Here in SF the weather is getting better, and there are more performers, vagrants and thieves out and about on the wharf looking to separate tourists from their dollars.

Inevitably, this leads to conflicts as we cut each others throats for the same limited number of dollars...

Thursday I had a gang of shoeshine guys breaking into my shows accosting spectators repeatedly. I confronted them, but I gotta tell you, I was nervous! There were four of them, and I knew it could have turned ugly quick. Eventually we made nice and they moved down the block, but it was not pleasant! Also, I'm pretty sure that if there was any real action that day anyhow things would not have been so easy for me.

How do YOU deal with "turf wars"?

Turn you amp up to "11" & set your pepper spray to "stun".

If that doesn't work...aim for the twins. All's fair in love and street fighting

Gaddy, it's going to happen especially down at the wharf. Just be firm.

Use Danny Lord's line: "Has anyone seen my snake?"

Street cred goes a long way. If they don't respect you, make them fear you. Then they'll respect you anyway. Stand your ground 2 or 3 times and the threats will magically disappear.

HAHA! At one point I did something like that. I started asking passers-by if they needed a shine and that my work was the best. Then I started calling out to all the gilpins, telling them all "WHERE THEY GOT THEIR SHOES AT..."

That really peeved the goons off (it seems to be their only gimmick...) and that's when I got a little worried! But again, as I said, eventually we made nice.

Chance told me a story that makes me never want to go down there. But if I do go, I'm taking him with me.

You made nice! That's an art in itself sometimes Gaddy. Good for you.

Yeah. I actually had a civil conversation with one of the older guys towards the end of the day. What can I say, I'm a people person

Seriously, if you tell them that you will send your crowds down toward them, they might reciprocate by sending people over to you.

Or not.

I had simarlar happen a number of times, but a Romaian folk band. They tried every time they went pass my show to disrupt me. Each time I treated them as a comon heckerler, Nothing more nothing less. One day they where determund and set up shop on the back of my audiance, I had my audiance in my pocket by then so I simply got them to turn and boo them. After that I started to get smiles of them instead of throungs.

Good work Mario!