The document discusses a study conducted by the author over 12 months where they documented people sleeping in public places like the London underground. Some key findings included that sleepers came from all backgrounds and slept at all times of day. The author also found habitual sleepers who would sleep on their daily commute, and that some sleepers were not disturbed even on busy trains. The study provides an interesting perspective on public sleeping behaviors.

1. Presenting:
Catching Sleepers
INTERESTING NORTH 13th November 2010
E: hello@olishaw.com
T: @olishaw
W olishaw.com
Hi
I'm
olishaw,
I’m
talking
about
a
study
I’ve
been
doing
over
the
last
12
months

2. What is ‘catching sleepers’ ?
“The art of noticing and capturing a
person sleeping in public”
So
what
is
catching
sleepers?
Put
simply
its
the
art
of
documenBng
someone
asleep
in
a
public
place,
I
came
to
think
of
it
a
bit
like
wildlife
photography,
where
you
enter
into
the
subjects
habitat
and
document
them

3. Who am I ?
A
bit
of
context...
I
don't
have
a
PhD
and
I’m
not
a
trained
anthropologist,
but
I
am
lucky
in
that
I
can
pracBce
certain
aspects
of
it
in
my
work

4. Why did I do this study?
A
year
ago
I
changed
jobs
resulBng
in
me
traveling
through
5
zones
of
the
London
underground
and
back
each
day,
spending
an
hour
or
more
twice
a
day
on
the
tube
I
quickly
ran
out
of
things
to
keep
myself
occupied.
I
began
to
noBce
a
frequent
number
of
people
a
sleep
on
the
tube,
with
an
interest
in
cultural
research
I
thought
I
would
document
this
phenomenon
and
turn
it
into
a
study...

5. Developing a methodology
I
quickly
realised
that
like
any
study
i
needed
an
approach,
a
methodology

6. How to catch a sleeper
You can’t use an SLR, I quickly discovered that
discretion was the key to success.
What
became
quickly
apparent
is
that
you
need
to
be
discreet,
you
cant
go
poking
a
big
SLR
in
peoples
faces,
even
if
they
are
asleep,
everyone
else
in
the
carriage
starts
to
look
at
you
funny

7. How to catch a sleeper
+
An iPhone and ninja cam was invaluable
I
have
no
affiliaBon
with
ninjacam,
but
I
will
champion
it
as
a
great
app
for
being
discreet,
basically
it
can
make
you
iphone
look
like
it’s
off
while
you
snap
away.
It
does
make
you
learn
how
to
shoot
from
the
hip

8. Some times you get spotted
“It’s one of the few times you don't want
someone to look at the camera when
your taking their picture”
Even
with
these
precauBons,
you
someBmes
can
sBll
get
spoQed,
it’s
not
foolproof

9. You
think
he’s
asleep

10. oh,
no
I’ve
been
spoQed

11. spoQed
again

12. This
guy
was
an
interesBng
one,
he
noBces
the
camera

13. wonders
what
I’m
doing
doing,
but
even
when
I
move
seats
(to
capture
a
different
sleeper)

14. he
came
and
sat
in
front
of
me
and
went
to
sleep,
clearly
not
that
bothered

15. Who are the sleepers?
So
who
are
these
sleepers?

16. ...all types of people
“The bum on the sidewalk can enjoy the
same tasting Coke as the president of
the USA”
Andy Warhol
(possibly)
Well
they
come
from
all
walks
of
life,
I
like
this
quote
about
how
a
can
of
coke
is
the
same
no
maQer
who
drinks
it
(theres
not
premium
can).
In
the
same
way
sleep
is
one
of
those
social
levellers

17. So
everyone
sleeps,
older
people

18. younger
people

19. women

20. men

21. all
types

22. no
maQer
who
the
are

23. ...all time of the day & year
and
it
happens
through
out
the
year

24. Winter Summer
through
all
the
seasons,
hot,
cold...

25. It’s happening all over europe
And
its
happening
all
over
europe

26. (well I found sleepers in Berlin and Paris)
Well
its
world
wide,
but
I
was
fortunate
enough
to
go
to
france
and
germany
whilst
doing
the
study
an
have
documented
sleepers
in
Berlin
&
Paris

