What's it like getting backed off/barred?

i'm a new counter in Europe and have never played in heat. when i go back to the states, i'll hit Vegas and Reno. i'm wondering what the getting-backed-off process consists of and if i'm required to show ID before cashing in my chips (after i get backed-off).

do casinos rough you up? what do the city police think of counters? will they be sympathetic to you and be on your side, or do they side with the casinos? have counters ever sued casinos for discrimination?

are chips, technically speaking, the property of the casino? can you leave the casino premises with chips? (is it hard to counterfeit chips? i always wondered if people counterfeit chips...can't be harder than counterfeiting money, i suppose).

the cheeze