Shopping for shoes together with her mother in Union Square, Kylie Haymaker, 18, said she didn’t feel the bailout was fair. “No-one bails me out,” she said. “What about the average citizen? Why are they bailing out the stock market when they don’t seem to be giving normal people anything. I really don’t think it’s fair.”

Her mother, Kathleen, 42, said the economy had been suffering already because of high petrol prices.

“I think things are going to get worse. I just hope her dad has been sensible with our investments.” Lauren Slusher “I worry that we think we can sort this out by throwing money at the problem,” said Lauren Slusher, 24, a wedding photographer, eating her lunch in Union Square.

“It doesn’t seem to be the most sensible solution.” All the bad news was causing her to feel nervous but so far, she said, there were few signs that people were cutting back on their wedding plans. “Surprisingly, people still seem not to be sparing any expense,” she added.

With the leaves turning brown and summer’s humidity gone, autumn in New York is a popular time for weddings.

Brooklyn-based Lauren is working this weekend and has plenty of other bookings. “I’m not too worried for myself but I guess I’m in a lucky position,” she said. Patrick Taylor Disguised in a suit and tie outside the New York Stock Exchange, Patrick Taylor almost passes for a financial worker, except for the blue plugs in his ears and the leaflets he is giving out that read: “Wall Street - Going Out of Business Sale!”

“It’s a performance piece,” said the 24-year-old photography student. “I wanted to protest [against] the bailout.” He thought the deal was a “terrible idea”.

“Credit-card debt in this country is about $800 billion (£450 billion).

“We are in this terrible state because we have not been able to stop spending, so why should spending more money be the solution? I think they should be helping out normal people instead of padding bankers’ wallets.” Keith Jones and Alison Hollywood “It’s all we’ve seen on the TV in the hotel since we’ve been here,” said Keith Jones, a 35-year-old company director from Belfast, visiting New York with Alison, his girlfriend.

“Mind you, it’s pretty much the same at home,” said Alison, a chartered accountant.

The couple were visiting the stock exchange while spending the day sightseeing around New York.

Looking up at the exchange, Jones said he thought that the bailout came across as “a cynical attempt by Wall Street bankers to look after their own”.

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