Mumbai really does have a heart of gold, reveals mid-day's social experiment

midday test drive gtgt Contrary to the belief that Mumbaikars are khadoos and dispassionate midday found that many opened their purse strings and donated for cancer treatment food and even for music lessonsLife in Mumbai is ruthless and its people are usually short on time and money But the one thing Mumbaikars never seem to be short on is generosity In a test of the famed Mumbai Spirit midday sent its reporters across the city to ask for donations for various causes And we came across the heartwarming realisation that no matter how tough things get this city will always have your backPassersby shower money and compassion on reading our undercover reportersrsquo pleas for funds PicsSayyed Sameer Abedi Pradeep DhivarOur reporters were posted at four spots across the city Marine Drive Juhu chowpatty Andheri Link Road and Bandra Bandstand They waited on the roadside and held up banners with different pleas some were serious subjects like cancer treatment while others were more humorous like requests for cash to buy beerAlso read Two Mumbaikars spend 2 hours trying to save youths lifeUnsurprisingly people responded the most the cancer treatment plea donating as much as Rs 298 in just an hour But we also found that it didnt have to be a lifeanddeath matter for people to want to help Many passersby were sympathetic on spotting our reporters banner stating that he needed cash to learn music One person even shelled out R50 after spotting a banner asking for beer money However the donor did insist that the cash be used to buy food not alcohol Collected donations will go to a charitable trustStriking a chordBanner Want to learn music have no money Please donate Spot Marine Drive Promenade Time 1 pm220 pm Reporter Asif Rizvi Donations received Rs 75Our scribe Asif did not have a lifeordeath plea all he wanted was some money for music lessons Asif posed as a newcomer to Mumbai hoping to make a career in electronic music but struggling to find a job and support himselfHis story seemed to strike a chord with passersby many of whom quietly kept some money next to him and walked away not saying anything other than All the best or Good luck Only one person stopped to ask what kind of music Asif wanted to make before donating Rs 20Beer with meBanner Why lie its for beer Want to keep it real donateSpot Bandstand Bandra West Time 4 pm 5 pmReporter Asif Rizvi Donations received Rs 50Asking for beer money was more a social experiment to gauge peoples reactions than an attempt to test their kindness Unsurprisingly most people walked past our reporter Asif after reading his banner But there was one middleaged man talking on his phone who stopped and began questioning Asif He first asked whether Asif is from MumbaiThe reporter said that he was from Pune and was in the city to find a job The man suggested that he look for a job before wasting money on drinking The passerby then asked Asif if he was hungry and gave him Rs 50 on the condition that he spend it on food Before walking away he cautioned Youve given a commitment to use the money for food not alcohol I expect you to stay true to thisAlso read Mumbai Abandoned by USbased family dead maths teacher laid to rest by good SamaritansBuy me lunchBanner Hungry lets do lunch U buySpot Juhu Beach Time 530 pm 7 pm Reporter Suraj OjhaDonations received a free meal at a restaurantSurajs humorous banner won him many smiles from people at Juhu beach but most of them just walked away without offering to help A little over an hour later two men in their 20s walked up to him and asked if he really needed a mealThey asked the reporter whether he would like to have Chinese to which Suraj agreed They told him to accompany them to a nearby restaurant As they walked there they asked the reporter where he was staying and why he did not have a jobAlso read Army of 338 Samaritans donates Rs 64 lakh for Udvada man who lost legsUpon reaching the restaurant they told a staffer to give the reporter some food and a bottle of waterShowering money and compassionBanner Wife suffering from cancer current job not enough for treatment Please donateSpot Outside Citi Mall Link Road Andheri WestTime 450 pm ndash 545 pmReporter Suraj Ojha Donations received Rs 298As part of middays social experiment our reporter Suraj posed as the sole breadwinner of a family of three unable to earn enough to pay for his wifes cancer treatment He sat on the footpath outside the popular Citi Mall with a banner requesting donations for cancer treatmentDespite the heavy traffic at the mall several people took time out to speak to our reporter and showed immense empathy while some donated money without asking questions there were others who commiserated with the reporter and offered words of hopeAlso read Mumbai rains Good Samaritan finds lost wallet in Andheri station platform returns it to ownerWithin 10 minutes of Suraj picking a spot a man walked up to him and asked where his wife was being treated and which stage the cancer had reached The Good Samaritan gave him Rs 100 and said She will be alright before walking away Having collected Rs 298 in less than an hour Suraj left the spot convinced more than ever of the big heart that Mumbaikars possessAlso view In Pictures 8 scams that rocked India