With money scarce, locals and tourists alike have stopped tossing their spare change and loose dollars to New York City's famed street performers. When every last penny has to be preserved for booze, tranqs, and anti-anxiety drugs, people are simply not splurging on curbside entertainment like they used to. Even that silver statue/robot dude from Times Square and the South Street Seaport is feeling the pinch. The performer, who calls himself Orange Mime, testifies, "The economy has definitely affected my earnings as a street performer. I am a living statue (silver/gold robot guy) and I have noticed a significant loss in recent weeks... I only hope it gets better for December because that is usually my best month."

It seems some people are less apt to stop for fear they may want to put a dollar in my box that they can't afford... kind of like a smoker who knows if he sees a pack or goes into a store selling them, he will buy it, even if he knows he shouldn't. The biggest drop off is in Times Square. People seem less interested in me—hopefully it has just been a bad few weeks for me, which happens. But this occurred earlier this year after a bad economic downturn...

Won't someone please, please think of the mimes?! [The Apiary]