I don't know about you all but the town where I live is home to a variety of buskers, beggers, pickpockets, street musicians, rambling, raving, crazy drunks and other similar types. My question (being vague as to encourage discussion) is: How do you handle "The Other Fellow" when you're performing?

In my town they only allow one busker in town. You have to book the day (s) you want way in advance. It stops the town centre from becoming a circus. But in our profession, it is a problem as you may get a paid booking the day before which prevents you turning up to busk. Too many no-shows and your banned.
If someone just turns up, you tell a security guard and they kick them out.

In a free-for-all town, its first come first serve, and most entertainers respect each other enough to set-up elsewhere. If you get an idiot trying to cause trouble, finish you set, then give a bunch of teenagers some stink bombs to set off near the person getting in on your pitch.

They move on, and while you have twenty minutes of dead time waiting for the air to clear, you can return to your pitch again.

You're in LA?

Oh, not by a long shot. Small town/ city. That's the point- my town is full of the other guy. I'm wondering what other magicians- ones who live in bigger cities- do about the other guy when the other guy is being distracting from the show.

As much as I have the right to go out and do it, so dose everyone else. My act fits in my pockets I have a small case to collect cash and I can do it to crowds of 5 or 50. I have no amps and can do 2-3 show in a hour. I have had pepole set amps up next to me, people stand next to me and preach the gospel, drunks sing in the middle of my show, charity collects work my crowd. There is some times I have asked other buskers setting up next to me is that a good idea. But just getting on with it seem to works best for me. When I started this use to rock my confidence and dampen my spirits. But know I have my show set and strong I just keep going. And I have noticed that people scense I know what I am doing so they come to me. Just this morning I set up in a spot that had some cover from the showers. And a flute player set up on a seat oppiste me. It put me off for a bit. I thought about telling him to do one. I carried on and stopped a few pepole they grew into a crowd of 15 and I had a good set. With the buzz of that and a burst of sun I pulled a bigger crowd 25-30 and got them to make noise and made the laugh. Got a good hat. As then started to build my next crowd flute man moved on.

Also when I set up I speak to buskers around me this helps a lot. when its busy there is a rock gutirste and a guy with a dancing puppet. They sometime set up near to each other so there sound dose not cross each other. They like me in the middle as it cuts down the chance of some idot setting up a another amp. Also we feel us 3 beging good at what we do but diffrent from each other and whats around help.