too good to be true

I suppose it was too good to be true... the police next to the white
house have told me I cannot ask for money. they call it solicitation. i was earning around $15 per hour before they shut me down. i could live on that!
so I asked whether I could play music with a hat proffered to welcome
tips. i waa told that I could busk if I get a street musician's
permit. so i hurried crosstown to the DC gov't center. I arrived at
4:40, which seemed to give plenty of time to apply, or at least to get
the forms. but, no... the permit office closed at 4:30...
tomorrow I will know where to go.

[next day]

so i just went there, and i was told by the first guy that i had to see a different bureaucrat in a different office downstairs. the first guy handled permits of platforms and booths; the other guy handled licences for vrndors. i was asking for permission to charge money for a service, you see, so that is vending...

the second bureaucrat sent me cross town to the DC police, because there was no "permit" required, but i might need clarification of regulations from the local constabulary. so the sergeant said i could not ASK for money, but i could put out a hat or a can near to where i was playing. but the white house police won't let me stand still: i need to keep walking back and forth, so i cannot place a hat out....

so i will either earn no money by posing for tourists' photos, or shift my "stage" back to the city streets away from the white house and ALL THOSE TOURISTS.

still fine tuning...