I am a cashier at a Walmart in Cranston, RI.

Some days, I monitor "self checkout."

Last Thursday, a customer comes up to me and says;

"You've got a crack head outside, singing and begging for money!"

"What?"

"Yeah, I think he's doing Sinatra now! He can barely stand."

I'm picturing us having to call in the police and go out to look.

There's a guy, clearly a stereotypical "hippie type." with a mandolin, and a guitar on racks, playing a violin with a sound system.

No way this guy "can barely stand" or appears to be a "crackhead!"

He's actually very good. But he IS on Walmart property, and I had to tell the manager.

She went out and talked to him. He stayed for about a hour or two more, then left.

Pity, he WAS very good.

The violin with a sound system is a somewhat popular newer scam of sorts.. where the performer is not actually playing, just pretending to play… as an MP3 player plays the music through the speaker.

I’m not saying this is what he was doing.. but it is common as of recent.

Just before we left Washington state there was busker who was setting up grocery store Parking lots with an accordion. Was loud enough the didn’t need amplifier.

Folks heard it walking to and from store and then as you drove out, you went by him. Looked liked decent amounts in is hat..

Possible 'Elvis sighting'?

Hopefully you grabbed an autograph Ed!

Didn't look anything like Elvis, and I was on the clock. I only went out to see if he was actually "harassing" the customers (he wasn't) and, sadly, to tell management he was there.

Elvis... He lives across the street from me. Mind you, he does not like to be called Elvis, he prefers his name, Sherman Arnold. Go ahead and Google him... At about 80 years old and still rocken as Elvis and also Roy Orbison.

You live in Erie, Indiana?

No, he is now in Michigan

Thank you guys for mentioning Sherman. I wasn't aware of him, that I recall, so I took a look around. I like him. I don't follow tribute artists much, but I have an understanding of where they're coming from, I think, and I appreciate what I've seen and heard here. He hits some marks, for sure. Nice interpreter.

"I'm caught in a trap."

"I can't get up."



Nice work.