People wanting to talk to you about what you do while you’re busking is pretty stock standard. It typically means that they find you interesting which is a good thing.
The only drawback to chatting with people being that if you’re not doing your thing whatever it may be, then you’re not making money. People donate because they see you doing stuff (or in the case of buskers playing statue, not doing stuff)
There are ways to discourage people from talking to you if you really feel the need to focus on what you are doing (musicians can play, statues can keep quiet and street artists can wear earphones) but for the most part, I like to make myself available.
The problem only exists when someone wishes to monopolize your time, especially if they are not all there because they are high on something or just a little of balance mentally.
One individual who drops by occassionaly crossed the line by making me wary of him. He wanted to chat and kept peering at what had been drawn by sticking his nose mere millimeters away from the paper.
The combination of showing me his drawings (reminiscent of some of a friends drawings in some aspects) which included a fascination for genitals (both male & female) and his sudden drapping himself over me while he hugged me was a little uncomfortable (there are hugs and then there is trying to merge with someone). The worrying part though was his commentary about the warmth of my aura and how he wanted to bask in its glory while trying to eat it up.
To say I was a little put off is an understatement.
His constant chatting, telling me to tell him to “f” off if he is annoying me, promptly followed by him getting teary eyed and emotional for me being so mean when he said he had no money but wanted to throw some in and I told him not to worry about it a bit of a warning sign.
The previous time I saw him (prior to this time), he kept hanging around the donation bowl peering intently at the money. Several times he reached for the bowl only to stop when he saw me looking at him. He would then move to another spot but continue to look over at the bowl rather than anything else.
There are two obvious options…
One he is simply mentally unbalanced or two, he is on drugs. Perhaps even both.
I am leaning towards the idea he is on drugs.
Welcome to a very good reason why I choose not to do drugs.
James Kite's Blog 
Hey man, it may be better if you stop looking at him, I know you are uncomfortable, but try to not let him make you feel this. If you do look at him, try to have a friendly look, not a judge-mental look anyway.
I hope you are wrong about the money, but if you are not; just keep taking the money out, from the bowl and feel good about it as you earned it, through your talents.
Try leaving a small amount of money, in the bowl; that you don’t mind him having, so if he takes it, just say to him you are welcome, don’t fall out with him, as then he will have affected you, after all people are willfully giving you money, maybe you should try to willfully, give to him some money.
Try giving him a job like cleaning your shoes, and pay him for it.
That is so good, that you make money, he might be sad because he is not able to do what you do, it is nice to share for the right reasons. People can be sad for all kind of reasons, you just work on being happy, and praise the Lord, try praying for him, I will pray for both of you. Amen
The catch is this…
If you allow people to take from you, you encourage them to return to take more. You label yourself as weak and a target.
Potentially even a victim of violence.
It is like spousal abuse … If you turn a blind eye or appear to accept it, it will not stop and will get worse.
When I put up with the theft a year ago as just something that happens it kept happening and slowly got worse to the extent that I was finding myself going backwards and my survival was coming into question.
The moment I started to defend my interests (ie survival) the theft died down. It still happens every so often, but I am more on top of the situation.
When i have a good day and I see someone I believe is having a bad day then I may choose to share.
To allow others to steal from you and use the excuse that you had a good day not only keeps you as a victim but has a major empowering affect on the thief.
Look at it like this…
If a thief can get away with stealing from you while busking, then he knows you won’t do anything if he then steals from the person at the cafe next to you or from the little old lady who may be near the bus stop.
But if he knows you will call the cops, that you are prepared to deal with him (its her) then the area around you is that much safer for others.
—
I am not being judgmental, simply being realistic.
I can not judge why he is doing drugs (or perhaps he is simply mentally unstable rather than drug seeped) as I do not know the full story. However, I can respond as is appropriate to the situation.
In this case, he just made me nervouse so I closed myself off from him as the best solution to avoid encouraging him which seemed to work as he eventually left. If he had persisted, then I may have had to change tactics. On the money issue, I was not 100% though fairly positive, so simply ensured I was near him at the time and spoke to him which resulted in him leaving (which kind of confirmed my suspicions)
How we treat others matters.
But that does not mean we should allow others to walk all over us.
Amen Brother ! ! !