A Career in Ambushing People

When I was in Taiwan, I always thought that all street performers did was head down to some crowded place with their musical instruments and sing or play in order to attract an appreciative audience and earn some money.

It was only after visiting Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco that I realized street performers come in all sizes and shapes. Some do it to entertain; some do it to win over the hearts of tourists. And then there are the ones who, by using their extraordinary ingenuity, are able to amaze an audience and have them spare some change in appreciation for the performance.

For example, I met a man who painted his own outfit and skin with silver-gray paint, posing still on the street like a statue, unaffected by the cold wind and drizzle. He didn't mind if the pedestrians stared at him as long as they tossed a few quarters his way.

In another situation, a performer in a flashy costume showed off his improved version of the once popular robot dance. Like a newly wound musical doll, he danced to the mechanical drum beats with an elated expression. Occasionally, he would interact with the tourists passing by, generating cheers as well as showers of coins. Of course, as he came around to collect the latter, he still acted like a robot and moved in rhythm.

One performer made a particularly strong impression on his audience by scaring people with a tree branch. This man hid himself around the street corner and behind the tree branch he was holding. From a distance, he looked like a potted plant. But he was actually watching pedestrians and scouting his next victim.

However, not everyone was fortunate enough to be chosen. Very often, the victims were set up by their own friends. Since this man was a minor celebrity, where he went, crowds followed. They watched him quietly in a circle and observed how he approached a victim. When victims walked into the scene, they were more likely to be wondering what everyone was looking at rather than preparing themselves for an ambush.

While the target was distracted by the crowd, the performer would pop out and bellow at the poor victim, whose frightened and embarrassed reactions often drew wild cackles from the audience.

Other street performers need creative costumes or special skills to make a living on the street. But all this "streetwise" guy needs is a tree branch and a wild roar.

I heard that he has been in this business for quite a long time and has been interviewed by newspaper and magazine reporters. Really attentive tourists will even keep an eye on his whereabouts. He has become part of the scene in Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco.

So if you happen to visit Fisherman's Wharf and get ambushed by the man with a tree branch, don't get all worked up about it. He's just doing what he is getting paid to do.

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Street artists like this one are a common sight in the US and Europe. Besides being entertaining, they can pick up some pocket change.