A good day

[pch1.livejournal.com]

So I knew yesterday was going to be a good day when I was able to walk by both Starbucks and Diesel Cafe without being approached by any of the kids repping Save The GreenPeace Children from Masspirg.  Then I started to wonder, why is it that these guys can so relentlessly solicit donations everyday, yet if they were to put down their clipboards and strap on a guitar and play for donations they could be ticketed or asked to stop for performing without a permit.

What's up with the priorities around here.  I'd much rather be passing by a street performer than a political missionary.

Comments

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

And as far as I know, there's no street performer permits in Somerville either. Cambridge and the MBTA require them, and Brookline bans street performers entirely, but I don't think permits are required anywhere else around here, including Boston.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, since it's not inconceivable that I'd busk in Somerville at some point.

[ron_newman]

I remember when Cambridge adopted their permit system. The problem they needed to solve was too many performers in too small a space trying to out-amplify each other, which annoyed the neighbors and everyone else in Harvard Square.

So far this has not been a problem in Somerville.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Boston I'm fairly sure there's some sort of process in place, but if I remember correctly it's fairly loose. Ever since Quincy Market lost that 1st Amendment lawsuit, the city's been understandably lax on enforcing any permit laws it may have.