or a police station. But anyway…
2. If she can rationalise whether a certain park is safe because of who is sleeping there, she should also have the ability to judge the safety of an alternative sleeping venue. I find it hard to believe if she decides the park is not safe, that she will choose an even dodgier venue over the park.
3. A man sleeping under a bush cannot be held personally responsible for where another person decides to go/sleep on a certain night and what happens to them.
4. Melbourne is a big enough place for one more “homeless” person. Even if some people might only give change to one homeless person and then refuse the next, others (as I would) don’t limit themselves in that way. Some don’t give at all. It’s a numbers game. If you ask enough people, you will eventually find someone who will give you some change, and chances are they haven’t been asked for money yet that day – I mean, what are the odds of that happening anyway?
Phone? You’re kidding me right? You’re playing at homeless and you feel the need to insure that you get up on time? 0.o yeah, good luck at the whole ‘exploring the reality of being homeless’
I was ‘Jane’.
It isn’t something I talk about, I would rather forget but it was a time when there was far less help for the homeless.
So far what Peter has raised in sponsorship outstrips the change he has been given which may have been given to ‘Jane’. If what he is doing can make more services available for other ‘Janes’, give her options other than sleeping in the park or on railway stations and begging to eat, I don’t see how you can knock him for the small change he accepts.
As a non-homeless person, I’ve asked a stranger for change on occasions when I’ve been short for a bus or the like. According to some people here this makes me personally guilty for the legions of homeless who have undoubtedly starved to death as a consequence of my actions.
In response to U:
If you ask enough people, you will eventually find someone who will give you some change, and chances are they haven’t been asked for money yet that day – I mean, what are the odds of that happening anyway?
The odds of someone in the CBD of Melbourne being asked for change more than once per day are in fact quite high. I wonder if you have been to Melbourne, ever, for more than 5 minutes. Walking around the CBD, you are constantly asked for change. And yes, I am likely to give one dude change and that’s it for the day. Luckily I am clued in to Peter’s ridiculous excursion and he is more likely to receive a smack or a hot cup of coffee in the crotch than he is $2 from me.
“he is more likely to receive a smack or a hot cup of coffee in the crotch than he is $2 from me.”
Isn’t assaulting him a bit of an overreaction or is that your usual method of dealing with someone you don’t agree with? A simple ‘No Peter, I don’t believe in what you are doing’ would be more appropriate.
so many of you twats need to see your g.p about a prozac prescription. leave the poor bastard alone. as far as i’m concerned he’s raised a hell of a lot more awareness of homelessness than any of you mofos have.
I’m glad to see you’re updating and that you haven’t lost heart and that it seems that there *are* *some* decent people out there.
To everyone whinging about what Peter’s doing– if you’ve never been homeless yourselves, and aren’t actually doing anything about making life better for homeless people or raising cash/awareness, I think it’s hypocritical and pathetic to complain about it.
He mightn’t be genuinely homeless, but the reactions he’s getting from people on the streets are genuine reactions to homeless people, and putting yourself into a situation where you’re confronted with that level of discrimination and dehumanisation from society is a brave move and something he could have lived a life without exposing himself to.
The fact that he’s talking about it is raising awareness and if it makes one person consider how it must feel to be on the recieving end of that, then he’s done something positive.
Brilliantly said Jess. Bravo Peter
so many of you twats need to see your g.p about a prozac prescription. leave the poor bastard alone. as far as i’m concerned he’s raised a hell of a lot more awareness of homelessness than any of you mofos have.
PUH-LEASE. Do you really think this guy is doing this “homeless experiment” (as he USED to call this whole thing, before he was criticized) 100% out of the goodness of his heart? To raise awareness? Judging by this blog and his previous posted written work I for one don’t think so. As much as he will deny it, Peter is also enticed about the media attention/ possible opportunities that may arise from this little stunt he is pulling – hence the radio interviews, the way he plugs this website and all the “about me/projects/read more!!” links that keep popping up and flashing at me on this site whenever it loads. He is merely seeking the method with the highest viewer impact. In fact, dear Peter ONLY tacked on the “donations” part AFTER he posted in a few communities detailing his “adventure” and receiving bad criticism responses – of course, he had to adjust his experiment to make it appear more favourable.
