OK this is a first. I'm performing magic and twisting balloons last Tuesday at my restaurant. I have an area set aside for me so I'm in more or less in the same area with my table, magic and balloons. When it comes to making balloon figures, I always make them on a first come first served basis with the exception of a special needs kids now and then. I end at 7:30 p.m. and at about 7:25 p.m. I announce that everyone can get a balloon but they have to choose between a sword, dog or cat so I can get everyone something before I/they leave. On this Tuesday I was wrapped up by 7:45 p.m. The balloon line was knocked out. I had thrown my table, balloon and magic bags over my shoulder and was headed out the door. A Mom with two children caught me just as I was opening to door to the parking lot to head to my car and said can you just do two more? I said I was sorry but that I perform until 7:30 p.m. I told her to please come see me next week a little earlier and I’d make sure they were taken care of. She looks at me and then down to her kids and says, I guess we're not the right color to get a balloon, let's go. Now I am a white man, but this was a white woman with two white children. I had performed for a pretty evenly mixed racially diverse crowd that night. I was so dumbfounded by this statement that I just pointed to my lobby sign and said take a look at the times on my sign. All I got was the response of, "whatever" and she stomped away.

I’ve since come up with dozens of nasty retorts but it is probably best that I just stood there with my mouth open, pointing to my sign and thinking to myself “WHAT???”

Thanks, I just needed to get that off my chest.

Nothing surprises me anymore....when it comes to the way people behave.

I spent quite a bit of time learning twisting about 6-7 years ago, but quit after hearing a similar story from a local magician. He said it was a never ending thing, and just ended up not being worth the hassle.

Wow!

My response would have been "it's not because you're white, its because you're a .b!tch."

Seriously...just blow it off man. I know its hard but you just have to do it! People like that REGARDLESS of color aren't worth your time and energy.

In my younger days (early 20s), I would pull out my wallet and remove a photo of me and a friend of mine (she was black) and I would say "if I'm racist then why is my wife black?!?!"

I stopped doing that about 10 years ago because even tho it turned the tables on them and made them feel 1 inch tall as they walked away with their tail between their legs (which in turn made me feel better), I felt as if I was no better than they were and that I had dropped to their level and that really bothered me.

This is another reason why I no longer twist ballons. The ONLY time I have EVER had the race card played on me (with a couple of exceptions) was when I closed the line and someone felt slighted.

Sorry you had to deal with that man. Chalk it up, brush it off and move along. Nothing to see here...

Christopher

Chris, he said they were both white...

IMO, some people are just looking for failure and disappointment. When she approached you, it was obvious to her that you were packed up and leaving. She set herself up for failure and disappointment. It's some addiction to drama that they have.
I think it is also some side-effect of the sense of entitlement that most people under 30 all seem to have. They get pumped up full of self-esteme in the public schools even though they can barely read, much less spell, and get indignant when they are proven wrong.
I mean really, to turn to her children and make an assumed, derogatory remark about you, to them, is very immature and irresponsible. Pity the children.

Seriously you didnot have time to just make 2 balloons?

jsut curious.

iknowh there are nights I need to get right out with in minutes of my ending time. so I always make 3 or 4 ballons wh en I arrive to set off to the side. this way when I say I am done and heading out if some one cataches me I jsut so here you go.

on occcaisions if I am in a hurry I would still stop to make a balloon or 2 where did you need to get to that was so important that 2 minutes was going to make a difference.
I am not blaming you jsut curious to know more of the facts!

as for the comment the woman made at that point I would have looked at her and asked her to repeat the statement then say that's what I thought you said have a nice nite bye!

don't come down to their level and at the same time remember its about the kids not the mornon parent.

sam

And then "please sir, just two more... and just two more.... and oh, please, can't you just make one more.... oh please, we just got here, can't you just make us three more... hey my table want's another one, theirs just broke..."


I like Christopher's response the best.

