BUSTED! Magic Gone Wrong - What's Your Story?

[William Draven]

Ever gotten in trouble for performing magic? Ever been on the (unjust) recieving end of someone's tyrade for only doing what you thought was a good thing? Ever get accused of doing something shaddy JUST because you are profeccient with slight of hand?

I know I have. I almost got escorted out of Universal Studios (where I work) by security because of doing magic.

It was memorial day weekend, and I was just getting done with a very long eight hour shift. I had stepped into the park for a nice BBQ turkey leg. A treat that I will occassionally treat myself to.

When I had finished my leg, I was walking towards the exit of the park when one of the guests approached me. They asked if I was a magician (feeling certain they had seen me perform somewhere before) and I confirmed their suspicions. They were instantly excited and begged me to do something for them.

As a universal employee you are sort of brain washed into "guest service" and seeing as this service was magic related; how could I say no? I performed a simple four card transposition, took my bow and took off for the gates.

I was stopped just shy of exiting the park by someone who was clearly upset with me. Apparently Park Operations saw me do my little "show" on camera and yelled at me for doing magic on "private property". Apparently I wasn't licensed to entertain, and I was in violation of some agreement beign as I wasn't authorised to do magic in the park. I tried to explain to this supervisor that I wasn't busking (going as far to explain what busking is) and even that I wouldn't have done anything at all had the guest not requested it. I wasn't wearing anything that identified myself as a universal employee, and hell... I don't even have a name badge! The supervisor took this as insabordenation and wrote me up for it. She then threatened to have me escorted out of the park by security. All because of a stupid card trick!

Man what a day. Long story short, her write up and case against me was dropped. Fortunately no where in the employee manuel does it ever state that "Though shall not do magic in the park period." I love my boss <3!

What's your story? Please share!

 

[Vinsanity]

I'm only 16 but I've had two very similar happenings.
1) One was from a stupid cop
2) and the other from a faculty worker at my highschool

1)Last year, I lived in a kind of country town. Well I was busking in the street one time and a cop told me I was soliciting money. In my opinion it wasn't soliciting. I mean charities asking for money isn't solicition although I wasn't stragiht up asking for money. I'm not a pan handler.

2)What happened here was really crazy. I wasn't doing some magic in school during break. (I wish we still had break) Anyways, I was doing some magic and one of the faculty memebers said I can't do that because it's distracting. Which doesn't make sense, because of the fact it was break. But I have to go, so to make a long story short, I got my cards took away and a day of ISS.

Oh, and that sucks what happened with you. good thing you won! go magic people!

 

[speedypetey64]

that sucks, you got iss for having cards!!???

i just get them taken away and have been threatened to get a saturday detention at worse

the worst punishment ive gotten is being ejected from the library for having cards

this is why im attempting to start coin magic

 

[ZachMueller]

I don't have a bad story, but I do have one that I find is pretty funny.

Me and my friend Michael Stern, who is also a magician, went to hang out at a place called the Urth Cafe in Santa Monica. It's a pretty popular place, so they have a little "Rules" sign on each table. Some basic rules like "You cannot sit at the tables for more than 45 minutes", etc. But one of the rules were "No playing games". At first Michael and I laughed at this, and started playing Paddy Cake just to annoy the staff. So then we get out our cards to jam with. Within 5 seconds, the waiter comes over and said, "No games, sorry". Michael aptly responded, "No, this isn't a game it's a life style choice". He looked confused and walked away. 10 minutes later a different waiter came over, also telling us "No Games". I said, "No, this is a career Sir". Again looking confused he walked away. Silly goose

I love this story.

~Zach

 

[visualartist]

Not much trouble to talk about but I did get into a fight.
It was a guy I already had a rough history with and he threw the first punch.
Instead of actually fighting though I attempted to restrain him.
Instead of beating him I pinned him to the ground and shoved a card in his mouth.

a$$hole.

 

[d00m5day]

Got kicked out of a mall for flourishing xD.
The first security guard, told us not to film on private property.
The second security guard, said no loittering, so we had to go around and shop
-_- which means we weren't allowed to stay and flourish.
And then there was a security guard outside, who only let ust stay if we showed him a magic trick xD

 

[Morgan B]

I have a good "gone wrong" story...I hope I can convey it without losing you...as the moment had me stuck (perhaps pun intended – read on to see why)

I was table hopping at a restaurant that served Daiquiris with icing sugar on the rim, a very popular drink that most tables would partake in. Anyhow, during the evening, and without my knowledge, the face of one of my cards got some of the icing syrup on its back. This caused what I would like to call the double stick card from hell.

It was my last night at this restaurant, and a larger table that I knew as regulars asked me to come over for what would be my last performance in this venue, as I was moving from the area. I decided to do card on the ceiling, a handling by Jami Ian Swiss that kills – anyhow...
I spread the cards face up...and asked my female participant to select any card. When she went to take one, she selected...a real fluke...the one card that had icing on the back...without my knowledge. Anyhow, because the back of the card acted like a double stick card, when I put “the card” in the middle...I really put the friggin card in the middle...so when I tossed the deck up a random card stuck to the ceiling...WTF?

So having NO idea what went wrong, I spread through the deck and found the card in the middle, still not cluing in on what happened, I controlled it (and the card stuck to it) to the top, and did a mercury card fold in prep for card in mouth...well...yeah...not realizing that a card was stuck to it...you can imagine with cards all on the floor...pulling another random card folded out of my mouth...and having nowhere to go after that build up...needless to say, maybe not my most memorable performance for them...but for me...I still break into a cold sweat thinking about it.

It wasn’t until later that night that I back tracked and realized what happened, when I caught it sticking earlier, but thought it was card “A” and not the back of card “B”...haha, it happens.

Good thread Draven – Williamson said to me in a bar once...”If you work for real people, you will screw up occasionally – the idea is to limit the screw ups and not take yourself so seriously when you do”.