LVA "Q of the Day" RE: Fremont "characters" + rant

Today’s (05/19/15) Las Vegas Advisor has an informative “Question of the Day” concerning the horrid “characters” infesting Fremont Street.

http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/qod.cfm

[strike]I’m taking the liberty of copying the entire Q & A since[/strike] I don’t know if they change the link from day to day.

I know exactly what the writer is referring to. I just returned from a 6 night stay at the Golden Nugget with my wife and a family friend. I’ve often stayed downtown on my solo trips and am well familiar with the stupid costume characters, but the nearly naked people just “letting it all hang out” is a real step up in the unpleasantness that’s been taking the street over.

I even asked some of the dealers, “Why can’t the city lease the property out to the middle of the street to the casinos so you can run this element out?” Their reply was always, “Cant. It’s a public park.” Public park? SURELY, this can’t be what the people who originated the Fremont Street Experience concept had in mind for bringing visitors downtown!

My avocation is being a professional musician. I have a number of friends how have been “buskers” in various European cities during the summer. There, the buskers have to audition and get a license to perform in the streets or subways. Why can’t Las Vegas come up with some comparable city ordinance to this effect? After all, the FSE employs a number of musical acts both on the stages and in the street itself. Can’t they extend their control to competing “performers” so as to safeguard the quality of their entertainment? Just a thought.

Anyway, here it is:

 

I have to respectfully disagree. It's Vegas. If someone chooses to bring kids to Vegas then they will be exposed to all kinds of people and behavior, downtown and elsewhere. When I was on Fremont a couple of weeks ago sure there were some "questionable" characters in terms of pasties, etc... I found it amusing. My son is 20, next year I'm taking him to Vegas. Including downtown. He'll likely have the same reaction as I do and laugh about it. Vegas tried the family destination marketing campaign 20 years ago. It failed miserably. If someone is easily offended or they have kids with them there are plenty of other options besides Fremont St. C'est la vie

 

Vegas and Kids

+1 on VegasVic - Keep your kiddos home, or at least keep them away from Downtown. There may be some strip or off strip options, but anyone under 18 doesn't belong in Vegas. Even when my sister brought her 18 and 19 year old kids, they got bored and spent most of the time at the pool.

 

Back on thread.

I like seeing the characters on Fremont. Lately I've seen some attractive females in thongs which lends a nice balance to the old guys in diapers.

 

I like the wide-open aspect of things on FSE. It's one of the reasons I go there.

Bill

 

Moderator note:
Let's keep things on topic and, if you believe there is an issue with a post/thread, please let the moderators know. Thanks.

 

Some of the performers have real talent and some display their costumes in good taste. Examples are the spray paint artist and the showgirls.

But some of them (diaper man) and lately the unsightly women in pasties are really gross and in bad taste.

I guess as long as there is no outright nudity nothing can be done. So all we can do is enjoy what we like and ignore the ones we dislike.

 

I adore downtown Vegas and spend a lot of time there, but I think it is time to AMEND that city ordinance.

Exhibiting talent? Yay!
Standing around almost nude for no particular reason? BOO!!!!

 

For me most of the time I'm on my way to another casino or dinner or something so I don't really care. yes, the guy in the diaper grosses me out and the plus sized girls wearing pasties are something else.

Unfortunately these people use the first amendment to justify their right to do what they do. Not a problem as I don't bother with them, I do my own thing and they can do their own thing. But then you have the "saviors" that go around trying to "save" you so I don't see these others being much different than the rest, just that they have less clothes on. Not sure how you can make changes that denies one group but allow other groups. The only thing could be public decency ordinances or something?

 

I love Fremont Street and all the quirks that come with it. Are some of the characters out of line? Absolutely. Do I let them bother me? Absolutely not. The only thing about FSE that gets to me a little bit are some of the panhandlers that beg for money. That I could do without. If people want to get dressed/undressed in funky, tasteless or revealing clothing I could care less. Hell, there are people inside the casinos that bother me more than the FSE crowd. On the other hand there are some good characters out there. My faves are the DiNero/Nicholson duo, those guys are awesome.

 

Agreed, Mike O & others...