As others have suggested, there are numerous other ways to raise awareness but Peter has chosen the option that will garner him the MOST publicity. We are not idiots. He obviously hopes that he will gain something out of this (whether it be work/more blog hits etc) otherwise he would not be doing this in the first place. Calling it a “selfless act” or saying that he is “merely raising awareness” is far from the truth. If you go back to his original postings about this grand holiday he had planned, all the extensive “oh, but I won’t use services! I’m going to VOLUNTEER AFTERWARDS! It’s to raise awareness and I’ll be donating” is not mentioned at all, but somehow all this extra fluff has been incorporated into his spiel after he was alerted to what a stupid privileged idea it was.
Well said, Sarah.
Peter has been completely open and transparent about his motives in this whole experiment. He originally was going to do it as an experiment and adapted it as criticism came in. He did not try to hide any of these facts. He blogged about his motives quite honestly. The so called “tacked on” fundraising arose to try and pay back some of the money he’s begging off people (which if you believe some of these posts, is going to get people raped and starved to death in either order). If this stupid privileged idea changes his life maybe he won’t be so stupid and privileged anymore.
Here’s another thought. Many people end up homeless due to mental illness. Now many people have called Peter crazy to be doing what he is doing. Therefore, if you think logically, Peter has ended up homeless on the streets due to mental illness.
I am bi-polar myself, and I once decided to go be a homeless guy once when I was manic. This lasted just long enough for me to be picked up by the cops and taken to hang out at psych-ward for a few weeks. My point is, Peter, through reasons he has come up with in his head (ie mental) has ended up on the streets of Melbourne. Does this give him less right to be on the streets than any other crazy person? I don’t think so!
By the way Omega, I think you need your head checked. Maybe a couple of weeks in psych ward would do you good.
^The point I am making is that this whole thing is a a result of a selfish motive on Peter’s part to get noticed. As I said, there are PLENTY of ways to raise awareness of this issue but he choose to proceed with the method that would garner HIM the most publicity. He could very well have gone straight into volunteer work but would that make him as well-known as doing a stunt like this? I give more respect to the countless people who actually donate their time behind the scenes WITHOUT feeling the desire to be the “face” or be known for their actions. Those people are the sort of people who genuinely care. Peter’s “homeless experiment” is largely to do with his own ego and to fulfill his own desire to do something “dangerous and adventurous”. The awareness he raises is just a byproduct. So in this respect, I and many other people will not agree with this project because it is clear that Peter intends or expects to gain notoriety by doing this, which may lead to monetary or job offers etc. That is his MAIN contention.
He’s also blown off all the comments by people telling him that they’re offended and why (and there were many of these). If he actually cared about making a difference he would help in ways that give without taking.
^Fair points. But I don’t think Peter particularly needs your respect. He has a tremendous sense of self worth. That’s why he’s able to pull off stunts like this. He has to blow off criticism because if people didn’t do things every time they got criticised nothing would ever happen. I think he’s doing this for:
1. the experience
2. fame and notoriety
3. selflessness and humanity
it’s pretty close between 2 and 3. I hope he gets the fame and notoriety he deserves. He’s very creative and brave, he could be the next John Safran. Or at least the next Peter C Hayward.
Anyway somebody needs to be the face of things. People working quietly behind the scenes can only do so much. One person with the courage to stand up and be noticed can be a spark for many more quiet self assuming people to quietly put their hands up and volunteer to do something nice.
^I have no issues with anyone being the face of things etc, but the thing is Peter is presenting this whole experience as purely some sort of “raise awareness” crap, making himself sound like a martyr who is doing the good deeds of the world. He has GONE INTO IT with the intention of gaining fame or recognition, and he is EXPLOITING homelessness for his own personal gains. Frankly I don’t believe for a second that he is trying to drum up awareness for the cause. This all started just as an experiment and as another one of his “projects” that he can blog about, then it got a bit out of hand and he has now switched it to appear that he is putting himself at risk “for the good of a cause”. Which is not the case.
Well Duh! I’m glad I called myself Well Duh! Sarah did you even read my last posts? You are just saying exactly the same thing I said except making it sound like a bad thing.
Hmmm, I don’t presume to know exactly what Peter’s thinking (and I think to do so would be judgemental), but how I read it is, he was doing it for the experience, planned to document it, and through discussion it morphed into something to help the homeless. Afterthought or not, he didn’t have to decide to use it as a vehicle to raise awareness, but he did. I also think from his comments that he definitely does not want to cause anyone harm.
I appreciate his willingness to think outside the box and to experience life in a way that most others wouldn’t dare to or care to – for any number of reasons, the biggest being that it would take them out of their comfort zone. I also appreciate his willingness to share it with others. I really enjoyed his 28 days, 28 dollars experience. I am looking forward to reading about this experience too. Not in any exploitative way at all. I do think it can raise awareness (and has), and make people who wouldn’t have dwelt on it otherwise, think about what it *could* be like to be homeless.
So for any harm he might do on the streets, there’s plenty good there too.
Which of the ‘PLENTY of ways to raise awareness of this issue’ would you recommend, assuming that you mean them to remain anonymous so that nobody knows that anything is happening?
I’m not sure why you are so hostile about what Peter is doing. Is it because he may get publicity? The minimal publicity he has had so far has resulted in nearly $600 extra funding for homeless services from donations received. Is it because he has modified his idea along the way? Few plans come complete and ready to run at first thought and are adjusted as they are considered more fully. If he gains nothing personally from his ‘experiment’, will you be happy, and will you feel vindicated if he is harmed in the carrying out of it?
Peter’s mother-
You obviously have a very biased opinion so it is no surprise you are all for this little experiment, as he calls it. Firstly if Peter really, truly cared about this cause he could very well have volunteered at a shelter. He could actually be actively seeking to be a mentor or a guide for runaway youths, given up some of his time to offer his services to actually HELP the people who are ACTUALLY HOMELESS. Instead he decided to pursue a self-involved, “it’s all about me” publicity campaign to fulfill some inherent desire for adventure and play pretend. With donations as an afterthought. I am calling Peter out because in this FAQs he paints himself and this project of his as purely a selfless act and basically states that he doesn’t want any gain out of this. Bullshit. If he had nothing to gain and only wanted to do this for the good of the cause, he could have done this any other way. The bottom line is that Peter’s action is motivated by self-promotion. He could be using these 28 days to actually do some good, some REAL good but instead he is going to play pretend instead. The issue here is that he is a stupid boy who lead a privileged life and has decided to exploit the issue of homelessness for his own personal gain.
This is NOT a good way to raise awareness for this cause. Many, MANY people have voiced their concerns already about Peter taking resources away from people who actually need them. These points are falling on deaf ears. Maybe I should go plant myself into the earthquake rubble in Haiti for a week or two? And then at the end of the two weeks I’ll pick myself up, have a shower, come home, jump online, blog about my “experience” and then call myself enlightened. Meanwhile in those two weeks people would have wasted their time and money on me when I didn’t even need it to begin with. In fact, I could have been looking after the real victims, I could have been organizing donations or attending to the sick, but instead I decided it would be better if I just go and lie there for a fortnight and call it my contribution in “raising awareness”. Does that sound distasteful to you?
There may be far better ways to do this. Almost everything has a “better” way. Peter isn’t doing this the best way. He may or may not have other reasons for doing it. But look at the donation counter so far. I can only guess as to how many hits this is getting from the controversy and how many more people are aware of the large number of homeless Australians. Are you honestly going to say that it would be better if he did nothing at all, $600 wasn’t donated and he didn’t remind thousands of people of an issue that was previously buried at the back of their minds?
Recycling isn’t the best way to cut down on pollution – using less resources in the first place is best. But recycling empty coke cans instead of throwing them away is better than nothing.
The donations are great, of course, BUT honestly – Peter could have gotten donations by other methods. Even just by asking people because let’s face it – I suspect a significant chunk of that money was donated by his family and friends and not so much just random people off the internet (especially those that don’t agree with this whole thing). It says that Mommy dearest has donated $100 for her son, are you telling me mommy dearest could ONLY have given that money if Peter went and pretended to be homeless for 28 days? No other way? I doubt it. The donations were never part of the plan and although I do admit they help, I still stand by my comment that there were other ways to get them. IF Peter had wanted to do it. So in this instance I believe it is the experiment that was most important to him – the donations are just a secondary idea. Therefore it’s pretty irrelevant to throw the whole: “oh! but look how much money he’s getting!” when really, he could have aimed to get donations through another less “me me me me LOOK AT ME” method.
The bottom line is that at the end of this, Peter will go home to have a nice steak cooked by mommy dearest, he will buy some new clothes, watch the Joss Whedon shows he missed out on, go to the pub with some friends and lament over how “tough he had it” while sipping on some beers. He will congratulate himself on how well he survived the experiment. In a month’s time he will have moved on and will be working on his next “project” (and I dare anyone to deny this fact) for his blog. In reality though, homelessness is not something that a person can just try on for fun, then wash off when they get bored of it.
I don’t think anyone (even Peter’s closest friends, a group of which I can claim to belong) can deny that Peter is doing this for his own (some may say selfish) reasons.
I don’t think it’s fair to say that Peter shrugged off criticism – if he had, he wouldn’t have set up the donation page, and he wouldn’t have made a pledge to volunteer afterwards.
I disagree with what he’s doing, and I did do through commenting on this blog and with other discussions with him. He clearly addressed my concerns in his ‘moral’ post, and while I’m still not convinced, the fact of the matter is he was never going to change his mind.
Right now, he’s out on the streets of Melbourne. Dangerous – yes. Foolish – somewhat. Morally reprehensible – maybe. But let’s put that aside for the next 22ish days and spare a thought, say a prayer or leave a well-wishing comment for him.
Just because I don’t agree with this, doesn’t mean I don’t wish him the best of luck.
Peter, I hope to see you in one piece at the end of the month.
God speed.
In réponse to Sara: As Well Duh! said “Peter has been completely open and transparent about his motives in this whole experiment.” This “experiment” has been formulated over many months, he put himself out there on his blog not to advertise himself but rather gather other peoples input and he has taken this, mostly criticism, on board. I was at his work farewell where it was debated at length and the idea of sponsorship was floated. Had he kept it to himself it may not have occurred to him that he could use the exercise to help the homeless. I’m sure this is true of a lot of the “suggestions” he received will “promoting” himself. By the way, I am hoping that all of you who are spending time reading the blog and making your objections known have pressed the donate button.
PS. apologies for all the “quotation” marks.
Dear Sarah, At the risk of validating your point about friends and family being the only real support of Peters project, I’d like to say that you, obviously don’t know Peter personally. He is the kindest, sweetest, most caring and creative young man that I have ever meet. I have only known him for a matter of months, working along side him. I’m old enough to be his mother yet he befriended me, supported me and made me feel completely comfortable in his company. Yes, it may seem to you that he is some selfish person looking for publicity. YOU ARE WRONG!
Lastly, my hope for you is that one day you will become as UNjudgemental as Peter is.
I still don’t know why you are expressing so much anger about Peter, Sarah.
He has never set himself up as martyr nor even selfless and anyone who knows Peter would grin at the thought of him doing so. From what I have read so far, he has used no resources that could have been better utilized by others, unless you are counting the $8.15 begged and no one can guarantee that the same people have knocked back someone else because they gave to Peter.
