How Honest Is New York City? Honest Tea Is Going To Find Out

Via CBSNewYork

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Drink companyHonest Tea’s “2014 Honesty Index” is taking a look at how honest New Yorkers are.

The company is conducting what it called a “social experiment” in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. from now through mid-August.

The experiment came to New York City’s Foley Square on Saturday with an unmanned kiosk offering the bottled drinks next to a clear box asking people to pay $1 for each item, buying them on the “honor system.”

The kiosk was available between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.

The company said information including the gender and hair color of those who bought or took the drinks was collected as the Honesty Index attempts to uncover which U.S. cities and citizens are the most honest.

Honest Tea “TeaEO” Seth Goldman told 1010 WINSlast year’s results showed New York City was not the most dishonest city in the country.

“Last year, Washington D.C. turned out to be the least honest city. Whereas most of the country was above 90 percent, Washington D.C. came at 80 percent,” Goldman said. “So you never know what’s gonna happen.”

Goldman did say though that one borough of New York City in particular had a higher rate of sticky fingers than the rest.

“In general New York has been, I would say, positive,” Goldman said. “One year we did it in all the five boroughs and Brooklyn did not turn out to be too honest (laughs) so that was a little disappointing.”

Honest Tea said all proceeds collected through the experiment will be donated to charity. The charity of choice will be announced on Aug. 19, the same day that the results are released.