Of coulrophobics and stilt walking

Now, next thing in line: when you come towards me with your toddler, and the kid turns around, buries his face in your coat and start screaming hysterically, forcing him to turn his head with your bare hands to look at me, holding his face in an iron grip, and saying: "look at the nice clown! look!" won't make him stop screaming bloody murder. The kid already saw me. That's why he's throwing a tantrum. He's born coulrophobic, don't make it worst.

Oh, and while we're at it, clowns aren't santa claus or the easter bunny. I don't know since when parents are doing this, but there's always a kid, generally on the edge of being old enough to stop believing in santa claus, who will shout at you: "YOU'RE NOT A REAL CLOWN 'CAUSE REAL CLOWNS DON'T WEAR MAKEUP LIKE YOU DO, REAL CLOWNS LOOK LIKE THAT FOR REAL!" and they sometimes add a few things like "REAL CLOWNS DO MAGIC TRICKS AND BREATHE FIRE!"

I can do both, but I'm paid for juggling, stilt walking and balloon sculpting. Magic tricks just aren't in my act and breathing fire wearing oil based makeup, inside a trailer or a mall, and wearing a full 3 piece costume doesn't seem like a great idea to me.

Making children believe that clowns have magic powers and always look as they do may seem like a nice fairy tale for you, but believe me, it's not that great. When a kid "unmasks" me, it ruins the fun of most other kids and makes me lose all credibility as a performer. Clowns aren't magical beings, they are entertainers and artists. Don't go beyond this, please!

Also, it's completely unrelated, but why, whenever I'm on my stilts, does old men feel the need to pull their pants up to their armpits and look at me saying: "yup.. you surely are tall!"
what do you say to those guys? "thank you"? "and you're short"? please, give me advice!