Subway dudes playing Bob Marley's "Don't worry, 'bout a thing" and handing out shakers to the captive audience. What's not to like?
Lots apparently. After they were done charming 89% of the folks in the car, they went 'round with a hat, trying for a grin or a quarter, or both. I gave them both; I'm a sucker for buskers. They got to the guy in the corner across from me and said "yo, didja like the music?" He looked up dispassionately and didn't answer. They asked again. He said "I'm reading", and went back to his smartphone. Head dude says "so, you're literate, didja like the music?" Corner guy repeats "I just want to read". Finally, they moved off.
Honestly, would it have been so so hard to smile and say yes?
(Actually, the name of the song is "Three Little Birds", which I learned on Facebook one day, from Devra. I'd always assumed that it was just called "don't worry, 'bout a thing". Learn something every day, right?)
10 comments:
Give that guy a quarter from me then.
;-)
And from me.
Some people just need to be cranky all of the time. It's really sad.
Some days it makes me feel cranky, too, and then I realize that the fact that I can feel sorry for the poor bastard and realize he's got no sense of humor or joy or perspective to realize that things really will be alright means-- really, he is a poor bastard.
And that the Three Little Birds guys are awesome. : )
Devra has all sorts of valuable information. I like that the dude didn't give up.
Actually, yes. The minute someone starts implying that I *owe* them money for something I didn't ask for, I toughen up. There's a fine line between asking and harrassing. I'd have given the guys a quarter, but I completely understand Mr Crankypants.
I would probably smile, but I can see how it might get old if you encountered it a lot. I can be a crankypants.
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they used to (maybe still do?) play that song on Noggin (which is now Nick JR, I believe) and I drove MQ nuts by singing along.
As someone who has caught hell her whole life being told to "smile! your life can't be that bad!" when really I was just minding my own business, having a happy enough day I understand crankypants push-back. Subway or street entertainers shouldn't go harassing people for a smile (or a quarter).
That said, I'm pretty sure I'd have been smiling and pumping quarters. Reggae always gets my groove on.
no, it shouldn't have been so hard to smile.
though i understand that people can feel deluged by requests, i believe that we can all stand to...
...lighten up.
I can't remember where I'm supposed to be tomorrow, but I have a well of trivial knowledge that runs very very deep.
As for the cranky guy, maybe they should have passed him a dutchie. ;)
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