9/2/2003: Nut pusher

Meet Mark McGowan. He's an artist, and he has about $25,000 in student loan debt (actually 15,000 UKP).

So he has decided to push this nut along the ground, using only his nose, for seven miles. Through some of the busiest city streets in the world. It's the distance between his college and 10 Downing Street. Mr. McGowan hopes that making it all the way to the Prime Minister's residence will encourage Mr. Blair to excuse the debt.

From the full story, Mr McGowan, 37, of Peckham, south London, previously rolled himself across London for four-and-a-half miles singing We Wish You a Merry Christmas to highlight the work of office cleaners.

And he once walked for 11 miles around south and central London with a 27lb turkey strapped to his head in a bid to persuade fat people to eat less and thereby cut obesity rates.

That's respectable, and good points all, but one wonders what sort of university-level training was needed to create and pull off such stunts.

If all it took to excuse student loan debt was to push a nut with your nose for 7 miles, I know lots of people who would be out there pushing right now.

(for the record, the only thing which will excuse student loan debt in the US is the death of the penniless debtor. Which makes student loan debt a rather nasty albatross if you didn't acquire it in a high paying field. Perhaps the UK is better, but judging from this, I'd guess not)

He won't get far with out an endoresment!

This guy has a propensity for drawing attention to himself while doing nothing for worthy causes.

What I don't get...

Why was the word "pusher" even included in the headline?

He's "pushing" the nut for 7 miles with him nose.

this guy must be nuts!! (sorry i just couldn't resist! )

If this dork-ass would focus his efforts in finding a fucking job to pay off his debt rather than making a specticle of himself he might not have to resort to such idiotic public displays for sympathy.

I had to work to pay off my student loans, what makes this fool think he's any different than the rest of us?

I agree with chrisinhoustons (hilarious) concept. If he chose a smarter attention seeking vehicle he may stand a chance of wiping his debts through endorsements.
I, for one, wouldn't want to crawl the distance let alone push a nut.

I know that

The headline's purpose is not to explain the article but to suck you in. It did.

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_818607.html

The guy finished. He pushed the nut all the way to the government. And now he's tired and has nothing but complaints for the condition of his knees and the dirty streets, and the government has rejected his nutty payment.

So he's got nut-ing to show for his effort except a ton of publicity.
And of course the honor of being the IotD.

The government lent this guy $25K, and this is what he learned to do for the money? Not only should he pay it back, they should get additional interest., since he clearly didn't use the money for education.

hmm... art historian.. maybe he HAS found a way to pay off his debt.. this way?

He's at it again:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3165442.stm

Mark McGowan, from Peckham, south east London, has said he will sit in a bath of baked beans, with two chips up his nose and sausages wrapped around his head for 12 days to celebrate English culture and food.

If he had any balls he'd do it outdoors.