With homelessness becoming an increasingly prominent problem across society, more people are doing what they can to try and raise awareness for the cause. It would be fair to say, that as a society, we could be doing more for those who are in need of shelter. Whether it's through sorting out accommodation or simply offering them food or money, there is a multitude of ways in which we could help the homeless.
One YouTuber who is trying to increase the awareness surrounding homelessness is Coby Persin. Persin, who has over three million subscribers on the video platform, is known for his pranks such as picking Uber customers up in a Lamborghini and dressing up as a nerd and schooling people at basketball. However, while the majority of his pranks are simply light-hearted jokes, Coby's latest 'prank' has a bit more of a serious reason behind it.
In a video titled 'Homeless Billionaire Exposes Restaurant', Coby dresses up in order to look homeless and appears at an expensive restaurant to see if they will let him eat there. The 23-year-old, who is based in New York, filmed the video in Florida and was aiming to see how people would react to someone based purely on what they look like.
In the video, the YouTuber approaches a restaurant while looking particularly dishevelled, he asks for a table for him and his friend, saying:
"Hi, how are you? I would like to get a table for me and my friend Ronaldo – to see the menu maybe?"
Despite the fact that he is simply asking for a menu, the host immediately tells Coby that he will not be able to eat at the restaurant, saying that he unable to seat the seemingly homeless man because the restaurant was "too expensive".
Despite the refusal, Coby remains fairly defiant and asks if he can just view a menu to make sure it's not too expensive for himself. But, despite his repeated requests for a menu, the host tells Coby that, "we can’t serve you, we’re not going to serve you today. I’m sorry about that."
Coby tells the host that he has enough money to eat at the restaurant but the staff member continues to reject him, telling him to "get away" and "go eat at McDonald's".
Understandably, Coby is shocked by the refusal (and the manner of the host), and steps back from the restaurant. However, he then calls his driver who turns up in a Rolls Royce with a suitcase full of cash in the boot. Coby opens the suitcase in front of the staff member, saying:
"I told you I had money. What’s crazy is the way you judged people just by their appearance.
"I might buy this spot just so I can fire you – you’re lucky."
Despite the face being blurred, the host's body language suggests that he was left feeling pretty embarrassed by the whole ordeal, with Coby and his driver opting to eat at a different restaurant down the road.
It's not known if the video is set up or whether it is legitimate. Whatever the case, it serves as a reminder to not judge a book by its cover and treat all people as you would want to be treated.