Decision Time: Spend Spring Break at the beach or... WalMart!?!

[SzczerbiakManiac]

College student lives in WalMart for 41 hours

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Here's the truly stupid part.

Tiring to the point of hallucinating, Bartels said he decided to go home before he was thrown out.

He considered the project a failure.

Then, The Des Moines Register, which had been contacted by Spaulding-Kruse, called to ask him about the experience. Once the story ran, TV networks began calling.

He also talked with a book agent, has been contacted by New Line Cinema about a movie concept and did a radio interview with National Public Radio.

Bartels told The Associated Press he has decided the stunt wasn't such a failure after all.

"Wow, he hung out at a store for two days??? AMAZING!"

I really don't find this impressive at all and agree with the kid's earlier assessment - failure. Now if he'd stayed for at least 4 days, then we're getting somewhere. Anyone can stand around and look at stuff. The real story is in finding secluded spots to take quick naps so he could survive. Apparently he sucked at that.

[innerSpaceman]

Big freaking deal. The only Wal*Mart I know of never closes, so how hard would it be to stay there forever?

[Ponine]

That was the point though, wasnt it? He tried to stay in a 24hour Wal-mart, but towards the end, was terribly tired, and was starting to get recorgnized and decided to cut his losses.

[Alex]

Hell, Wal-Mart actively (though quietly) promotes itself within the RV community as a place to crash for a while. In the areas of bigger cities they tend to ban it (because they accumulate permanent parking lot residents) but in most parts of the country you are perfectly welcome to park in their lot and crash for a day or two. As long as you don't misbehave I'd be really surprised if they really care if you're actually in the store for a couple days.

[innerSpaceman]

Sorry. I didn't read the link. I had supposed to the stunt was to stow away without detection. If the stunt was simply to stay awake, why was Wal*Mart a necessary part of the equation?

[€uroMeinke]

Eh - not impressed at all

While I was in college I squatted with a friend in an MIT student lounge for a week.

Also, in a seperate experiement I stayed awake for 111 hours - for me hallucinations didn't begin until day 3.

Kids today - no imagination and wreckless disregard for their well-being

[Alex]

Yeah, I stayed awaked for around 78 hours at Boy's State when I was in high school. Once I realized most high school kids didn't understand the house edge in blackjack I was more than happy to deal without pause.

[tracilicious]

Originally Posted by €uroMeinke

Also, in a seperate experiement I stayed awake for 111 hours - for me hallucinations didn't begin until day 3.

Why did you stay awake for 111 hours?

I'm with CP, if he had done it without getting caught, I'd be impressed.

[€uroMeinke]

Originally Posted by tracilicious

Why did you stay awake for 111 hours?

It was finals - so I had a couple consecutive all nighters to get my papers done - then I just wanted to see if I could make it to the weekend and a particular party.

I did it - but had several bizar hallucinations along the way - including going to class - sitting in front to keep awake, and then watch as my professor split in two, with the professor on the right growing facial hair and then making and wearing a paper hat. The professor on the left continued to lecture as if nothing was going on. I however, was rivited in amazement at this feat.

The dark fuzzies on the outside of my peripheral vison also seemed to grow bigger and more menacing as the days wore on.