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How do you deal with Vegas bums?

Discussion in 'Misc. Vegas Chat' started by SaltyNutSnack, Mar 14, 2017.

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  1. deansrobinson

    deansrobinson VIP Whale

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    Hmmm. My technique - and it has proven effective in many situations, not just on Bum Island - is to look grumpy and make eye contact (given my ability to convey the axe murderer vibe). The wife says that I have the air of 'looking for a fight'. Which makes no sense at all...given that I'm a county court mediator. :whistle:
     
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  2. mdm4sfest

    mdm4sfest VIP Whale

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    18 times to Vegas, a bum has never approached me physically. Cant speak for everyone of course. I guess I am not bum eye candy. Of course, some can look at me and maybe think I have it worse lol.
    The few time share people that approach me, I just tell them I live in LV and am not interested
     
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  3. Gino

    Gino "The King of Inappropriate."

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    No matter where I'm at, if I'm asked for a cigarette, I'll give the person one, then ask them "Hey man, you got any change? I need a bus ticket to get back home..." If they say no, I keep hounding them. Time share folks get a different strategy all together... The wife and I always speak in Italian or German to them, or if we wanna be nice about it (hardly ever) we tell them we're headed to the airport. 99% of the time the German is some really horrific **** slogan, and the Italian is an insult of some sort. It's our way of entertaining ourselves at the expense of others - because we're assholes.
     
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  4. Niteshade

    Niteshade VIP Whale

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    I completely ignore the timeshare people and don't even look at them.
    The lotion people drive me bonkers when they follow me and won't stop
    even when I just keep walking away from them. Especially the ones in
    the strip malls like Bally's heading down to the sports book. I had one follow me almost
    all the way until I rounded on him and told him I was going to smack him if he kept following
    me. He was relentless trying to get me to try his scented lotion. He saw me coming
    back and started muttering something I am sure was highly unflattering - but he didn't
    speak directly to me again.

    I like to play early, early in the AM while I wait for my friends to wake up so we can
    do breakfast and I have been approached many times for cigs, spare change - etc.
    Most of the time I don't even acknowledge them, but if they get close or stay behind
    me - I will push the help button on the machine, or ask a waitress or floor person to
    get someone. I only felt really unsafe one time when a guy kept at me - but usually
    ignoring them works.

    Most of the time I just keep walking or doing what I was doing without any acknowledgement
    to them at all. I don't even look up even when the lotion ladies are saying M'am M'am over
    and over and over. I just never even look up at them. Am I being rude - nope - I didn't ask
    for them to speak to me so I am under no obligation to respond to them. Like seeing the number
    on the phone that rings you don't recognize - don't answer it. I didn't ask some slime to call me
    and try to sell me something or try and scam me - so I feel no obligation to answer that phone either.
     
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  5. OhioStateAlum

    OhioStateAlum High-Roller

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    I feel like it's pretty easy to just walk by and ignore the timeshare people, the porn-slappers, the nightclub promoters, the strip club promoters, etc. A quick "no thanks" or "I'm good" without stopping does the trick. No eye contact helps too. I've only once had a guy get pissed when I wouldn't stop and listen.

    I've never been approached by a panhandler, but I can definitely see how them seeking someone out in a casino would be annoying and unacceptable.

    The ones that sit on the pedestrian bridges don't bother me at all. While I'm not advocating giving them money (there are resources for them if they choose to seek them out) they should still be treated with respect. I usually make some sort of effort to make eye contact with these people and give them a smile or a head nod. Occasionally I'll give them change, but I rarely have any on me.
     
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  6. smerrian

    smerrian View from Bally's

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    I was only approached by a lotion person once...downtown. I thought they were huckstering masturbation products. No sh*t, that's what I thought until I read this thread and learned they're actually legit. Surprised me!
    Bums and timeshare people I just ignore and have had no problems over the years. I'm in Las Vegas for a good time and just block out the 'negative waves' that may approach me.
     
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  7. rcbeamer

    rcbeamer Low-Roller

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    I never get bothered by the timeshare sellers. I know they usually hit on male/female couples. I go to LV solo about 1/2 of the time, so they usually don't even hit me up. The rest of my trips are with male friends; no couples. However, when I do get asked for things, sometimes (depending on my alcohol intake that day/night!) my snarky/sarcasm meter goes on tilt. My typical responses might include: A cigarette-- "I don't smoke", or "Cigarettes and its related diseases kill a 1/2 million Americans per year". Money-- "Sorry, I'm broke", or "What did you do with the $$ I gave you last time I was in town??" (that one throws 'em for a loop!) Hookers-- "No honey, I'm not interested", or "Hey! You kind of look like my stepdaughter(I'm not married so I don't have one, but they don't know that)- that's hot!!" -- that one just sends 'em away. :evillaugh:

    However, what I do every trip on my last day is save my accumulated coins in a Zip-loc (except quarters, those go into The D's Sigma Derby or coin-droppers downtown!) and give them to the most honest-looking person who claims to be a Veteran. It's usually the older gentleman in his wheelchair with 1 leg in between The D and The Fremont. That guy's probably legit.
     
