a social (and maybe economic) experiment

April 28, 2023

Question to explore: Will tourists give me money if I tell them – through WhatsApp – that I need help with paying my bills?

How did I get the phone numbers of those tourists?

I just initiated a friendly chat with them when I encountered them on the streets. I said I'd send them information about interesting places to explore (which, I have to clarify, I really did).

Sample size: 2 dudes in their thirties or forties, affluent enough to buy expensive coffee and beer

Results: – 1 dude blocked me on WhatsApp (or so I guess). – 1 dude remained silent on WhatsApp

That's all, folks. Make of this what you will.

Gasp Do you mean that most tourists come to an island just to consume recreational drugs – such as caffeine and alcohol – and then pack up their bags and depart with the next airplane, and care absolutely nothing about the poverty of the natives of the island? I'm shocked, I tell you, shocked.

Feedback and comments welcomed.