So cute that little kids think he is real! :-)

My kids would definitely have loved him. Yes, there is an age when they are shorter than Harry…:-)

..another day, another anecdote.. Lately, I've been getting a lot of laughs by telling tippers that their donations is "TARIFF FREE....unless you are a Canadian and then you own an additional 25 cents..as tariff"..Well, wouldn't ya know it, today I said that to a guy and he said, "Well, then I owe you 25 cents more..I'm a Canadian".. He was very good natured...and he gave an additional 25 cents.....I think I'm going to try to get some laughs by telling people that while I appreciate their cash tip I was hoping for something really valuable....you know...like an egg?!

I was wondering when you'd try that one and find a Canadian  

Definitely go with the egg line, fits your busking patter is topical/relevant and just shy of a dad joke.

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Originally posted by ChickenMan

I was wondering when you'd try that one and find a Canadian  

Definitely go with the egg line, fits your busking patter is topical/relevant and just shy of a dad joke.

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SHY of a dad joke???? How do I change it to a full fledged dad joke..?

Interesting tip situations today.. One tip I got from a passerby when I was just sitting back and relaxing..!! Another tip was TWO $2 bills..that was a first.. the guy said that every month he gets about $100 in two dollar bills and gives them out as tips.......The third tip: I watched a guy do the world's worst job of parallel parking right in front of me.. I fully intended to tease him about it but as he got out of his car, he grabbed a $10 bill and gave it as a tip.. I decided that the parking job wasn't all that bad, really....

Harry Hare was over my shoulder and my fiddle was on my back as I walked down the sidewalk.. When I passed a certain shop the owner saw me and came running, "Lee, Lee...I have things to tell you!"..She told me stuff and among that stuff was that she was sad that she had to spend so much time in her shop that she couldn't hang out with here best friend..Tears were in her eyes at that point..I said, "Poor child, you look like you need a hug."...We shared a 3 second hug, chatted a little more and I was on my way home..
When I got home my wife was at her computer and I walked by her maybe 5 feet away. She looked up and said, "You have a sweet smell about you.. What is that all about?"...I realized that during that 3 second hug with the shop owner, enough perfume had transferred to my hands and clothing that my wife could smell it.. I washed my hands and threw my jacket into the wash.............'always something'..........

Can't get one past her! Lol

Have you noticed that about the money you get? When I ran a cash register I noticed ever bill that smelled of cologne/perfume, and there was a surprising number of them during the lunch hour. Like Libby (is that right?) I'm not a fan.

Got a buddy who owned a small cigarette/newspaper/etc store next door to a strip club in NYC. He used to get loads of $1 & $5 bills from the girls that smelled funny too, but not in a good way.

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Originally posted by ChickenMan

Can't get one past her! Lol

 

Have you noticed that about the money you get? When I ran a cash register I noticed ever bill that smelled of cologne/perfume, and there was a surprising number of them during the lunch hour. Like Libby (is that right?) I'm not a fan.

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Only on the rarest of occasions have I ever smelled perfume but have more often smelled after shave lotion on men.

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Originally posted by ChickenMan

Can't get one past her! Lol

 

Have you noticed that about the money you get? When I ran a cash register I noticed ever bill that smelled of cologne/perfume, and there was a surprising number of them during the lunch hour. Like Libby (is that right?) I'm not a fan.

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I now recall.. Once I had hand lotion in my shop and used some.. Libby came into the shop and said, "I smell something like perfume.. Has a woman been here?".. I showed her the lotion bottle and the problem was solved..

I love busking.. Today, I met two old friends while busking and on my way home I stopped by the best 'trendy' bar in town and turns out that the bartender was in my son's first band at age 13 (25 years ago). Small world. Nothing happens by accident.. If I'd not been busking I wonder if I'd ever have crossed paths with these three wonderful people...

Today was another case of "not all about the money".. Tips for 90 minutes of playing of playing performance quality tunes totaled $5.

    Here is the fun part.. There has been this one homeless guy, Michael, who has always been bashful and hard to get to know.. Recently at the breakfast kitchen I knew he'd arrive late so I saved him a donut!! which he appreciated and that opened the door for him to open up a little.. But, today while busking a passerby offered me two cigarettes.. I don't smoke but told her to give the to 'THAT GUY", Michael, across the street..the guy I'm trying to get to know.. That did it.. She gave him the cigarettes and told him that they were 'from me!'... He came across the street and we had a nice chat. I think that from now we'll be sort of buds!! Nothing is happening by accident.

Also today, I met a young man (Guitar busker) named Gary who said that before he could busk he needed a little alcohol to get his nerve up...I reminded him that if he was anything like me he would be more willing but LESS able to be a good busker while under the influence. ..Told him that I only drink After busking... I told him that if the passersby suspect/SEE that he is inebriated, then they will be less likely to give a tip.. SO, have One drink if you must but you can't both be a good busker and drunk at the same time...My friend Larry says, " It feels good, but alcohol just doesn't help the overall experience of OT music." Larry is right.

