So a clown can't blow bubbles because of insurance companies? Damn.

[The Straight Story]

A British clown has had the smile wiped off his face after being told he couldn't use balloons in his act because children might be allergic to latex.

Barney Baloney said he was told by bosses at a supermarket where he was booked to appear that he should leave his balloons at home because of the potential for allergic reactions.

The 47-year-old entertainer, also known as Tony Turner, has previously had to ditch his bubble-making machine because he could not get public liability insurance as companies assessed that youngsters might slip and hurt themselves.

He said he was also told by one venue he could not twist balloons into the shape of guns for fear of encouraging youngsters to commit violence, although swords were deemed acceptable.

"At this rate I will have no act left. Things are going from crazy to ridiculous," Baloney, from Sheffield, northern England, was quoted as saying by the Yorkshire Post regional newspaper.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=070814122358.iyblgf2i&show_article=1

[Richardo]

1. "This weekend only!! Bring the kids!!"

See Barney Baloney stand in a corner!!

[ComerPerro]

2. That's the wonderful thing about insurance companies

they can refuse to cover anything they want, at any time, and sometimes they don't even have to give you advance warning.

[underpants]

3. Not that's funny! An insurance co. says no and "PC" is blamed

Wow you couldn't twist things around like that unless you had some corporate whore writing copy for you.

[SledDriver]

4. Clowns are creepy anyway.

Ho-hum...

[benEzra]

5. Yeah, drive-by balloonings are such a big problem in the UK...

He said he was also told by one venue he could not twist balloons into the shape of guns for fear of encouraging youngsters to commit violence, although swords were deemed acceptable.

Yeah, drive-by balloonings are such a big problem in the UK...

I guess balloon swords are OK because you can't really stab someone with a balloon, although it is apparently possible to shoot them.

[TahitiNut]

6. Imagine the horror when those balloon elephants stampede and crush all the kids!!!

Carnage! Smashed, broken bodies! The horror!