Kicked off the wall.

Rllink

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I live part of the year in Viejo San Juan, old San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was discovered on Columbus' second voyage to the new world by Ponce De Leon. I actually live on a street named Calle San Sebastian, the street that connects El Castillo, the fort that was the administrative offices for the Spanish government, and Ponce De Leon's home.

A block west and a block north of my home is a wall that once formed the defenses for the city. I'm told that parts of it are more than 500 years old. When you go from my home to the wall, you cross a grassy area that is a dog park, and then beyond that is an open area where there are some plaques standing that tell the history of the area. There are two old cannon ports there in the wall and people walk out in them to look out over La Perla at the Atlantic ocean. It belongs to the National Parks Service. I go out almost every day and sit on the wall to busk. I have for six winters. I catch the people coming off the sidewalk to read the plaques. Everyone knows that is my pitch. I was actually photographed out there for a documentary on street musicians in San Juan.

On the wall..jpg

Two weeks ago a park ranger came by on the street driving a golf cart and ordered me off the wall. He said that sitting on the wall damaged it. I had never heard of this law against sitting on the wall. People sit on it, walk on it, at smoke pot on it, drink beer on it, people read books on it, artists set up their easels on it, and pretty much do whatever they want on the wall. Some people do yoga on the wall. The thing is that any number of park rangers over the years have walked by or driven by and never said a word. Some even wave to me. But later I found out that it is in fact against the law to be on the wall, but no one knew of it ever being enforced.

Anyway, I went back the next day and did my thing. I just thought that it was interesting that that one park ranger decided on that one day to kick some old ukulele player off of the wall.

I just wanted to share that, and I also wanted to ask if there are any other buskers here that have stories to share?
 
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Too much wall talk these days...;):shaka:
 
You could immortalize the time you were kicked off the wall with a song:

"We don't need no haughty rangers
We don't need no wall police
No dark sarcasm from the dispatcher,
"People, leave the wall alone
Hey, People! Leave the wall alone!"
All in all I'm just another brick on the wall.
All in all we're all just bricks who live near the wall."
 
At least you got noticed and warned off by law enforcement!

If you were a punk rocker, this would be a rite of passage and badge of honor :)

I say: Achievement Unlocked! :rock:

Next level goal: "almost" get arrested for playing ukulele in public - LOL...
 
Ironic that he was driving a vehicle that was probably more damaging to the structure of the wall
 
You could immortalize the time you were kicked off the wall with a song:

"We don't need no haughty rangers
We don't need no wall police
No dark sarcasm from the dispatcher,
"People, leave the wall alone
Hey, People! Leave the wall alone!"
All in all I'm just another brick on the wall.
All in all we're all just bricks who live near the wall."

Hey, this is very good!
 
Ironic that he was driving a vehicle that was probably more damaging to the structure of the wall

The ranger was driving on the street. How would that damage the wall?

I know that there are heiau in Hawaii that you aren't allowed to touch and touching the moai on Easter Island can get you thrown in jail. So, what you experienced isn't unheard of. Unfortunately, neither is inconsistent application of rules by park rangers.
 
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What they need is a wall to protect the wall.
 
I hazard a guess that the ranger was having a bad day and took it out on the lone busker sittin' on the wall.

Walls, walls, everywhere walls...

Pretty cool place to play in the sunshine.
 
I hazard a guess that the ranger was having a bad day and took it out on the lone busker sittin' on the wall.QUOTE]

Me too. A friend (male) of mine was once fined for taking a leak in the woods in Yellowstone Park. Apparently 50 feet from a road and behind a stand of trees wasn't discrete enough.

I agree on it being a cool place to play.
 
I hazard a guess that the ranger was having a bad day and took it out on the lone busker sittin' on the wall.QUOTE]

Me too. A friend (male) of mine was once fined for taking a leak in the woods in Yellowstone Park. Apparently 50 feet from a road and behind a stand of trees wasn't discrete enough.

I agree on it being a cool place to play.

You have to be a bear to if you want to do that there.
 
Rolli you rock, got major street cred now. You ain't a real busker until you been sent on your way. Stick to the man, flash the dude a peace sign and rock and roll.....All Night Long :music:
 
I like playing on the streets like that. I started out on my porch up in Iowa. I would sit on my porch playing and practicing my ukulele every evening before supper. People would walk by. I would tone it down a little when they did, but sometimes they still heard me and acknowledged it by dancing a few steps or singing along. I then I got to playing and singing louder so that they could hear better. Some people would stop and listen. It just got addicting. Then I did a few festivals, and then when I came down here in the winter I thought that my constant playing of the ukulele every afternoon might disturb my neighbors because I live in a condo in close proximity to them, so I started going out on the wall to play. Then it just got to be my thing.

My pitch, where I play, is not a prime place to make money. People can hear me as they pass by, but they have to get off the sidewalk and come to where those plaques are to get close enough to tip me. But that is fine with me as I'm not making a living at it. The best places belong to other performers and they actually do kind of fight for them. No one wants mine. I usually make enough to get something to eat and a couple of beers afterwards and that's about it. I've gotten skunked a few times, but I don't care. I'm actually just out there playing and practicing. Any bills that end up in my jar are just extra. It is also a good opportunity to work on my playlist and try out new songs on people.
 
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It won't be happening again any time soon. Our condo in VSJ has been on the market for a long time. We sold it and closed yesterday. Someone else can have my pitch on the wall if they wan it. It isn't a money maker anyway. I will miss the bar on the way home.
 
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