(LONDON) An article in The Guardian examines where the streets have no change - and how buskers are surviving in cashless times.A recent hot topic, the article asks is it time performers turned to contactless readers? After all, dropping coins in a hat is increasingly, well, old hat.

Speaking of hats, they're down in London. Again, society is changing. Spending our money is much more convenient nowadays using plastic rather than carrying around coins and notes. Americans have gone plastic for decades but now it's becoming more of a world-wide trend.

For buskers, touchless card readers are now "the thing" since people are carrying around a lot less cash. With plastic, even if you get robbed right there on the street in broad daylight, the poor crook doesn't have access to your PIN number(s)....

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(LONDON) The humble street performer is no longer a victim of a cashless society. A new digital method called a contactless payment terminal can accept a tip to the busker with the wave of a card.In a test of the new method, patrons were seen waving their credit/debit cards in front of the reader. The project was launched last weekend by the Busk in London organization as a trial. A few performers were seen testing the new transactional device.

Charlotte Campbell, a full-time street performer who was part of the trial, told BBC News that the new tech "had a significant impact on contributions." Said Campbell, "More people than ever tap-to-donate whilst I sing, and often, when one person does, another follows."

The reader needs to be attached to a smartphone or tablet. It is then...

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I remember I was busking on a popular outdoor mall at a commonly used pitch. As a muse, I played and sang between an outdoor cafe and restaurant. Buskers had used the stage for several years. I usually got a coffee at the cafe while on breaks and was familiar with the staff.

One day, a new staff member came outside and asked me to move down the way. When I asked the blond middle-aged woman why, she simply said she didn't appreciate me singing outside on a beautiful day while she slaved away inside. I told her it was my choice in life to busk rather than being a server and I really couldn't help her. She again requested me to move on and left with the satisfaction of having told me 'what for'. I ignored her request and continued performing.

As a mature busker, I had seen the like before. They have a problem with someone busking because they can't do it. After several other altercations, I had...

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(TAMPA) It was 52 degrees outside as people scurried around downtown to eat lunch today. Donning his full uniform — a cowboy hat, boots, tight white briefs and a strategically placed guitar — he sang and danced as onlookers approached him for photos and autographs.

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(MINNESOTA) The fair city of Minneapolis is now paying buskers and street performers to add culture to the downtown area.Thanks to the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District (DID), streets will be more vibrant as the city encourages entertainers rather than shooing them away.

The DID Street Show pays performers $50 an hour (more if you have a duo or trio act) in addition to whatever they make in tips.

The downtown organization felt that the busking scene could get a boost by offering entertainers a guaranteed payment.

In Minneapolis, busking is legal as long as performers are on public property, don’t obstruct traffic and don’t violate noise ordinances.

But even a great artist can be met with indifference when trying to coax hurried pedestrians to stop, listen and open their wallets.

For more information on ...

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