Re: thinking about this deal....
This honestly sounds like something that my brother would try. He was/is a genius when it comes to cons. In high school he carried around an old Slim Jim tube like from a convenience store. Written on the side in sharpie was "Brian's get a nicer car fund" which got crossed out for "Brian's get a haircut fund" (didn't cut his hair almost his entire high school career) and then last was "Brian's get a tux for the damned Senior Prom that he doesn't even want to attend but is being forced to by the current Fascist government fund.". And people would give him money, it kept him in a steady stream of comic books and gas money and smokes.