A blind friend amazes me.. She got out of a taxi about 30 feet from me. I called out her name and she headed toward me as if she could see me..!!! She offered a tip too large for me to take and we settled for a $5.. We chatted and then she turned and intended to go about 100 or more feet to her favorite restaurant. I watched as she took her white tipped cane and made her way up the sidewalk.. She'd veer to the right, hit something and then veer to the left, hit something and settle in going straight.. When she go to about where the restaurant door was she headed right for it and only missed the handle by about 3 feet. An outdoor waitress opened the door for her and she walked right in......Yep.. that is either amazing or I'm easy to entertain!!! Cheers..

Coming home the other night, we saw a man walking straight across the roundabout with his cane. It was a dark rainy night and he was smack in the middle of it and wandering uncertainly!
Luckily we saw him, and my husband walked him to his destination (his mailbox). Apparently the app on his phone failed, but he usually uses it to navigate around and does just fine! There are some pretty nifty apps these days...
Of course the ideal is a Dog, but those are expensive and have a long waitlist...one of our friends raises the guide dog pups in her home, then turns them over for Training when they get old enough.

re Alcohol & Fiddling: yes, for me personally, I learned that one glass of mead had my flute friend asking me, "Is your hand injury bothering you again?" 

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Originally posted by NCnotes

Coming home the other night, we saw a man walking straight across the roundabout with his cane. It was a dark rainy night and he was smack in the middle of it and wandering uncertainly!
Luckily we saw him, and my husband walked him to his destination (his mailbox). Apparently the app on his phone failed, but he usually uses it to navigate around and does just fine! There are some pretty nifty apps these days...
Of course the ideal is a Dog, but those are expensive and have a long waitlist...one of our friends raises the guide dog pups in her home, then turns them over for Training when they get old enough.

re Alcohol & Fiddling: yes, for me personally, I learned that one glass of mead had my flute friend asking me, "Is your hand injury bothering you again?" 

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With a glass of mead, you become more talented than your fingers can keep up with ...!???

Something like that, hahaha!
My brain said, "do this" and my fingers said, "---".

This locally famous Blues guitarist comes by and gives a cash tip and says he has a musical tip also.. I ask what the musical tip is..."tune that fiddle."... I said that I did tune it.. He says, 'When last year?"

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Originally posted by TuneWeaver

This locally famous Blues guitarist comes by and gives a cash tip and says he has a musical tip also.. I ask what the musical tip is..."tune that fiddle."... I said that I did tune it.. He says, 'When last year?"

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It has probably been six or eight years now that I've had a little Bunny Stamp.. similar to but not exactly like the Playboy bunny logo...At the farmers market kids line up to get the stamp on their arm..Anyway, today I was busking and another busker..one legged guitar busker.. came up to me to say hello and immediately stuck out his arm.. looking for me to give him a 'tattoo' on his arm. He didn't even ask. I KNEW what he wanted...
The other day several college kids came by JUST to get a bunny stamp.. They took a group photo of their stamps... I think I may have paid $6 for that stamp...and it has probably made me $1000.. Often I'll offer kids a bunny tattoo and I tell the parents that there is NO obligation to tip.. the Tattoo is FREE... Still, when parents see the joy that most kids have when they get that stamp,,,they still offer a tip.....I don't have any tattoos on my body..but If I was to get one...it would be of that bunny stamp...

Maybe those of you who busk regularly can shed some light on this topic.. It seems that things just aren't the same for buskers these days.. Inflation is up but tips/crowd-size are not keeping up. In the past on a holiday with good weather the sidewalks would be packed but the crowd sizes seem to be maybe 1/2 what they were a few years ago.. Covid? Politics? Tariffs? Inflation? Housing-costs? Job-losses? This isn't must my experience. Other buskers notice the same thing. What say YOU?

Hey Lee, a good old friend came with even a better idea for me than busking in the streets! He said : why don't you go out and search for a nice spot in the middle of nature and play for the birds and the cows and the sheep and the goats :-D He is convinced all cows will gather around me when I would play for them. I don't know how crazy this sounds, but to me it immediately sounded like a very attractive idea.

Well, your foreign-tourist numbers are down, I understand ....

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Originally posted by Quincy

Hey Lee, a good old friend came with even a better idea for me than busking in the streets! He said : why don't you go out and search for a nice spot in the middle of nature and play for the birds and the cows and the sheep and the goats :-D He is convinced all cows will gather around me when I would play for them. I don't know how crazy this sounds, but to me it immediately sounded like a very attractive idea.

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There is some merit to that idea.. Several years ago I had a hovel in the woods and I'd sit in front of it and play my banjo.  The deer seemed to like my playing and would not be afraid to pass by just a few feet away... !

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Originally posted by Old Scratch

Well, your foreign-tourist numbers are down, I understand ....

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Yes and no..  Around the University, with the USA students gone for the summer there is still a large contingent of foreign students who stay for the summer..Granted, many are running, on the lam, running  from ICE... but still.. they TIP..