The clown stood in front of the UBS at Eaux Vives, saying "Bonjour, bonjour," to passers-by as they went in to withdraw money from the ATM machines and pay their bills on the Multimat (Switzerland gave up cheques decades ago).
There were only a few coins in his hat.
I didn't ask to take his photo, although I wanted to.
I did add to his coin collection.
The bank clown was missing a couple of teeth. The cartoon clown above is far more jolly. Despite the clown's cheery tone, he had an aura of desperation.
I couldn't help but wonder what brought him to a stage in life where he dressed as a clown and stood outside a bank hoping for lose change. Yet at the same time he still was "earning" his living by offering himself as entertainment rather than just begging.
Perhaps that gave him a sense of pride. I hope so.
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