unicyclist in jail

I'm sorry but I dont totally understand everything you are saying. 🙁

--
Rayden
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i think hes goona ride his unicycle in a jail full of murders and child
molesters/catholic priests(no offense ment AT ALL twords those of the
catholoc faith) and he wants to know how to not get killed

--
BenHeien
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I've worked in a prison(as a registered nurse) before, full of the types
of people you describe. I felt just as safe there as on the outside.
There were guards there to shoot mace and wooden blocks at peple who
misbehave. If anyone stepped out of line, they were put back in right
away.

Probably the people going to your performance want to be able to attend
something outside of their regular routine and won't want to misbehave
for fear of being taken back to their cells.

--
elmer - uniimpaired

"At 40 life begins...to show."
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Leo,

Yes, I think you will mostly be more safe in there than walking down the
street. So instead, maybe think of how to make a good impression on this
"unusual" audience. Due to the environment they live in, they are
probably less interested in "art" than they are in cool stunts. Maybe
start with something big to impress them. You want to get them on your
side before asking them to watch too much. A little off-road
pizza-cutter riding perhaps. I'm not sure what your show contains so I
can't be more specific.

--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com"
www.unicycling.com

"We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not
because they are easy, but because they are hard." -- John F. Kennedy,
1961
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Interesting thread, and it's about something I know about.

The short of it, Yes, you will be safe in the prison enviroment. Even
with all the baddies, it's a controlled environment. If you are walking
around with a woman, the inmates will be VERY cordial.

Now the long of it.

I'm picturing just such a performance as it were to be at the prison I
work at. It's a high security federal penitentiary full of ~950 inmates
serving between a few years to multiple life sentences for the crimes
mentioned and many others.

This would be something that would have to be sponsered throught the
institution's recreation department after approval by the programs
director with the blessing/stamp or approval of the warden. It sounds
like the warden you are dealing with approves of unique entertainment
ideas. Here, it's mostly movies, tv, recorded music. We do have
special visitors, mostly religious or exersize/yoga based but not much
more.

Safety? Yeah, you should be safe. Most inmates are smart enough to
know when to be on their best behavior. Special visits are their only
real window to the outside world, (and a chance to show the world how
good they are) so it is highly unlikely that you would be the target of
any abuses. Attendance would be optional so only the curious would
attend. A few would be genuinly interested and aaahed by the show while
many would just like a break from the everyday norm. Others have no
social graces and would be making comments and making circus music
noises.

Don't be turned off by security, even if it seems overboard.

You would have to account for EVERYTHING you take, tools and equipment.
keep it minimal. They will have to be searched, naturally. You'll
probably be asked questions like: "what is this for?" "Do you really
need it inside here today?" Don't forget to take that pocket knife out
of your tool bag. 🙂 And keep it all away from inmates that appear to
only be curious. There have been cases where visitors have smuggled
drugs or weapons or tools to inmates. Many inmates will steal stuff.
Where we see a spare wheel spoke, an inmate sees raw material for making
a hand-cuff key. Or when a band comes to perform, a stolen tension rod
off a bass drum makes for a perfect soon-to-be-sharpened "ice pick"
style shank (homemade knife). Sometimes they want something better
than what they have. A fancy watch is a hot item at our prison. leave
person belongings at home. I never take my wallet to work, and only a
car key. Only take in something you can afford to lose. For example, a
lost credit card would be very bad.

What do you plan to wear? A tan or khaki shirt/pant combo at our prison
would be a bad idea because that is the inmate uniform. You don't want
to bend in with this crowd. Ask before hand what not to wear.

Once you start your performance, it will feel exactly like any other
before a church group, family reunion, paying crowd, etc. Most inmates
will be respectful to you if you are respectful to them. They are still
people. Relax, but be aware of where you are. Be aware of time
constraints. There are set times for inmate movement, meals, counts,
etc.... so ready or not, time is up. Even the most interested inmate is
gonna get up and go if it's hamburger day in the chow hall.

