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Vegas veterans, what was it like going with a group before cell phones were common??

Discussion in 'Misc. Vegas Chat' started by johnnytwofingers, Apr 23, 2012.

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  1. johnnytwofingers

    johnnytwofingers Low-Roller

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    Whenever I go with a group of people, it's like herding cats getting everyone in one place if you're planning a group activity. And once you do get that all sorted, it is so easy to accidentally lose someone in a crowd, or have members wander off following flashing lights, short skirts, etc.

    Thankfully with everyone having cell phones, finding a missing member is pretty easy to resolve nowadays. But what did people used to do before everyone had cell phones? I suppose you would be more organized and strict for the initial meetup, but how did you deal with people going AWOL, or people wanting to do something else, but still wanted to hook back up with the main group later?
     
  2. worldtraveler661

    worldtraveler661 VIP Whale

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    You were screwed.
    It usually ends up in conversations with sayings like this:

    Friend #1: "Dude where were you at all night? You totally missed all the crazy stuff. John got trashed and threw up all over the blackjack table. We got kicked out of Stardust and ended up wandering all the way to the Boardwalk Hotel."

    Friend #2: "Aww man, I lost you guys and ended up playing at Slots-o-fun for 3 hours and ended up getting this stupid free hat"
     
    • Funny Funny x 1
  3. Bubbavegas

    Bubbavegas VIP Whale

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    Yeah pretty much on the money first several trips. Just imagine Hangover with only one missing cell phone, now multiply that by 100 with a group of 4 or more. Good times and missing memories.:evillaugh
     
  4. C0usineddie

    C0usineddie VIP Whale

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    It was great.

    Every one could actually enjoy themselves doing what they wanted to do instead of having to feel like they were being herded.

    There is a reason everyone goes their own way.

    If the plans laid out for them were that great they would have showed up. Clearly this isnt always the case.

    I still do vegas without a cellphone. matter of fact, i do all of my life without one and its great!!
     
  5. MTMONGO

    MTMONGO High-Roller

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    +!:beer:
     
  6. merlin

    merlin MIA

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    I dont have a cell phone, and most of my friends don't have one either, hard to believe but true.

    But what you did was say "we'll meet here at say 12:00"
     
  7. DonD

    DonD VIP Whale

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    The cell phone has done wonders for groups in Vegas. I love having mine and if per chance I don't want it, it stays in my room or the battery went dead if you know what I mean.
     
  8. savage810

    savage810 Low-Roller

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    LOL, this reminds me of one fantastic night. We all went to the Hilton, and were drinking Warp Core Breaches at Quark's. For the uninitiated, that's fishbowls full of tasty alcohol.

    Came in rational, left DRUNK.

    We all got toward the door, and NO ONE could agree on what to do. We were all young and stupid, and decided, 'screw you! I'm doing my own thing!!!'

    We all left in five different directions, somehow.

    After a few hours on our own adventures, everyone came back to my buddy's apartment except one. As the sun came up, we got a call from the missing soldier. In short, the call went something like this:

    "Ooooohhhh. I'm in the street. I think I got mugged...."

    - uh, where are you?

    "oooohhhh, I don't know. I don't have any money. My head hurts...."

    - what do you see?

    " I see a pink pony...."

    - OK, you're at Circus Circus. Get up, find a cab, tell him to go to this address. We'll pay him when he gets here.

    We were a bit concerned, but also young and dumb and invincible, so you know how it goes. Anyway, he got back, we paid the cabbie, everyone went back to sleep. Next morning, my buddy finds the C-note he hid from himself in his sock. He also found a photo of him with a stripper on his lap and the MOST wasted look on his face I have ever seen on ANY face to this day.

    Couldn't have happened with cell phones! Good times...