By the way, ‘mommy dearest’ has not donated $100 for her son, I’m not sure what you are reading to believe that is the case and indeed ‘mommy dearest’ is sick at the thought of her son living, at risk, on the streets but she respects that it is something he feels he needs to do whether she agrees with him or not.
Like Brent, I hope to see him in one piece at the end of the month.
lol, I just read the second part of your last tirade, Sarah.
Peter won’t be coming home to ‘mommy dearest’ at the end of the month. At the end of the month he needs to find a job and accomodation in a city he has only ever known as a homeless person. Maybe this will be a dress rehearsal for the real thing? I hope not. He will need to make friends if he wants to have a beer with friends. He has chosen Melbourne so that he is not playing in his comfort zone. For somebody who purports to be so well informed about Peter and his motives, you are surprisingly ignorant of details about him.
Wow! Sarah you really get passionate about things you know nothing about. Thank you to Peter’s Mum for so eloquently putting your position. I’ve never met you, but, I think you are amazing for supporting your son through his crazy experiments to better/harm himself and the world. I suppose you didn’t really have a choice, but, your input has definitely helped shape Peter into the completely self assured person that he is.
Sarah, I hope you feel like a right twit. And I too send all my best wishes to Peter C and his mother who has to survive the dread of not knowing if her son is ok.
Props have to be given to Di, Brent and Whiskers as well for your well thought out and rational (I hope you take note of that word Sarah) arguments.
Pfft. If you honestly don’t think I’ve raise some fair points then you are very, very deluded.
Sarah, I think you’re a childish little prat. But I do hope that one day you’ll get off your high horse long enough to see that.
and his mother who has to survive the dread of not knowing if her son is ok
And whose fault is that?
Being one of Peters high school chums, I’d like to think I know him a little. And whilst this project started off as something else, we need to look at what it has become now. Yes Peter is getting something out of this, but I believe the good that has (and will) come out of this is something he and those supporting him should be proud of. Something that critics like Sarah seem to be missing is that the money Peter will raise is not for his benefit.
Who cares if it wasn’t in the original plan? It’s something good, and the way I see the world, we need more good, and less people shitting all over it.
Amy: I think you are worse than Sarah. And, for somebody that contends to care about humanity (at least the homeless variety), I think you are outright cruel and sadistic.
Peter is a terminal no-hoper and this is just yet another scheme of his to try and make his talentless self famous. The only people he’s ‘raising awareness’ for are those who have spend their entire lives with their heads up their own arses and have no idea about the real problem of homelessness in Australia. For those of us who have been homeless, or who have loved ones who have faced homelessness, or who have worked with the homeless, this whole vanity project is nothing short of insulting. His mother should be ashamed of herself for raising someone who truly believe it’s appropriate to steal by posing as a genuinely homeless person and taking charity when it’s not needed.
Peter, you are a horrible human being.
“For those of us who have been homeless, or who have loved ones who have faced homelessness, or who have worked with the homeless, this whole vanity project is nothing short of insulting.”
As somebody who has been in all 3 categories listed, I don’t agree about this project being insulting but accept that for you, this has fallen on an unhealed wound.
childlish little prat? Why, because I have a different opinion to yours in regards to this social experiment Peter is conducting? Maybe you should get off your high horse. Peter is choosing to post about his little holiday on a public forum – in fact, Peter’s intention for this whole thing IS self publicity – so what, you’re going to troll these comments and attack anyone who dares to question the motives of his Holiness? Name calling really belittles anything you’ve said so far.
I stand by my comment that there are other ways of raising awareness, and frankly more HELPFUL ways at that. Donations could still have been raised if he had chosen to do volunteer work, in fact, instead of pandering to his own “ME project” he could have actually helped those who are actually in need. Can you please tell me what is he REALLY doing for the cause, by play pretending for a month? He is relying on donations from other people but as for him personally – I frankly don’t see what could possibly be achieved by this act. Aside from building his own “reputation” that is. Yes, he is getting donations from other people but like I said, these donations could have been acquired by other means.