I may have dragged on and on, but hopefully some of this is useful.

Let us know who it all works out.

Ed Hansen

ps.... not sure I understand this part....

leo said:

*It took ages before the extreme gayphobian jailers would touch each
other.
Also their muscles became tuff and strong. Every single one only would
be good underman.*

--
Ed Hansen - Ratherbekayaking

"If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an
infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even
considering if there is a man on base. (Dave Barry)
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Wow, that was a usefull reply, Thanks for writing that all out!

Also I just heared a long radio-interview with the preacher of the most
disliked jail of Holland.

I'm not scared of being beaten up, but just for the first who will put
his foot under my wheel. Or actually; more on how the group will act
after that. But from both your information and as well that interview I
think that IF it happens, the group will handle it, and correct this
person.

I use to unicycle in high secured environtments often. I think I've been
perfoming almost in all govermental departments. Like the department of
justice, public affairs, interior, traffic, and I had long contracts
behind the border on Amsterdam-Airport. The highest secured event I ever
done was an UN conferences, with over 100 presidents, ministers, kings,
queens, royalty, diplomats and other dictators (where the building
became international area, with the UN police ruling. And outside
helicopters, tanks and loads of riot police).
Actaully I should write a long but funny anekdote on what happened
there.
But as a matter of fact I even have been pouring in coffee for Blair
(UK) and Schroder (Germany) before I really knew who they were.
So after this performance in jail I truely can say I worked for all
classes.

Yes, from some documentairies I've seen on Discovery and Dutch TV I know
it is amazing how they can make weapons out of nothing. Including a 7mm
launcher out of boilpoint parts that actually did worked.

Normaly I do work with nothing more than only my costume and the
unicycle.
And since I only may do lemonade (in stead of hot coffee -see 'the
coffee part on unicycle.net' (http://www.unicycle.net/)-) I only will
bring in this helmet and disposable cups.
In case I will do freestyle my custome wont even have any pockets. But
in deed; I know most employees of Airport-Amsterdam got a Leatherman
from all those passegers who forgot that it's a knive to.
Talking of that, you should take note of some 'documents from the FBI
labs on knives' (http://errori.st/fbiweapons.pdf).

I think the performance is planned in begin august. Afterward I will for
sure post a report.

[quote="Ed Hansen"][B]

Ed Hansen said:

ps.... not sure I understand this part....
[/B]

johnfoss said:

*A little off-road pizza-cutter riding perhaps.*

LOL, would do well in prisons with Italian maffia!

I suddenly wonder how many of the posters here would mind being locked
up with a unicycle for a couple years.

--
leo - errorist

Leo Vandewoestijne [-lay?oh! fun-duh-wwho-styne-uhh-]
'unicycle.net' (http://www.unicycle.net/)
866-UNI-CYCL

"We" choose to go to Mars in this decade and don't care about
unnesessarily hunger or poverty. -- Leo Vandewoestijne, 2004
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johnfoss said:

I think you will mostly be more safe in there than walking down the
street.

It turned out to be not a regular jail, but I in deed I felt more
comfortable than at other more regular places. And the social control
seem to me mostly being regulated by the prisinors themself. Not by mace
or 'wooden bullets' (http://tinyurl.com/3seo3). I have'nt seen any
guards with sticks or guns.

Even though there were only about 100 people, the walkaround animation
went well. Off course I realize every single person was here with a
reason, but the performance was not different than any other
performance. Or maybe it was; the responses were more enthousiast than
those I receive when working in an average mall.
And so I proposed doing unicycling workshops in the future.
I wrote more about this performance 'here'
(http://unicyclist.org/blog/show.cfm?serial=00735).

--
leo - errorist

Leo Vandewoestijne [-lay?oh! fun-duh-wwho-styne-uhh-]
'unicycle.net' (http://www.unicycle.net/)
866-UNI-CYCL
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