View commentsCommentsPanhandling for World of Warcraft
Posted by Raymond on March 8, 2010
From the Examiner:
Today, March 6, 2010, a student from Plant High School found himself on the unseasonably cold streets of South Tampa begging for money. It was at the corner of Howard and Swann that young Alec paced back and forth panhandling, along with his unnamed friend, who seemed to be present more for moral support than for panhandle assistance. Within the first hour Alec’s pan, or rather, small cloth basket was filled with nearly $20. Put into terms of a career, at 40 hours a week, that’s $41,600 before taxes. Of course, that’s luck, and those numbers wouldn’t always be that successful, even in the affluent area of South Tampa, and especially not for a homeless person.
So what for has forced the two South Tampa teens onto the streets? World of Warcraft has them there.
Each time the light turns red, Alec treads down the sidewalk in front of Panera Bread toward Armenia holding his donation box, “World of Warcraft $$$$” and looks into the faces of the drivers. Every time he gets a dollar (or $5) he lets out an excited yell and runs back to his friend and the two engage in some sort of celebratory activity of chest bump and high five variety.
A seemingly straight laced and somber middle aged man walks by the two. The sort of man who otherwise appears to be involved in no form of video gaming and possibly no form of fun. Without stopping, the man asks the beggar, “horde or alliance?”
Alec answers him, “horde.”
The man stops and fishes in his pocket for a moment, then produces a bill and places it into the basket.
[Read more at the Examiner]
- Posted in: Internet, Pop Culture, Science & Technology, Video Games
Horde or Alliance?