What if the manager came out the door and asked you to come back in for 10 minutes to twist two balloons, would you have said no? Doubtful. I tend to treat customer requests as if they came from the top, unless they are unreasonable.

I don't do what you do, so I'm not telling you what you should have done. Your experience is just that.

Here is an example of something that happened to me, but it has happened many times in different circumstances.

I was at a fancy rest/lounge that served a certain type of food at the bar until 6:30 PM. We were there a little before 6PM and decided to order, by my watch at 06:28. I didn't know there was a cut off time for this type of food. Not all food, just this particular item. Their explanation made zero sense. The Bartender makes this food, in from of you. I could see through the glass there was more stock. They just had a strict policy on the cut off time.

I know bar time is set ahead for last call, etc. Anyway, the bartender said that they stopped serving that type of food at 06:30. You get where this is going.

I get the manager and he says the same thing. After a few minutes of my explaining to him customer service principles, he wouldn't budge. I told him we're leaving, will never come back and he'll be out of business in a year. I was wrong, it was a little over 6 months.

I think it's best, in the long run, to be less ridged when dealing in these issues, if the request isn't from bizarre land, out of line. Of course I grew up in the 1960's. Maybe things are different today ( well, they must be, because I find great customer service dis hard to find ).

Chris

Sam, As I stated before, I started making single balloon animals at 7:25 p.m. for anyone remaining so I didn't leave anyone out that wanted something before they or I left. Everyone present that wanted something got something. I had packed up all of my things and had my table and close-up bag over one arm, my balloon bag over the other arm and my Filbert Pump under that arm. I had stayed past my offical hours as I usually do, and was finished, opening the front door of the restaurant to get this load of stuff to my car.

Sam, you're telling me that you would put it all down right there or return inside to make two more balloons? And as epoptika wrote, since you were willing to do it for these folks, you would just keep on going if it happened to attract others even it took 30 minutes, an hour or whatever to get to another stopping place?

Review King, if the manager asked me to come in and make two more, I would go to his office and make two more, but not in the middle of the restaurant. If it became a weekly thing, then they need to consider hiring me for another hour.

Derrick

I know he did which was why I said what I said in the first line of my post. But my contribution to this thread was to state that Racism is Racism and it will (sadly) always exist...and there is very little that we can do about it.

A relative of mine (close to 90 years old) still drops the "N" bomb while in public like it's no big thing. She always wonders why nobody ever wants to go anywhere with her.

As you said...very sad!

Christopher

It's not just balloons...

I took my wife to dinner at one of the restaurants I worked at the time, as we both loved the food there and it was close to the theater where we were going to see a movie later. It was NOT the night I worked there. A family comes in, the mom recognizes me, and walks over to our table with a couple of kids in tow, and asks me if I will come over and perform for their table.

I responded that I was "off the clock" and on a date with my wife and that I didn't have anything with me, but if they would come back on my scheduled night I would be sure to give them a good show. But she was having none of that--she started begging, then demanding. Then she asked to talk to the manager. He came out, totally unaware of what was going on. She told him that she had asked me to take "just a few minutes" to come perform for their table, and I had declined, and she wanted to know what he was going to do about it.

He glanced over at me and then stared right in her eyes and said, "Scott's not working tonight. I'm not paying him to work tonight. He is not my employee, he is an independent contractor. Tonight, he is a guest. I would no more ask him to perform for your table than I would ask you to wash the dishes and clean the toilets. Please leave him alone." Then he walked over to our table and said, "I'm sorry about that. Dinner is on me tonight. Enjoy your date."

Derrick

Aren't you the same guy that was threatened a while back over a balloon animal?

I have been thinking lately about trying my hand at restaurant magic.
I will not be doing balloons, I can't deal with this sort of cr(@)p from people.

For God's sake people, it's a balloon!

Yes, and after reviewing that entire thread I wish that I had not posted it. I now realize what a knee jerk reaction I had to this situation and how foolish I sounded. In the future I will work harder on paying better attention to my surroundings, my customers and on making smoother and better timed exits. I've only been at this 20 or so years so forgive me I'm still learning.

