Travel Germany. Berlin - Porn and street buskers


Gaffel Haus. Berlin, bar, restaurant, Mitte. Gaffel Kölsch.
What has porn got to do with street buskers? 

Last night I went to a beer garden in the Berlin borough Mitte. I go there often for a quick bite after work or a day of walking, shopping, and strolling through the city.

While I was there, along came a busker. He played his tune and asked guests for a gold coin donation. A guy at the neighbouring table was about to give him something while the rude waitress with her cold and tiny face was trying to shoo away the busker; she said he was apparently disturbing us (the guests). The guy at the neighbouring table seemed surprised and gave the busker a coin (despite the intervention of the aggressive waitress). We picked our purse for a coin, the busker made his way to our table; the waitress followed him, she was still trying to get rid of him. I asked her what is wrong with entertaining people in the streets and she gave me some lame excuse with something about buskers disturbing guests.

I asked her whether she is aware that she is not the one who decides who walks our streets; and that she shall be grateful that there are people who bring free music to our neighbourhoods. She said her boss does not like “these” people. I felt ashamed. I did not like her xenophobic attitude. She was rude, arrogant; ignorant ... The lady should really try not to be so scared of "these" people since they are as human as everyone else is. Buskers may often be wearing an unkempt suit and shoes with broken heels but that does not mean they don’t deserve a smile and a thank you.

The guests at the neighbouring table
had been talking loudly about shagging prostitutes on nearby Oranienburger Strasse, and how they are going to try to get a one-legged prostitute for their mate who was about to get married to his girlfriend Petra. It was his stag night and his mates wanted to help him to his last adventure before he ties the knot. They also had been looking at porn on their smartphone and I had naked table dancers’ right in front of my face. I am wondering why the waitress did not ask these guys to leave the premises. Should she not have been scared, by these creatures, their highly contemptuous behaviour and their objectifying of women? The waitress is obviously a pretty mean person, not even the misogynists with their petty-minded attitude despised the busker.

What is your opinion on  buskers? Do you rather agree with the misogynist who gave the busker a gold coin donation or with the waitress who aggressively shooed him away?

From Berlin with love