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The Madison Avenue geniuses behind a scheme to transform homeless people into walking Wi-Fi hotspots are backing off their plan following public outrage.
After a trial run in Austin, Texas, officials at the Manhattan ad agency Bartle, Bogle and Hegarty had hoped to roll out their bizarre project in New York, but slammed on the brakes yesterday after they were ripped by homeless-rights advocates and city officials.
“We have no definite, specific future plans yet, in New York City or elsewhere. This was an initial trial program,” said Emma Cookson, chairman of BBH New York.
“We are now listening carefully to the high level of feedback, trying to learn and respond, and we will then consider what is appropriate to do next.”
The walking Wi-Fi program turned about a dozen homeless people at Austin’s South by Southwest Festival into walking Wi-Fi access points.
BBH officials rigged the vagrants with small MiFi devices, along with T-shirts bearing their names and the words, “I’m a 4G hotspot.”
Users would ask the homeless hotspot for an access code, and were encouraged to donate $2 to their walking Wi-Fi zone for every 15 minutes spent online.
Hard-bitten New Yorkers were shocked by the proposal, and some were even frightened by it.
“New York is a whole different attitude,” said Long Island commuter Jimmy Chin,
“You can talk to the homeless in DC or in Texas, and what might work there will have a completely different effect here,” said Chin, describing the homeless in New York City as “far more aggressive.”
Less than 20 percent of Austin’s homeless population suffers from mental illness, according to officials in the Lone Star State.
But in the Big Apple, a 2005 study — the most current city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene research — found that “the large majority of street homeless New Yorkers are people living with mental illness or other severe health problems.”
“Some of these guys stand around arguing with themselves for 15 minutes, and I’m going to go up and ask for Wi-Fi?” said Ken Nelson 35, of Hell’s Kitchen. “That’s crazy. I can’t even believe this is something anyone is considering.”
Kate Barker, 40, a project director for an accounting firm, said she was concerned that the program would exploit the homeless.
“So essentially, you’re using them like a vending machine?” she asked.
“Using them as a commodity is taking advantage of their situation.”