I pretty much a live and let live guy. Although I find some of them to be annoying and rather pointless there are some whose get-up's are pretty creative. The more creative the better. Four or five "Alan's" from Hangover is played out. You won't find me paying them for a pic or anything like that but I believe it adds to the kitschiness of Vegas. I don't even worry about them blocking the pathways because more often times than not the backups are from people stopping in the middle of the walkway to snap a pic, walking four or five abreast or because of the escalators not working.

People who annoy me in Vegas? People begging for money, CD hawkers and timeshare trolls.

 

I don't mind them as long as they can be creative. Some of them just stand there taking up space with some. There are also way to many of them.

 

i get a kick out of this, because it's "Old Vegas"....however, in Reno (the closest thing I can think to FSE) there's not ONE of these "performers" ANYWHERE (from Circus Circus to Cal-Neva, on the "Strip"; aka: Virginia Street)
If people quit giving them any money, they'd soon leave.
I guess the best solution would be to make the "performers" get a legitimate business license...or if they didn't have one, scrutinize them, and actually FINE people FOR giving them money. I think that would be the solution, rather than fining the "performer", fine the "sucker".

 

I think it can get to a point where there are just too many of them. It does not particularly bother me, and some are good (The DiNiro guy is pretty awesome) To me its all OK, till they start causing blockages at busy times, but I guess someone with a stroller and 2 kids in tow can cause just as much problems.

 

Old Vegas? Really?

If was "Old Vegas" you could still drive down Fremont Street, like Dan Tanna.

If it was "Old Vegas" and some lazy so-and-so in a filthy Sponge Bob suit walked into the next-to-the-last scene of "Ocean's Eleven," you'd see Sinatra put the toe of his loafer up his ass all the way to the Hacienda!

I think we'd all like a little more "Old Vegas" IMHO.

 

For me, it really comes back to the turistas, who for some unknown reason think this crap is remotely entertaining or novel. Now a GOOD busker, blowing a good sax or a juggler or mime, that's at least art or borderline art. But thinking a stinky soiled Wookie costume or a couple saggy dudes wearing Pampers is interesting or noteworthy? The tokes stop and the problem goes away.

If they're not intimidating or getting physical, we don't need Big Brother to again protect us from ourselves in this regard.

And, seriously, it somehow soils the Louvre that is the congested clogged Strip or Fremont with all its other crap?

 

I'm on of those that does not want to see a saggy old man wearing only a saggy banana hammock -- I may go blind. I think it is ridiculous. That being said most communities have fairly lax decency standards when it comes to clothing. Years ago there was a man that was arrested in San Antonio, Texas multiple times. He would ride his bicycle in public wearing only a thong. He would ride past elementary schools - it didn't matter. He did it for the attention and notoriety. The charges would never stick because the law or ordinance in San Antonio stated you only had to have your genitalia covered. It was perfectly legal to wear only dental floss up your crack. Eventually he was found dead/murdered in Big Bend National Park -- I am guessing he wore his thong around the wrong person.

Val

 

I dont mind the characters on fremont street at all. i like them.

I usually will talk to them and know some of them by name. I have a couple pics of them like they are family members.

Something that is interesting is they do need a permit to do the stuff. Not a strict license but if you notice, they will stop during the overhead show. Tells me that is part of the deal. Its a loose relationship between them and fse. It would have to be that way. otherwise you could basically set up a shop selling merchandise for just donations, like the water guys on the bridges and you just dont see that on fremont.

They all sort of follow a pattern if you pay attention to them.

I dont care if people and their kids are offended by them. It vegas, you knew what you were getting into when you signed up for it. If you didnt, too bad.

 

Was he by any chance strangled?

 

I love staying downtown. But, have to agree with most of what people have said here. I don't mind the entertainers, but the guys just standing around in diapers just bug me. If you're trying, that's 1 thing, but if you're just standing around, that's begging.

And, last trip I saw a mom with her 2 young(10-12yo) kids. This was at night so all the crazes were out. If you're going to take your kids, do it during the day when they're not there yet. Kids don't need to see that stuff...not to mention this kid. I have to stare at the dancing dealers twice as long to get the image out of my head.