StreetPerformers/Panhandlers

Anyone that lives in NYC and has rode the subway at least once knows about the beloved characters that ask for money on the train. Some are informative, some are entertaining, some are annoying the rest are just lying. Now before you curse me out hear me out. I used to give them money all the time until I noticed it was 3 years later and they are still coming in the subway with the same story. There is guy that has 4 boys that he says are his sons he has them singing Beatles songs and tells the riders that they missed their dinner at the shelter and without money from us his kids will starve.. Hmm Lets think about this.. I have been seeing you for 4 years now and the kids are growing healthy so either you are lying or racking up some serious cash on the subway. You missed your dinner 4 years in a row? Lets see I know that they serve it at 6pm because that's what you always say so how can you never remember that? hmm.. OK then there are the kids selling candy and snacks for the basketball teams. Yea OK. Some are completely honest and say they are just doing it for extra cash, the thing that gets me is that they are always wearing a $150 pair of sneakers and I am in my Airwals.. its not a typo they are so old they K has fallen off. Then there are the religious ones who feel the need to tell me that Jesus will save me,or give myself to Christ. Then my all time favorite...hence the sarcasm the dancers. I am all for Art and Creativity but when its on a crowded subway at rush hour going god knows how fast and my safety is at stake it makes it very difficult to be amused. I have always wondered if one of these dancers are doing a routine and kick you.. Can you sue? I would say probably not. It irritates me that they get on the train and see that people are concerned and the proceed to just dance and hang from the poles anyway. There were a set of drummers that gone on one time and one of them made a sarcastic comment towards me. Now if I chose to slap him I would have been wrong. You never know what you are gonna get once you step on the subway. Just make sure in addition to standing clear of the closing doors you also pay attention for flying panhandlers.

Peace,
The Empress