@ Sarah
I think a number of assumptions that you made e.g. he gets to go home to Mummy for a steak dinner detracted from other points you were trying to make. I know you’re passionate about this, but you can do it respectfully and without making ugly assumptions like that.
I wish you guys (not directed specifically at you Sarah) would be a bit more respectful of Peter’s mother. She didn’t agree with this project, she must be worried sick about him, and she has to put up with reading comments about how he’s an idiot, needs a smack or hot coffee in the crotch, has blood on his hands – yada yada.
And no, I don’t know Peter or his mother or any of this friends. I’m following along because I am interested in the issues the homeless face today. So yes, it is raising awareness – maybe other ways would be more effective, but this way did pique my interest and Peter’s original intentions aside, the more ways of raising awareness the better, if the end result is the same. Besides, sometimes the perspective of an “outsider” gives observations that would not have been otherwise obtained. I see value in that.
And self promotion – it happens all the time! I don’t know that it’s necessarily evil.
Also – some homeless people are living that way by choice. This is addressed by comments elsewhere – but Peter is not the only one on the streets who does in fact have options that he is not utilising.
^I think Peter has said himself that he will be returning to Brisbane after the 28 days is over. If I can find that comment I will post it here – it was in some forum discussion somewhere and he acknowledged that he would be able to go home and have an exit plan whereas many real homeless people don’t.
Also, can I just post this section here:
Lastly, this project is “about me” only because I’m the one doing it. If I’d thought it would attract more attention, I would have done this anonymously, but by having a face to put to the project,
This project is not intended or designed to further my career in any way. My dream, my main goal in life is to be a television writer. Writers aren’t chosen based on stunts or publicity, they’re chosen for quality of writing. I’m nowhere near good enough to write professionally at the moment. If I ever do get good enough, that’s what I’ll be hired for. No one hires a TV writer because he lived on the streets for a month.
This was the section that irritated me most, mainly because I don’t buy it for a second. I don’t believe that Peter is 100% selfless in doing this kind of thing as he proclaims in the above statement and even some of the people who know him seem to agree with me on this part. And yes, if his dream is to be a television writer then a stunt like this WOULD help his career – this is the whole point of his blog, his “about me” section, his “projects” section – this whole website is to introduce his work and himself. So by doing something like this he DOES benefit and it gets my goat that he is denying that fact.
Ok, but people can tell themselves all sorts of lies, and believe them. I’m not saying Peter is or isn’t lying to himself – I don’t know him from a bar of soap, so I’m not willing to judge either way.
I guess, being often misunderstood myself (autism), I always give people the benefit of the doubt. Because I know how much it stings to be misunderstood. I’d much rather believe the best of people, which probably seems naive – I know my partner thinks so – but really, I’d like to live in a world where the great majority of people’s intentions are good. I really think Peter does not intend to harm anyone, and in the whole grand scheme of things, he’s doing ok. There are a lot more people out there doing a lot of more horrible things – and with intention – than Peter is, and it’s that stuff that I get outraged about.
I don’t know, maybe I’ve gone off on a tangent, but I think the good that comes out of this experiment is going to far outweigh the bad.
“if his dream is to be a television writer then a stunt like this WOULD help his career”
It may help for 5 minutes and if he is found to have no talent it will make no difference. Peter knows that today’s sensation is tomorrows fish and chips, so I would be very surprised if he is hoping to make a career based on this. I don’t know if you know Peter at all, but he has always walked along a different road from most and this month is another example. I am not saying that is a positive or a negative characteristic, it is just how Peter is.
No doubt someone will point out that with better parenting he may have been different.
Thanks U, I appreciate the support, although in reality I could just not look at the comments and save myself a lot of angst.