Doesn't matter.
It's a horrible look for the city, and tourists shouldn't have to go through this because low lives are trying to scam them.
The average tourist feels like $10-$20 is probably what they'd be expected to tip for a picture with two downtown "showgirls". When these girls demand $60-$100, and threaten to either beat up the tourist or bring their boyfriends out to do it (if the tourist is male), it pretty much rises to the level of small time extortion. You're tricked into buying a cheap-looking "service", and then threatened with violence if you don't pay the price they want.
Just about nobody would assume that 2 showgirls taking 30 seconds for a picture would demand a $100 tip. That's why it's so slimy. They're counting on people thinking they can tip what they believe is fair, and then threaten into paying something exorbitant.
For this reason, I have no sympathy for these buskers, and I feel a complete cleanup needs to be undertaken there. Make tip hustling illegal, announce that undercover officers will be examining the situation, and then start making actual arrests for those violating it.
You don't let the inmates run the asylum.
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Threatening or extorting people is already illegal. I'm sure these incidents are more the exception than the rule. If it was an all the time occurrence, offenders would be identified pretty quick. But I agree that it is totally unacceptable and needs to be rectified ASAP.
Last edited by jdog; 10-02-2024 at 01:34 PM.
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