Thought this was a new thread, wrote the following to post to the BBC site, then noticed it is from 04, and could not find a way to post to it anyway, so here it is, I find I am writing similar thoughts several years later...

Well, ... it is lovely to hear all the praise of New York Buskers. I often busk in New York, sometimes in the subway, but mostly in Central Park, as the NYC subway is terrible for one's hearing. The best stops, often are the loudest -- and soon one begins to appreciate the toll. I am an uilleann piper, and after a while, I have trouble tuning my instrument from the ringing in my ears if I play on the subway. In the park, I can pull out all the other instruments, sing, play the guitar, low whistles once a crowd gathers.
There is a licensing scheme in New York, only on the subways. I refuse to get a license, as busking predates the authority of any state, it is the last stand of the true commons. I do pay taxes, and in fact, I have a Juris Doctorate from NYU, and often have funded my work for marginalized people through busking, while making public their causes through songs I've written. For those who do not pay tax on their busking, they also serve one small bit of humanity, as they have not paid for the bombs and bullets our two governments have dropped and fired, killing so many innocent and guilty alike.
A funny event happened one day, on the issue of legality. New York City police seldom go out of their way to hassle a busker. One day, I was playing in the subway, and a young Black woman was really intently listening. She let several trains go by, and I was really rather chuffed. I really pulled out all the stops, enjoying playing for her. Then a young fellow jumped the turnstile and in an instant she tackled him and handcuffed him. She was an undercover police officer. As she pulled him through the service door, she turned to me and smiled and winked. That event is one of the reasons I really love New York, must say.
For those who say here that we make too much money, so they don't pay for the music they enjoy, well, what can I say, other than, I certainly hope they don't pay all that money to hear the Rolling Stones (just an example, Mick, no finger pointing at thee... )
I've busked in Bath, ( the town not the plumbing fixture) as well as a number of villages and cities in England, France, Ireland, Canada and a few other places, and my thanks to all who kept me on the road.
In short, lovely thread, and best of luck to all...
Lorcan Otway - a New York Quaker.