You are in a shopping street ..

[Cat_Fight]

He’d have to be new or stupid to choose me to participate. Or blind, maybe. Because he’d be getting nothing but death glare.

As usual, there’s an excellent article from the Onion that sums up so many Dopers’ feelings – Oh No, Performers Coming Into the Audience

PITTSBURGH—Audience members at the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts are reporting that, oh God, no, approximately 20 extremely enthusiastic actors are approaching the edge of the stage and appear determined to continue their current musical number in the main seating area.

“Oh, man, are they? Shit,” one audience member was overheard saying as the energetic ensemble began filing down previously unseen stairs and past the front row. “Shit, shit, shit.”

Increasingly uncomfortable audience sources have also confirmed that the performers are proceeding down the aisle with crisp, larger-than-normal steps timed perfectly to the music. Even more shocking, some appear intent on interacting with non–cast members.

“Their smiles are so big,” a female theatergoer said while pretending to look for something in her purse. “Why does that one have a cordless microphone? Is he going to try to talk to us?”

“I have to go to the restroom,” she added.

[NinjaChick]

I loathe any and all street performers who aren’t competent musicians playing someplace like a park. So, if I for some insane reason was watching him and couldn’t get away, I would absolutely spoil it.

[Jeff]

I’d be miserable/embarassed/miffed but I’d play along and write up a boring pit thread afterwards to hear dull people offer dull commiseration about my dull predicament.

Cuz this is the dope, after all. Duh.

[schnuckiputzi]

I’d probably go along with it mostly for the amusement of mein Herr and family. As said upthread, afterward I’d drop a word to him privately to let him know I knew the trick. And it would probably depend on how much of a smarmy type he was, also. If he set off my creep-o-meter, I’d be out of there.

[Cunctator]

I’d leave, pronto. Audience participation street “theatre” is always egregiously awful.

[Lynn_Bodoni]

@Philster

I avoid the guy like the plague. If I can’t, I spoil the trick. Making him look dumb is entertaining, too. And, if he didn’t accept my resistance, then he has it coming.

Take on happy/willing “volunteers”. If you don’t, then you are playing at your own risk and have no grounds to complain, Mr. Magician.

This.

@TruCelt

I put one hand on my child, the other on my wallet, and get the heck out of there as quickly as possible.

Or this.

I might play along, if I’m in the right mood, have plenty of time and energy, and the magician looks interesting. Usually, though, I am in some pain, I’m having difficulty moving, don’t have the energy, and most of these “performers” can’t really entertain, it’s all an ego thing to me.

I also don’t like tricks that make the participant look stupid. Not even a little stupid. If the magician can’t entertain his audience without making someone else look stupid, he doesn’t deserve an audience.

[DrDeth]

As long as he wasn’t a mime or a clown, I’d play along.

Mimes need to be suspended from their heels in a scorpion pit.

[Gatopescado]

Spoil it, cause I’m a dick.

[Peter_Morris]

I am an amateur magician. I have been in more or less the situation as described in the OP. I played along with it and pretended to be fooled, even though I knew exactly what was coming.