I HAVE been sitting at my desk in my office in Central Glasgow trying to concentrate on my work and develop my business.
I pay business rates, VAT, corporation tax, income tax and the like.
In return for my investment in Glasgow I am treated from sun up until sun down to a free music gala by a bunch of nameless, talentless, and scruffy buskers from all corners of the Earth.
No doubt none of them is paying anything towards the upkeep of the city from their tax-free earnings. Today's treat is provided by two gentlemen playing what sounds like a rag and bone man's trumpet and a clapped-out organ. We are now on to their sixth rendition of the Godfather theme and no doubt version seven of Love Story is only minutes away. Thankfully they will get tired or bored and move on soon - they have played for nearly three hours.
Unfortunately, their prime pitch at the corner of Gordon Street and Buchanan Street will swiftly be taken by some other talentless and aggravating X Factor wannabe.
The city council has worked very hard to improve the image of the city in general and the city centre in particular. This freeloading noise-polluting cacophony does nothing to add to the image of the city centre, and when added to the ever-present annoying band of "chuggers" only serves to make walking along our most prized retail thoroughfare a real chore. I shall refrain from commenting on the apparent rapid and recent growth of beggars taking up residence every 50 yards around the town.
This open-air concert party does not create any sort of Las Ramblas-like atmosphere; rather it is a truly aggravating noise-polluting racket which detracts from the city, not to mention the effect on people trying to get an honest day's work done.
Chris McAllister,
Director,
Fallburn Business Consulting,
41 St Vincent Place, Glasgow.
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