Regarding balloons, yes they can be a pain but the better you get at them the more popular they become with kids and even adults. They have the ability to create a great party atmosphere, particularly the hats. They are versitile and can show an amazing amount of creativity, not to mention they are the cue for 100's of jokes and one liners.

I've been at this restaurant for nearly 2 years and was hired to do balloons. I perform magic as a bonus. I guess since I usually only post about the problems I encounter, it may seem like I am plagued with constant complaints about my balloon twisting but 99.8% of the time everything is great, people are happy and having fun.

Unfortunately we all seem to react the same way. You encounter 200 fun-loving, cool people in an evening and still come home stewing about the one flaming idiot who gave you a hard time.
Serenity Now..................

Scott,
Good story. I shudder to think how she might behave if she ran into her gynecologist at the grocery store. "What?! You can't spare just three minutes to look at this rash?!"
A good percentage of the population is just plain nuts.

Well...... It's actualy a balloon for a kid. Therein lies a HUGE difference. For some unknown reason this equates to a power struggle between parent and the kid. The balloon is the mystical force that empowers the poor, bedraggled parent with the ability to stop a whineyass kid cold in his tracks without having to smack them on their whineyass. It also makes the parent more god-like, having commanded another human into submission.

Oh, this is far more than just a balloon.

Scott,

I'm still laughing about that story. Reminds me of a similar incident. I was on a train excursion trip with my wife, and in a complete other city three hours from home, I was approached by someone who had once come to the restaurant in my town and had seen me perform. The guy walks up, tells me he knows who I am, and asks me if I can do some magic for his friends.

I politely thanked him for remembering me. (As ill-timed as the request is, it is still a compliment, of sorts.) I then explained that I was on vacation with my wife, and not performing at that time. Fortunately, he understood, although I'm sure it disappointed him. (Michael says, as he pats himself on the back. )

Sorry you had to endure such a clueless pest.

Scott...great story. It just goes to prove what most people think about the art of magic. They think that being a magician is not a "real" job or profession.

I don't think anyone would ask a plumber in a social situation to stop what they're doing to come and fix a leaky sink.

Rich B.

But we are not plumbers, or gynecologists, we are magicians - a person blessed with magical ability.
I'm not surprised that laymen ask for magic whenever it suits them. They simply think you can effortlessly wave your hands about and do something amazing. And isn't that what you want them to think anyway?
Occupational hazard.

"Well...... It's actualy a balloon for a kid. Therein lies a HUGE difference. For some unknown reason this equates to a power struggle between parent and the kid. The balloon is the mystical force that empowers the poor, bedraggled parent with the ability to stop a whineyass kid cold in his tracks without having to smack them on their whineyass. It also makes the parent more god-like, having commanded another human into submission.

Oh, this is far more than just a balloon."

Most children a product of their parents. And this situation has less to do about the performer and more to do with the parents. I agree with this statement soo much.

On another note: there have been plenty of times I have had a professional friend come over and help me with some random housing project. My wife is a therapist and gets asked all the time for clinical assessments of things, especially at family functions. People are always seeking free legal advice from friends. I don't think the majority of people would say too much if you took the work approach as stated above. I also think; conversly; that it shouldn't be held against a person should they choose to show a trick or make those last two balloons. To each his own.

Adam

As Adam said - to each his own. No, there is nothing inherently wrong with someone who recognizes you as a magician outside of your performing venue and asks you to do a trick. Or asks you to just make a couple more balloons after you're finished for the day. But once you politely decline then that should be the end of it. Screw them if they lack the intelligence & good breeding to accept no for an answer.

How about, follow me to my car and I'll make you a couple. They get what the want and you are ready to drive off!

Very strange.

The implication is that you're some sort of "race traitor" or something...

What a loon.

PS- didn't someone suggest in a previous thread that you make a few extra animals to throw at people on your way out to shut them up? That didn't work out for you?

Bet they would have come on handy here...