27. They’re not just on the tube
And
sleepers
are
not
just
on
the
tube,
public
sleeping
happens
all
over

28. On
buses

29. On
the
overground
trains

30. And
even
in
Starbucks

31. at
lunchBme
on
saturday
(it
wasn’t
exactly
quite)

32. Some
people
could
quite
make
it
onto
the
tube
before
they
fell
asleep

33. Some points of interest
So,
a
few
points
of
interest
that
came
out
of
the
study

34. Habitual sleepers
There are some sleepers are habitual, getting the tube
at the same time (same carriage) every working day.
...They must be factoring it into their daily sleep quota
I
was
amazed
that
they
would
always
wake
up
in
Bme
fore
there
stop

35. Where as...
Where as there are other unplanned sleepers who
would sleep though there stop...

36. ...even
if
it
was
the
end
of
the
line.

37. This
lady
was
on
a
busy
bustling
tube

38. Even
when
people
got
on
and
of
she
remain
undisturbed
in
her
slumber

39. Now
this
guy

40. Was
fast
asleep
long
aZer
the
train
had
pulled
in
an
everyone
had
disembarked
the
train
(I
stayed
around
for
a
while
to
see
how
long
before
he
woke
up)

41. Busy or quite a sleeper will
sleep on regardless...

42. An
empty
tube,
apart
form
these
two
seaming
unconnected
people
at
one
end
of
the
carriage
(and
myself)

43. This
lady
was
fast
asleep
on
a
busy
rush
hour
tube

44. An
slept
on
oblivious
to
it
all

45. On a Eurostar trip at 5pm
returning from Paris...

46. walking
the
length
of
the
train
I
discovered
a
whole
train
full
of
sleepers

48. Some
more
prepared
then
others

50. Some
more
asleep
then
others

51. Behaviours of the sleepers

52. Personal security:
What do with your belongings?
One
of
the
biggest
quesBons
I
asked
myself
was
what
about
their
belongings,
and
I
noBced
some
techniques
employed
by
the
sleepers

