Buskars and beggars

This is an outrageously poor quality photo.  I know!

However, the photo allows me to open up a flow of personal thoughts about buskers and beggars.

The guy in this picture, hopped onto the Métro, armed with his guitar and harmonica attached around his neck. He looked pretty styley. He played the guitar very well and he sang very well, too. His music was uplifting. We were all standing shoulder to shoulder somewhat sardine-like. I took the photo of him, but the movement of the train made it blurry. 

I just thought that it was kind of weird the way that it was accepted with total blank faces, as if he didn't exist. His music brought a smile to my face, but I was the only one smiling in the carriage.

It happened again, on another occasion on the Métro. This time, it another guy on the guitar. Like the first, he played really cool upbeat Latino music. It really made me want to dance. It was met with blank oblivion by all the passengers.

On a more negative note, most times when I get on the Métro, a gentleman hops on, the doors shut, and a plea full  speech ensues. I don't really understand a lot of what he says, but I figure out that he is asking for money, no matter how small the donation. It is met with blank disdain. He then shuffles his way through the carriage with his hand out. I never, ever saw anyone donate.

There are mothers sitting on the footpaths, with their sleeping child in their arms. A beggar's bowl in front of them. I have read, that the mothers drug these babies, so that they sleep all the time.

There are old ladies that bend over from age, wailing in a foreign language, hand outstretched.

And of course, there are the scammers. One of the scams that is especially prevalent around the Eiffel Tower: a gaggle of young girls, aged about 10, 11, 12 and 13. They have a nebulous piece of paper in their hands. They ask if you speak English. They then distract you whilst filling in the survey to extricate money from you. When I visited the Eiffel Tower, I must have been asked at least 6 times to do this survey.

Now, back to the buskers. I thinking busking is cool. I think that it is street entertainment. I know that many performers have started fabulous careers through busking.

Begging makes me search inside my soul for the story that brings people to a point of loss of dignity and personal pride that they have to resort to begging.