quote
follow
Walking down the streets of Kiev you sometimes see street 'musicians'. Some of them may be more like real musicians, others are just guys who feel like singing.
Frankly, these people start pissing me off.
I don't mind them playing and singing as long as they stand put and do not stalk those passing by. I may not enjoy their music, but fine, I'll endure a few minutes of it. After all, the person may be in real trouble if he or she has to play on the streets with a hat on the ground.
But with the guys like I met today - zero sympathy.
Two well-dressed healthy looking young men around my age. One singing and playing guitar, the other one running around the place asking people for money. What is with those freaking money-collecting agents? How much do they get? 50%?
I was just walking few feet away from them when that money-begging guy approached me with his hat in his hand saying 'Support the street musicians! C'mon! You have such a nice smile!'
I wasn't smiling. If there was anything on my face it was 'get a real job, idiot'! Why would I wan't to support a dumb jumping monkey in my way out of all people who need help in this world? If I wan't to make a donation, I support sick children or animal care centers. Not two impudent men who are too lazy to earn money the hard way or just like easy extra cash.
It may be problematic to find a job here when you're in your 40-ies or 50-ies, but young men with no missing limbs or anything like that sure could get employed in the capital of Ukraine. If nowhere else, one could always work in McDonalds. Their ads inviting young people to apply for a position are all over the city. But hey, who wants to go map the floors in fast-foods when they can open their yapper and make noises on the street? After all, the weather is perfect these days.
How low do you have to fall to be asking a woman for money? When you are a healthy man who could go find a job and be independent.
I have more respect for male prostitutes. At least they do something useful for women before they ask to be payed
Just to be clear, I treat man as equals. I leave tips for both female and male waiters, taxy drivers, hair dressers. It's just that you hardly ever see healthy young women jumping around the street asking for financial support. Maybe it's because men are generally more shameless while women are more afraid of social condemnation.
But whatever the reason, it doesn't make those men indulging in such low activities less loathing.
More posts from this category: The Official Introductory Guide to LifeMy hermitism
Irina |
01-01-2012
Good you can provide a look from inside :) Those two guys are gone now, but a few with the same scheme are playing in the other place, blocking peoples way, stalking them. It's become like a fashion here I suppose. I like some street musicians, and I do sometimes give money, but never to those shameless stalkers, I don't think anyone should encourage their obnoxious behavior. |
What these two were engaging in is wrong and an embarrasment to real street musicians. They would be called out by their fellow workers (actually, they wouldn't be considered fellow workers) for their behaviour and asked to stop before they created problems for the rest of us.
I NEVER asked for money when I busked and considered it panhandling or begging. It was beneath me.
There are all sorts out on the streets. College kids who just want to give it a try, people on welfare trying to supplement their income, mentally ill people trying to do the same, and yes, even real sincere musicians who just enjoy the job. And yes, some of us do consider it a REAL job. We have to learn new songs to keep things fresh, we have to sometimes protect out spot which might mena sitting on it for an hour or three before it's really time to play, and we have to play for at least five hours a day to make a living at it. So...it's a job for those who want to make it so.
In my time busking, I was threatened with robbery twice, knew one busker who was robbed, I was spit on once, knew two others who got in altercations with abusive drunks, and one poor fellow who was followed home by a gang, beaten, robbed, and now is in a wheelchair for life with permanent brain damage.
We get told to "get a real job", we have obnoxious college students trying to take our instruments to show us how that song "is really played", we get pennies thrown at us, we get hassled by security, bothered by drunk homeless people who think they've found a new friend, we freeze in the winter, we get ignored 99% of the time we are playing, our abilities are insulted by those who wouldn't dare do what we do.
There are many street musicians who I know aren't that good. But, are they out there every day trying to do their best? Are they incapable perhaps, of holding down a "real" job because of mental illness, and so they do this to earn extra income, give themselves something to do, and take pride in the fact they can do something?
For myself, I loved busking. I loved playing outside after it got dark. I loved talking with people from all over. I loved it when people stopped to listen to me. I loved it when someone gave me a big tip. I loved it when a pretty girl once gave me a kiss for playing Bruce Springsteen songs. I loved scooping all those coins up at the end of the night and the way it felt to be able to see and feel what I had made with my own hands. I loved it when I was in the groove and playing well, even if I wasn't making much. I loved seeing my playing improve as the weeks and months went by. I loved my freedom, I loved fending for myself, and I loved the whole atmosphere of playing along the waterfront in the fair seasons. And for the time I was doing it, I was much happier doing that than getting a "real" job at McDonalds or anywhere else. I HAD a job, thank you, and it brought more pleasure to people than a Big Mac ever would.
Most of the jerks don't stay at busking. They find out that to earn any real money at it, you have to put in some long hours and be at least a kind of decent musician. You also can't piss your customers off.Long time buskers see these clowns coming in every spring, and we know pretty quick who's serious and who isn't. The ones who are serious get respect and we show them the ropes. The jerks are given the cold shoulder.
I'm betting these two guys weren't around too long, and were probably students. Sorry you had to run into them.
And, if you do see a busker, and you do like them, you don't have to give them money. I had people come up to me just to tell me how much they enjoyed my playing. I tell you, after you've been out there for five hours standing and singing (the same F'ing songs over and over becasue they are the ones that make money...sigh...) sometimes just a kind word is better than the coin. Especially if it comes from a beautiful woman