Customs Help!!

[ChaosLKT]

I'm planning to spend sometime street performing in europe. I plan to fly into Rome Airport and stay with some friends and travel through out Europe. But my question is about getting some of my gear over. I'm a sideshow performer and I plan on brining my straight jacket with me. I was just wondering should I ship that over before I leave or pack it with the stuff I check under the plane? I've heard from a few people that if they open your bag and find performing stuff they can send you back or make you get all the paper work to perform. So do you have any advice?

Thanks,
John

[miquee]

in my experience the italians customs guys don't give a fuck. i've passed through customs telling them that i was working illegally in italy. they didn't care. BUT, i am a somewhat clean cut looking white guy who always dresses nicely while flying(i don't like hassle) the italian officials aren't so easy going with people with darker skin tones or hippies and girls tend to get hit on. but i wouldn't stress flyin into italy. policeman are way less gung ho over here. they just want to finish work so they can go eat pasta with their moms... seriously... if you want to know where to work in italy send me a message privately... theres some really good festivals over here...

[zoobie]

Just pack your phoney straight-jacket on the bottom of the suitcase....no prob.
Border of Portugal and Spain...midnight....customs going thru my suitcase with all theatre props...not a word spoken..

[ChaosLKT]

Originally posted by zoobie
Just pack your phoney straight-jacket on the bottom of the suitcase....no prob.
Border of Portugal and Spain...midnight....customs going thru my suitcase with all theatre props...not a word spoken..

Thanks but my straight-jacket isn't phoney. I bought it from the Human Restraint company. Its amazing what you can find on the internet. Who knew there was more to the internet then porn? LOL

[zoobie]

Weird...I thought all those straight-jackets used were "magicians" straight-jackets....with the extra rope...real enough to be inspected.

[ChaosLKT]

Most of them are "magic straight jackets", but you can buy them where they are ungimmicked. The best place to buy them is from cannon escapes. They do sell gimmicked ones but they also sell ungimmicked. Here is the link.

Un-Gimmicked Straight Jackets

[Lee Nelson]

they dont care

man the only place in europe that gives a flying fuck at all about whether your gonna perform or not is England,
everywhere else from my experience has a, dare I say it, more european attitude towards street artistes.
I dont even hide it anymore, except in the UK that is. Always a paranoid experience, almost rivals the states

maybe I should just enter into a marriage of convenience
hmmm

lee

ps
anyone actually done that???