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Downtown Panhandling as worse as I've seen it it

Discussion in 'Downtown Hotels' started by Reston, Apr 18, 2013.

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  1. mdee

    mdee VIP Whale

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    Maybe they're waiting for that new park to be build by NYNY so they can ship them up there.
    Ever see the "public" parks in San Francisco or Atlanta? They're practically Tent Cities!
     
  2. merlin

    merlin MIA

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    Typically I run into one or two the first day I'm there, I just say no and then for the rest of the trip they remember me and ignore me, if you give them any attention at all the first time, they will continue to bother you, ignore them. Dont make up some lame excuse, just say sorry, no chance.

    If you really feel like you want to help someone and maybe get some "karma", give to some sad looking bums sitting by themselves on the edges, the ones not bothering anyone, dont give a dime to the ones bothering people/with signs.
     
  3. jr7110

    jr7110 VIP Whale

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    If the Mob was still running Vegas, I guarantee that none of this nonsense would be going on anywhere!!
     
  4. tvon

    tvon VIP Whale

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    I've heard these guys found out that vegas was easy money and the police/security are easy on them.. so they all bus up from skid row in LA. It is kind of a bummer that they are turning the spot in front of the LVC into another Harvard Square "pit" (place in cambridge, ma where all the homeless people and others squat). Again, I have nothing against people who do this and im not a proponent of "sweeping them" aside. But it really kills the vibe and its bothersome to the tourists (who make the area what it is, unlike Cambridge). Theres got to be some sort of happy medium.

    PS, meth is a hell of a drug.
     
  5. Ruark

    Ruark Low-Roller

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    This is the crux of it - it kills the vibe. It degrades the "Vegas experience" people go there to have. Sure, you can ignore them, "avoid eye contact," etc. but even doing THAT constantly and repeatedly can be very annoying and.... well, I like the way he said it... it kills the vibe.

    It's all part of a greater picture of deterioration of Vegas and the whole Vegas experience. Lake Tahoe, here I come.
     
  6. xmarksx

    xmarksx VIP Whale

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    Ruark I have no doubt you will enjoy Tahoe but I respectfully disagree with your assertion, as well as others, that deterioration of Vegas is taking place. I remember visiting for the first time with my parents in 1980. My brother and I were hit-up for $5.00 by some bum outside of Circus Circus who promised to double our money playing slots (whatever). As an adult I also remember the pre-canopy days downtown as well as early post-canopy. The bums were far more out-there because fewer people were wandering, same goes for the hookers. I believe it is 100% better than it used to be.
     
  7. tatterdema

    tatterdema VIP Whale

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    Having just returned, I have to say that the panhandling has gotten worse. I never thought I would say that. What surprised me was the number of people with signs asking for help. It was not just on Fremont street, but all over Vegas. It is still no where near as bad as Seattle, but I definately saw an increase over the last 6 months. The ones that bother me are the ones that go out into traffic when you are stopped at a red light. Then when the light turns green, they are blocking traffic trying to get back to the side of the road.
     
  8. 442jay

    442jay Tourist

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    Yup, definitely worse in the last year or so. And I, too, go back to the late 80's when I first started going downtown. This trip some normal looking guy walked up to me and commented something about what I was wearing (nothing special) thus trying to start a conver which would lead to money, I ignored him and just quietly said no thanks as I continued to walk. But yeah, they are everywhere now.
     
  9. leftcoast

    leftcoast Low-Roller

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    Act like

    LOL Just do what we do here in Santa Monica. Pretend you don't understand or speak English. Nuff said.:rolleyes2:
     
  10. Mike40

    Mike40 Tourist

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    We noticed quite a few out on the busy intersections, you feel quite exposed and vunerable in a convertable car and they made my wife quite uncomfortable when they leaned into the car asking for money.....it seemed to take forever for the lights to go green.
     