    :beer:
     
  9. worldtraveler661

    worldtraveler661 VIP Whale

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    Actually can still happen, but these days theres more evidence taken with cell phone cameras. haha
     
  10. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    We went to Vegas for my 30th birthday and had spent the morning wandering from TI to Caesars. I wanted to do something and Dan volunteered to go back to TI and get our car and meet me at the valet. Only problem is that there are 3 valets at Caesars. :)

    We spent about an hour looking for each other. I eventually took a cab back to the hotel and Dan showed up in time for us to make our dinner reservation. I do like to tease him about how he lost me.. on my birthday! I'll never let him live it down. :wink2:
     
  11. Joe Strummer

    Joe Strummer VIP Whale

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    yeh...I have to agree w/ all of the above.
    .
    I first started going to Vegas 22 yrs ago w/ 3 other guys.
    One guy loved hookers -
    another was a degenerate gambler -
    I didn't know how to gamble -but loved the free booze
    and got sloppy drunk.
    We'd all start out together + then peel off to do
    our won thing.
    Next day ?..........all the stories would be told over breakfast.:thumbsup:
     
  12. kel3420

    kel3420 VIP Whale

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    Went to Vegas with a group of 8 years ago, right after Luxor opened. Only one person had a cell phone and it didn't work in the casino anyway, lol.

    We def had to have a plan and time things out. We would jump in several cabs to go somewhere and then agree to meet at a certain time. What we never considered is a casino having two entrances. Who knew back then, that Luxor had a back entrance also.This was before the towers were built so there was just this random back alley drop off. So while one cab would drop off in front, the other dropped off in back, and of course, both groups of four stood there looking like idiots waiting for the other group to show up. Then one person from our group would go looking for them "stay here!". Needless to say, someone would inevitably wander off to play a machine while waiting. Then Someone from the other group would show up and everyone walked away to meet the group. Then the original person would come back, and there would be no one there. Total cluster! We spent more time trying to find each other than anything else. But it was family. If it had only been freinds, we would have just all gone our own way and met up later, lol.
     
  13. Nevyn

    Nevyn VIP Whale

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    Long story short, you would set times to meet (often around meals), and/or leave messages in the hotel room.

    But its mostly embrace the chaos. I don't find that phones change that very much.
     
  14. worldtraveler661

    worldtraveler661 VIP Whale

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    Must have been longer since I think Luxor opened 20yrs ago. :)

    But ya, I think Vegas was just different even a decade ago. You just didnt walk or spread around as much as you do now. Lets say if a group went out, you all went to a place like Excalibur or NYNY together. I dont remember us wandering all over the strip at the same time. You at least stayed in the same casino/hotel and met up after awhile then moved on to the next casino together. Now adays, everyone is all over the strip and its easier to get around.
     
  15. LV_Bound

    LV_Bound VIP Whale

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    I couldn't image doing Vegas without a cell phone. It actually provides a lot more freedom. I can hop around from machine to machine all around the casino without worrying that my wife is searching for me worrying that I am passed out behind the machine. Instead she can just text me and ask me where I am.
     
  16. Nevyn

    Nevyn VIP Whale

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    Its 8 people, not 8 years.

    That tripped me up first time I read it too.
     
  17. worldtraveler661

    worldtraveler661 VIP Whale

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    hahah wow didnt catch that. LOL.
     
  18. Mr. Politics

    Mr. Politics Low-Roller

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    I remember in the mid to late 90s, the gang had each other's business cards and we would call (from a payphone) and leave messages on office voicemail.
     
  19. sybgal

    sybgal VIP Whale

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    For us...not fun. Much time wasted looking for each other. Even if a time & place was planned to meet....someone didn't have a watch, got lost or lost track of time. No so much now...can call & remind. Sooooo glad those days are over. :)
     
  20. anton73

    anton73 Low-Roller

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    My first Vegas trip was 2000, and I didn't have a phone yet. I may have had one I kept in the car, but it was barely used because the rates were still very high at that time and I would not have considered bringing it to Vegas and getting hit with "roaming" fees.

    Luckily we had 12 guys at the Hard Rock, which is a pretty small casino compared to some of the big ones on the strip. If I wandered off, I usually could spot someone on the floor pretty quickly.

    Nowadays, I depend on texts when I am there. Most of the time it is too noisy to hear a phone call anyway.
     
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