I'm gratified to see Don's note that

... "busking" is a relatively modern term (chiefly British)...

I never encountered the word (in the US) until relatively recently, and have begun to wonder how I missed learning it. Now I know -- it's chiefly British!

In fact, back when I was *doing* it, I had never heard the word "busking." As far as I was concerned, what I was doing was "streetsinging." Of course, this term would not apply to non-singing instrumental performers, so "busking" becomes a very useful word.

Don's link to "BuskPittsburgh" was quite enlightening. I never had to bother with permits back in the early 70s, and occasionally (but rarely) was "asked" to move along by police. Of course, I picked my spots pretty carefully, usually confining myself to areas where the practice was already well-established. Applying for permission, especially when the permit specifies a particular limited time-frame as well as place (as seems to be the current situation in the NYC subway system), seems somewhat alien to my former lifestyle. Ah, for the good old days!