I wanted to take it up a notch, after moving to the inner city and walking the streets, often at night. I noticed how many homeless people there are around here. In the summer of 2011, I packed a bag with a few essentials, told my roommate I'd be back in a week, and walked out the door without keys, mobile phone or wallet. It was a crazy experience. I think I was equipped a lot better than most homeless people I see daily, with an expensive multitool and a small fixed blade, a sleeping bag and pad, all that good stuff. I got by pretty well by collecting bottles and cans (we have a pledge system for those here, a bottle will get you between 8 and 25 cents, depending on the bottle) in the first days. I helped out at markets, I helped a few storeowners, got a little money or some food. I didn't beg, there are few people who give money to beggars here and I didn't want to take anything away from the people who really needed it. I had 50€ of emergency cash well hidden.
Water was a problem. It was pretty hot in that week, and keeping warm at night was a piece of cake, but I needed a lot of water, and sometimes I simply didn't have the money or food was more important after not eating for a day.
I didn't socialize with the "real" homeless people, I stayed away from the spots where they usually meet (which, unfortunately, are also the best places to beg at). I didn't have any ID on me, would the police have arrested me, the experiment would have been over, and I would have spent about a day in custody, my things taken away and probably never given back. I didn't want that to happen, so I stayed on my own. I slept in parks, under bridges, on top of buildings when I could get there. I think I was pretty stealthy, and I think nobody noticed me sleeping.