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  8. NYNJMINC

    NYNJMINC Tourist

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    The last time I stayed at Flamingo - early in the morning there were more than a dozen panhandlers lined up outside at 6:00am. Just mad me uncomfortable. When I came back later there was one passed out by a slot machine couldn't find security anywhere.
     
  9. Rush

    Rush MIA

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    Must only work for me and you. Everyone else seems to have to turn to their Don Rickles Bag of Snark, or threatening sneers!
     
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  10. dmr

    dmr Registered Abuser

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    I know that at the old IP and at the Flamingo, I've seen security jump on them as they walk through the door and turn them around and usher them out. I assume they must slack off a bit during the waning hours of the grave shift.

    For some reason, nobody ever seems to ask me for a smoke. I must give off nonsmoker vibes. :) The hookers and pornslappers leave me alone as I'm obviously not their target demographic. Nightclub promoters also seem to ignore me, and I'm not sure if that's a Good Thing or a Bad Thing.

    However, as I've said, I seem to be a magnet for the timeshare people and lotion ladies. :(

    {sigh!}

    On one hand, I find the timeshare people majorly annoying! :(

    On the other hand I realize they are human beings (?????) who are just trying to make a(n) (honest? yeah, right!) living. Being a front-line cold-customer salesperson for a timeshare company has to be about the most sucky job there is! It makes me appreciate my job and career even more. I like my job but every so often somebody (client, vendor, boss, cow-orker) seems to be getting kicks by making it harder to do my job and when it happens it annoys the {expletive} out of me, so that's mainly why I quit playing games with the timeshare people.

    I'm trying to think of jobs that would suck worse than selling timeshares. The son of a co-worker has a Saturday job at an oil change place and when it's slow he has to go stand on the street waving a sign trying to attract customers. I feel sorry for him and I feel sorry for almost all who have less than rewarding careers!

    The photo below shows what I think is probably the sucky-est job in Las Vegas. I took this about 12 years ago when doing a photo walk through Carnaval Court. I had just taken a few shots of a flair bartender and I thought that he must really love his job and then I came across this guy. Look at the evil eye he's giving me! I don't blame him, actually.

    [​IMG]
     
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  11. Candy Apple

    Candy Apple VIP Whale

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    This annoys me, too. The Flamingo is one of our favorite places to hang out at.

    This year we're bringing a Vegas virgin and haven't told him about all these bums. I know it's really going to put him off.
     
  12. Breeze147

    Breeze147 Button Man

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    I've given that same guy a fiver! He at least seems okay.
     
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  13. SaltyNutSnack

    SaltyNutSnack LSU Baseball

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    This past trip I noticed more lotion ladies than i have seen previously. My wife had no problem telling them a quick no. They didn't seem to be as pushy to us as the timeshare folks.
     
  14. Sonya

    Sonya Queen of VMB

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    There is a guy who is dressed up like the Statue of Liberty who stands in the pouring rain and waves a sign for a tax preparer place. He has become my spirit animal. :)
     
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  15. SaltyNutSnack

    SaltyNutSnack LSU Baseball

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    I seen somebody doing that off strip the other day out there. Here in my local town there is one too, but it's usually a teenager making a few bucks lol
     
  16. SaltyNutSnack

    SaltyNutSnack LSU Baseball

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    I'm glad I found this message board. I've only been home from Vegas for a week and it helps me handle my Post Partum Vegas depression!! I'm soooo ready to go back. Looking at June but thats forever from now! Lol
     
  17. Vegasman

    Vegasman Low-Roller

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    Liberty Tax Services. They float around here in the Chicago burbs too.
     
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  18. wormhole

    wormhole VIP Whale

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    The lotion peddlers is a new one on me. I have never seen (or at least noticed) them. Being a guy probably explains why they have never approached me.

    I have too many grey hairs for the nightclub hustlers to bother with.
     
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  19. Hoofy7

    Hoofy7 VIP Whale

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    Hey Sonya! I laughed at the ice cream costumed guy in the photo above and wanted to like it. How come I don't have the like option on VMB?
     
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  20. topcard

    topcard Here's to $10 3:2 two-deck, $5 Craps, and $5 UTH!

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    Had a guy approach me on the last trip.. I was walking from Golden Gate toward the Nugget...right outside of the ABC store...and he asks me if he "can I buy a cigarette"... it was too good to pass up, so I told him "sure you can - they're $10 a pack right there." (pointing to the store). He grumbled something at me as I kept walking, but I couldn't hear what he said...something nice, I'm sure.

    (I must admit, however, that I frequently give away cigarettes to other players at my table who ask... I figure they're "Vegas only" smokers, like me, only they aren't degenerate enough to actually buy a pack).

    My last few trips, the straight-up panhandlers have left me alone...not sure why...perhaps I'm looking too destitute these days...even the hookers barely notice me.
     
    Annual Spring Trip!
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