Apart from the licensed buskers on underground stations the ones you are most likely to encounter in London are the teams of beggers who work through tube trains with one of their number squeezing two notes out of an old piano box.

Although I do not consider busking to be begging, for most of the reasons already expressed - I have experienced this on the London Underground and have some concerns with this practice. Although the box player was slightly more acomplished than just having two notes - I did not welcome being confronted by the other member of the team, who came up to where I was sitting to thrust a collecting box in my face. If a big ugly chap like me was intimidated by this, I am quite sure that many others will be.

I would probably still not consider this to be begging but I can understand why some people would but I certainly would not consider it to be good busking practice either. Although I am sure a lot of money will be collected using it - I fear that most of it not due to how much the passengers will have appreciated the box player's musical talents. Which is the only reason that folk should contribute.

Perhaps it is up to buskers to always ensure by their actions that their busking could never be considered as begging?