  11. jmtrudeau

    jmtrudeau Low-Roller

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    Living in San Diego, we have a fairly large "homeless" population here. Most are tweakers and drunkards. I see younger kids 18-22 years old begging for money all the time. I feel zero sympathy for all of them, especially the younger ones. Get a freaking job at McDonalds or something, I worked at In N Out when I went to college. Problem is they make more than $8/hr begging than they would at a entry fastfood job. Call me jaded, but when they ask me for money, my answer is "I'm not the one who made poor life choices now am I, kick rocks" Same story when I'm on the strip. If people would stop giving them money, they would go away.
     
  12. waverunner

    waverunner ------VEGA$------

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    The problem isn't just downtown, it's especially bad on the overhead walkways throughout the Strip. In fact, a sense a majority of "panhandlers" are getting turned off with the guys in costumes who are making money who are at least "working". There's a guy who looks exactly like Jack Sparrow, he even walks and talks like Jack. That's why i believe the bums and panhandlers, at least on the Strip, have relegated themselves to the overhead walkways. They can't compete with the costume guys. Would tourists rather have their pic taken with Jack or the Transformers guy.........or some bum walking the street looking for a handout? The costume guys have a bucket and i'm sure they do pretty well, they realize that YOU come to THEM.
     
  13. bswim

    bswim High-Roller

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    We've been to Vegas 3 times in the last year and a half and everytime those walk ways have more bums on them. It's almost a no-mans land for security. Down on the sidewalk, security will chase em off so they don't sleep against their buildings.

    Speaking of the walkways, couple weeks ago we saw a guy that had a small table setup and 3 cups upside down. Couple people were playing for real money and there were about 15 people gathered around. Hhhmm I bet this doesn't last long. We came back about 5 minutes later and there wasn't a single person hanging out anywhere. Didn't see any cops or security but something chased them off.

    I thought it was illegal for them to sell water on the sidewalks now? Damn near every overhead walkway had someone selling water.
     
  14. Reston

    Reston VIP Whale

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    They don't sell the water anymore. They ask for a "donation." Every person I passed a couple of weeks ago with water had a "Donations Only" sign. So it's apparently illegal to sell it, but not illegal to beg for money for it.
     
  15. waverunner

    waverunner ------VEGA$------

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    Yes, and when i was in Vegas in Nov, the table set up guy with cups was in front of Caesars Palace and drew a crowd. Also, the people selling water is illegal because i saw Metro confiscate and write a ticket on the Bally's to Bill's walkway.
    But i don't want to deflect the subject matter because this is the Downtown thread.........it's been a few years since i last journeyed Downtown.
     
  16. Reston

    Reston VIP Whale

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    Everyone views this issue differently. Your perspective is a bit harsh, but after my recent trip I reached the same conclusion as you. If no one gave them anything, they would leave. Of course, not every one feels the same way, so....
     
  17. sammasseur

    sammasseur VIP Whale

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    I was very touched by a woman with a cat last month on the bridge between the Absinthe tent and the shops at Bellagio. The cat looked to be in very good health, although the woman did not. I conversed with her for awhile and sensed that she was really sincere, not giving me a line to get money. She said some drunken guys had come along the previous week and one had kicked the cat, so it was really timid towards people now. She said the cat was like a child to her and it's health and safety were more important than her own. I believed her. We don't really know how some of these people ended up where they are, but this is one lady I didn't mind giving some money to. And I did ask for permission to take the photo.

    [​IMG]
     
  18. Candy Apple

    Candy Apple VIP Whale

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    Anyone who would kick an animal is scum!
     
  19. 21wins

    21wins VIP Whale

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    I usually ignore them.

    But once in Philly this street guy was begging for money to buy "food".

    I just came from a cheese steak place and still was carrying half my sub.

    I gave it to him as I passed buy. I looked back as he opened it and he looked like he wanted to throw it back at me.

    I guess the "food" he was looking for came in a brown paper bag and in a bottle :)
     
    Last edited: May 4, 2013
  20. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

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    The trendy sign is now "why lie, I need a beer"
     
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