HOME OF THE MAINE MANIAC
JIM CRASH MOREAU DANGER IS MY BUSINESS s s s s s s s s s s
I have had in 42 years of performing.
I have had many calls for performing in the beginning of the year but very few have booked the show as the promoters are worried about the economy and spectators are not coming out to the races. So far every track or fair that I have been to have larger crowds than their regular race nights as they have something else to see. This means there is money out there. Promoters have to advertise and add special attractions to make money. But they do not believe this. Other promoters think instead of hiring a professional touring stunt person that cost a few dollars more, they will bring in a local want-a-be stuntman to do the same stunts after receiving info of the full time professional. Now, the local stuntman screws up the act or gets hurt and now the promoter does not want another act. This has made my summer one of the worse in years.
I have kepted my prices down and it is catching up to me as the cost of gas, and other materials to perform an act has gone up over 20%. Coffee at truck stops resturants has gone up over 30 cents, motel rooms are up over $40 per night than a year ago and some think we are over paid. If you break down it is an automatic $200 for repairs for a car or over $500 if you are in a truck..
Now to make things worse is insurance agents who can not find liability insurance for the bigger shows and don't tell you until the last minute they could not get an underwriter after trying for over 2 months. All they say is we have another place we are trying. Because of this I lost a big paying date that has put me in the hole for the year and 5 other guys that was going to work this show is now without a payday.
It's not a big deal for these agents who sit in an office and takes home a payday every week but is a big deal who relies on these dates to make money when you only have a few months a year to get a pay day.
How about the big Insurance companies like Allied who wants you to guarentee them 10 shows and put up $10,000 up front and they will insure you. The small guy that has 2 or 3 show now are uninsurable. Or the one insurance company called The Insurance Company from New Hampshire that told me they could get the insurance for $5,000 for one show that was only paying $7,500. Now how do you pay professionals and travel expences on $2,500 and make any profit? Isn't this an accident claim looking to happen? What is happening is these companies are trying to put a profession / business out of business that has been going strong for over 70 years with very little claims. They tell us we are high risk. The only high risk is using in- experienced want-a-be stuntmen to work for nothing. Also the fairs that think we can do a show for prices that were set over 20 years ago. I quoated the Clinton County Fair in NY $6,000. This was too high. They was looking for a quality show for a top price of $5,000. The fair ended up getting The Ledgion Stunt Show who took it for $4,000 but the owner cried how he didn't make any money on it. The show was good for the price but not a quality show.
I live in Maine and the State Fire Marshall's office that has set standards so high I do not play Maine because I will not play their money game in the name of safety. Taking test on things I do not do, even after the States adopted NFPA codes says, if we can prove we know what we do or prove that we have done it before in the state, you do not have to take a test. If licensed by another state than the state should regconised their license but Maine don't see it that way no matter if it is written in the NFPA codes. After this week, hearing from the stuntman that played Presque Isle, I see the State Fire Marshall's Agents only want to apply the law on flame effects to certain ones and others can do the same act without the license and permits. Is this a human rights violation or discrimanation in the wat they apply the adopted laws from the NFPA rules.
This maybe my last year unless things change for the rest of the year. 42 years and it is getting worse out here for making money. Where is the honesty of the 60's when I started and all you needed is a hand shack. Today even a written contract doesn't mean a thing.
In the next few weeks I will be dealing with a lawyer as my annoncer (Larry Rich) failed to show up for a show that he signed a contract for. If his claim, like I have heard from his wife (Ruth Thomas), than I will have to go after the thrill show owner (Paul Riddell of the Imperial Hell Drivers) he was working for, for interferring with my contracted labor. When in business no one is your friend as many will stab you in the back. So called friends! Why not work together like the Circus World.
Crash
P.S. Come October when my season ends I will list the above problems with real names even if it makes waves as I will probally give up the business after 42 years.
Here we go:
My friend Scott who is an agent in Freeport, Maine tried to get insurance for my 3 dates. But he came up empty, even after I told him about another agent in NY on how she did it for Doug Danger. Doug's agent could not get it for me as I did not have an address in New York, but she told me I could get it from the same company in NY if an independent agent contacted them. I was told the company would not get back to him. It didn't happen. Five days before the show his assistance e-mailed me that she couldn't find any and went on vacation knowing I was on the road. I tried to call Scott as he was never end or answered my calls to notify me in time. He did not get back to me until Friday afternoon that it was a no go for Monday. I had to cancel the show. I had received a deposit and used it to get equipment and travel money to get to this date. It was spent. Now I only lost money for the date and now I have to pay them back without having any money. I finally found insurance for the next 2 shows that was double the $900 that Doug had paid for the same kind of show. Now any profits was gone for the two big shows left. No money to pay back the deposit.
MORE COMING:
