Drunk people are the most tuned & honest people on the planet. They function on feeling alone, void of all social censorship and always speak their mind. Tonight a totally toasted, dude decided to plant himself on the end seat of the bench on the A,C,E at Port Authority, Times Square to listen & dance & sing & yeah almost fall over. numerous times. No matter if he was sitting or standing, every time I sang he got all wound up so I practiced stopping in the hopes he’s get bored & leave, but instead he just gave me a look of confusion & dropped more money in my case asking for more music. Oddly, he seemed to know exactly what I was sensing before, during & after each song & he’d softly share his observations through drunken mumbles & just like “The Drunken Prophet” in “The Subway Diaries”, he was freakishly spot on. The most common phrase mumbled being; “take your time, take your time” which can almost always apply to me. At one point the stumbling, fumbling guy reached into his backpack & pulled out a water & a grape drink, careened over to me & placed them next to me. He would not allow me to decline so, since I was indeed out of water, I kept the gifts. He then spent the remainder of the time instructing everyone at Port Authority, with vast hand gestures towards my guitar case, that dollars were an appropriate show of appreciation for the music. More dancing, ‘air conducting’, and stumbling around, continued until finally, after 2 full hours, he fell into a drunken sleep on the bench.

#BUSK

Dear NYC Performers,

On MAY 8TH 2013, centered in Washington Sq Park, the PEP (Parks Dept
police) will be giving out a promised FAQ sheet describing in detail
the rights (or lack of rights) of performers in all NYC Parks. (see news
article below this announcement describing this.)

The Parks Dept has assured performers there will not be any enforcement
actions taken against them. Depending on what it says on this FAQ
sheet about the revised park rules for performers and musicians,
performers will have either officially won their rights in parks or will have
to begin a new struggle to regain them.

Performers should make it their business to show up in Washington Sq
Park in particular on May 8 in order to participate and
to get a copy of this historic FAQ. Please do not use amplification on
this day. Bring a camera, tape recorder or video camera and use it. to
record anything that the PEP officers say to you or do.

If it is raining still show up to get the FAQ and then perform for a while
when the rain stops.

Please sign this Petition and send it to ten people. Each signature
is being individually emailed to the Parks Commissioner.
Make the public, the media and other performers aware of May 8th.

The Petition now has over 800 signatures and is filled with terrific
comments by musicians, performers and their supporters. Sign Here:

https://www.change.org/petitions/mayor-bloomberg-and-parks-commissioner-white-repeal-the-park-restrictions-on-performers-musicians-and-artists

Mayor Bloomberg and Parks Commissioner White: Repeal the park
restrictions on performers, musicians and artists.

Artists, musicians and performers are exercising their basic First
Amendment rights in parks. The expressive matter rules violate these
rights. The US Supreme court has ruled that: “Wherever the title of
streets and parks may rest, they have immemorially been held in trust
for the use of the public and, time out of mind, have been used for
purposes of assembly, communicating thoughts between citizens, and
discussing public questions. Such use of the streets and public places
has, from ancient times, been a part of the privileges, immunities,
rights and liberties of citizens.”

4/16/13 – Parks Dept Lying About Performer Ban

http://www.scribd.com/doc/136741106/Park-Performers-Banned-–Again

5/1/13 Parks Department Can’t Get Its Story Straight

http://www.scribd.com/doc/139113930/Parks-Department-Can’t-Get-Its-Story-Straight-for-web

Comments, questions?

Mayor Bloomberg and Parks Commissioner White: Repeal the park restrictions on performers, musicians.
www.change.org
Artists, musicians and performers are exercising their basic First Amendment rights in parks. The expressive matter rules violate these rights.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7F7aU1GtWU[/youtube]