Noted YouTube prankster Coby Persin has found a sustainable living through his viral pranks, but he mixed his channel up with a social experiment. The results, if real, may make you weep for humanity. Persin covered a suit jacket in dollar bills and walked the streets of Manhattan. He held up a sign that simply read, “Take what you need,” and people were free to indulge in response. Boy, did they ever go to town. Sadly, the folks who took the money did not look like they needed cash, but you never know. (Even hedge fund bankers have been known to live beyond their means.)
Assuming that this experiment was authentic — which could be the case, if one considers the subjects’ blurred visages a reliable clue — the results are disheartening. The outcome was similar to the recent viral video of parents teaching kids to steal Halloween candy. One suit-clad subject told Persin, “I don’t need it, but it’s free. Who couldn’t take it?” A lady with a Louis Vuitton purse filled her bag with dollars. Likewise, another woman was thrilled to hit the jackpot: “I have a nail appointment tomorrow.” The only subject who did not go bonkers at the sight of the money suit was a homeless man. He only took a few dollars, which was “all he needs.”
Pretty telling, right? Some people are terrible people.