"No! No! Don't want, don't want!" (sprints away)

From this, you might have the impression that someone was being threatened with loss of life or limb. Wrong.

Fifteen trainees from malaysiakini, who are from diverse academic backgrounds, went out to conduct a street poll on the awareness of press freedom among Malaysians. We were told that trainees may generally be looked upon more kindly than reporters. That could not have been less true.

Emily Ng See Yin (right), a final year university student was particularly tickled with one incident. She had just passed a survey form to a man for answering in a bookstore, when a woman, seated opposite him, shot her a look. On seeing the forms, she made a quick exit.

"Sorry, I do not know English" said a woman who was reading an English book. There was no way to respond than with a polite "Oh, never mind. Thank you."

Nathaniel Tan and Ng Eng Kiat (left), who formed another team, had a hilarious encounter when they attempted to introduce themselves: "Encik, (flashes malaysiakini tag), boleh saya ." (Sir, may I.)

The poor man must have thought they were looking to sell him a magic stone because he took off at the speed of light, even before the sentence was completed.

'Counter offensive'

Koo Kai Soon and Grace Chai Sen Nee, both fresh graduates, attempted to question some hawkers but were bombarded with queries instead: "What is Internet ah? What is press ah?"

Though friendly and willing to help, the hawkers were not equipped with the necessary information in order to respond.

But not all was dark and dreary. The process was made easier by some very helpful individuals who were willing to spare time.

One was an Australian man who obligingly did the survey for us (he even wrote his answers himself) standing up, in a moving train. One respondent was even nice enough to be interviewed in the ladies' toilet.

Sutangrut Subunruk, a trainee from Thailand, found the whole experience a lot easier than expected, even though some people thought that she was trying to get insider information for a Thai organisation.

What is so ominous about file-wielding trainee journalists walking around town? It is an answer that most of us have to ponder, having been guilty of at least one negative reaction in the past. After this experience, we know we are.