53. The holding tight,

58. This
guy
had
white
knuckles
because
he
was
holding
the
bag
so
Bght

59. Or
use
the
bag
as
a
head
rest...

60. Strap it on,
Don't
think
you
have
the
mind
to
hold
your
bag
when
asleep?
Try
strapping
it
to
yourself
for
security

62. This
lady
clearly
prioriBsed
her
bag,
one
(more
precious)
strapped
on
and
the
other
sat
beside
her

63. The Confident
(between you legs),

64. One
strapped,
one
between
the
legs

65. This
behaviour
was
typically
a
male
favourite

67. This
guy
looked
like
he
might
drop
he’s
phone
he
was
in
such
a
deep
sleep

68. The Over-Confident
(the offering)

69. Here
is
my
bag...

70. ...please
take
it
from
me

72. Now
this
was
my
favourite,
almost
a
zen
like
prayer

73. The Berlin technique,
And
then
there
was
the
Berlin
technique

74. as
seen
at
3am
on
Friday
evening

75. Getting Comfortable
Contrary
to
what
you
have
seen
it’s
not
easy
for
everyone
to
find
a
comfortable
sleeping
posiBon

76. This
guy
was
swaying
for
about
30mins
one
side
then
the
other

77. She
thought
she
was
comfy,
but
nope,
she
slumps
over

78. This
guy
relaxes
into
it...
aZer
a
Bme

79. This
lady
without
any
fuss
moves
seat
mid
sleep
to
gain
a
more
comfortable
posiBon

80. This
lady
moves
seats
and
gets
really
comfy

81. Am
I
comfy?
Ah
maybe
now...
oh
this
is
beQer...
Ah
thats
the
spot!

82. Has
a
yawn
and
then
give
into
the
sleep

83. The
train
goes
over
a
bump,
and
he
slumps
forward

84. This
guy
is
denying
he's
sleepy,
he
slowly
starts
to
succumb
to
it

85. Then
the
sleep
takes
hold

86. What to do with your head ?

87. You
can
hold
it

89. The
head
back
technique
was
quite
a
popular
one

94. This
lady
was
well
insulated
and
cushioned,
a
360
pillow

95. The
head
forward
slump...

100. Use what is around you,
Or
you
could
use
the
structure
around
you

107. Make
the
most
of
the
space
around
you

108. I
have
to
bring
special
aQenBon
to
this
guy,
he
has
got
his
head
balanced
on
2
inches
of
plasBc,
its
an
art
form

109. I’m not really sleeping!
Then
there
are
the
people
who
pretend
that
they
aren’t
really
asleep

110. Hiding
behind
their
bags

111. The
readers...

112. Now
I’m
not
sure
if
they
fall
asleep
reading,
or
if
they
make
it
look
like
they
are
reading
then
fall
asleep

113. Listening
to
a
lullaby

115. This
guy
slumps
of
a
bit
later
in
the
journey

116. Its
summer,
sunny,
you
have
your
sunglasses
on...

117. But
then
you
slump
forwards
and
everyone
can
see
your
fast
asleep

118. I’m asleep and I don’t care!
The
unashamed
sleepers

119. Hood
up
and
I
don't
care

122. No
hood,
use
what
you
have

123. This
guy
looked
like
he
could
have
almost
be
posing
for
me
-­‐
if
it
wasn’t
for
the
snoring

124. Is it infectious, like yawning?
So
I
began
to
wonder,
is
sleeping
infecBous
like
yawning
is?

125. This
guy
seems
to
be
infecBng
the
lady
next
to
him

131. 3
strangers
sleeping
together
in
public

132. The
most
I
had
in
one
tube
was
5

134. This
guy
managed
to
infect
two
different
people
sat
next
to
him

135. How do you know when its a
deep sleep?
Apart
from
snoring...

136. Lets
take
a
closer
look

137. it’s
the
mouth
open
imminent
drooling

142. Catching sleepers game
So
to
maintain
my
enthusiasm
for
the
study
throughout
the
12
months,
i
made
up
a
game

143. The Game of catching sleepers
+
A Cross between noticin.gs and pub cricket
Its
a
bit
like
noBcings
and
the
old
game
of
pub
cricket

144. +1
The sleeper
So... 1 point for a sleeper

145. +2
The improvised pillow
more effort to make a pillow, an extra point

146. +3
The pillow
it take some preparation to bring a pillow so more points

147. +2
The unique
2 points for a unique pose / position

148. +2
The end of the line
* extra points for an empty carriage

149. +10
The yawner
* must be caught in action
This is an especially hard one to catch in action

150. +3
The hiding
3 points is you can rumble a hiding sleeper

151. +3
The shameless
3 points for a shameless sleeper, they're more rare to find

152. +5
The open mouth
* mega points for documented drool!
You get extra points for documenting some drool!

153. +1 +1
x2
The Multiplier
* times by the number in shot
Multiplier points

154. +1 +1
x3
The Multiplier
* times by the number in shot

155. +1 +10
x2
The Combo Multiplier
Comboʼs!

156. +20
The offering
* such a unique pose
And mega points for my favourite pose

157. Things I learnt on the way
So
a
few
things
I
learnt
about
sleeping
on
the
tube...

158. Tips for sleeping on the tube
• Don’t have a bag or any belongings your not wearing
• Get an seat at the very front or very back or the tube
• If you think you might miss your stop, don't sleep

159. Tips for sleeping on the tube
Most importantly:
Don’t fall asleep if you don't want some one to take
your photo! :)

160. Insights from desk research
Once
I
had
completed
the
study,
I
thought
that
I
should
(retrospecBvely)
do
some
desk
based
research
on
sleepers

161. I
found
this
this
venn
diagram...I’ll
leave
that
with
you
[Sorry
cant
find
a
link
to
the
source
-­‐
FFFFound]

162. Even
superheros
sleep
on
public
transport
[Sorry
cant
find
a
link
to
the
source
-­‐
FFFFound]

163. Censored
And
it
could
be
worse...
you
could
be;
Drunk,
Naked
and
Asleep
[Sorry
cant
find
a
link
to
the
source
-­‐
FFFFound]

164. THANK YOU…
E: hello@olishaw.com
T: @olishaw
W: olishaw.com