Well, since they snuck up behind you, neither a tazer nor any other weapons would have done you any good.

Next time, go with your gut.

Suggestions:
Get an on body safe. This is a great one: http://www.eaglecreek.com/accessories/s ... ket-40024/

I also suggest keeping your keys in there, so no one can steal your car.

After your performance, take your stuff and go to the nearest store with a bathroom. Take your cash and stuff it in the hidden pocket.

Guys like that won't go after you in front of a crowd, so when the audience isn't talking to you anymore - it's time to go for the bathroom.

Thanks everyone for the concern. I'm doing quite well now. I have a show later on today at a local school. I will be talking about the subject of bullying, so I will be able to tie in this experience. I'm also good that I will be speaking on a subject for the most part of the time, instead of having to perform for the entire hour. But I will be doing a little magic.

Dustin- I will look into getting one of those safes. It seems like a good idea.

As for carrying around a weapon, like paddy said, it's not a good idea. At first, I was considering bringing a bat with me once I start again (I'm hoping to get back to busking in a month, but I will have to see how I'm doing then, plus I have to practice a different routine of mine so I can get reacquainted with it so I can go out until I can get replacements for my items. So it may be a little longer than a month before I go out again) but I don't want to take the chance of having some use it against me. I do keep a bat in the back of my car though.

I am feeling better though, and everything is going all right right now. Thanks everyone.

Wow! You have a lot of courage to even think about going out again after that. Have you put any thought into getting a stab vest or some sort of other protection?

Not really. A vest like that ruins my character. Like Paddy said, it's part of the job. Buskers run the risk, and many have had worse experiences then me. So I'm grateful that I came out the way I did, and not worse.

Well, maybe in the next few years you can get one of those knife proof T-shirts they're working on for prison guards.

Pay the Bills/keep the soon to be wife happy -or- Stay home and avoid busking out of fear

I wonder which to choose.

ok well this just made me mad.

"skater look"

yea i feel bad you got mugged, but not all skater people are bad...

Glad to hear that your feeling better, FB. Is there some way to get your props back? It's days like this when you wish there was such thing as a magician's insurance policy.

I beleive IBM offers prop insurance, but I don't think it covers muggings.

He didn't say they were bad, he just said that's what they were dressed like, and that they were acting fidgety. Nowhere did he say that all skater people are bad...

Yikes. I am glad to hear you are ok. I know you want to go back out there and I am sure you will at least be taking someone with you but I am curious to see what your fiancee has to say.

I hope you are able to replace what was lost because I am sure that that amounted to more financially and sentimentally then the hats you pulled in.

I assumed that the hats he got where stolen as well.

I must say, I to am curious as to what your fiance thought about this.




Oh get over yourself. He's descibing their appearance, not generalizing skaters as a group.

I assumed the hats got taken as well. I was simply saying I hope he can find the stuff that was lost in replacing it. I imagine with a collection of magic there was probably a few things that would be difficult to replace!

He didn't state that all skaters or all people dressed like skaters are trouble. What he did was take a well-known style of dress/appearance and, rather than use a long explanation of what they looked like, narrowed it down by referencing that well-known look.

If you were angered by THAT and feel the need to get defensive, then perhaps it's YOU with the issues here and not our busking friend.

...Just an observation.

My fiance is quite upset about all of this. She doesn't want me to busk again, which is understandable. She didn't know right away that it happened though. I didn't call her until after I knew everything was okay. I didn't want to worry her anymore than necessary. We've both decided though that I won't be replacing the majority of my items until after the wedding though.

The hats did get stolen as well. Which I'm not as upset about as loosing my props. I was told that there is little chance of me getting any of that stuff back. Which annoys me, but I can't do anything about it, so I'm not really thinking about it. I do find it a little funny that I did have the Magician's Insurance Policy with me that day though. That is one prop I will buy again, and I think I will be adding this experience to the patter.

therealsuperman- Get over it. I have nothing against skaters. Actually, I have quite a few friend who are skaters, or at least dress as such. It just so happens that many people dress like skaters, and these particular people were bad.

Thanks everyone for the comments. This week I'm actually going back to full time. The restaurant I've been working at let me take a break for a little while, and now I'm going back on Friday. I also have 3 other shows scheduled for this week, so I'm getting back up there. I will also be posting my newest essay this Friday (if everything goes accordingly).