Scam Vegas
May 14, 2010
So far, 2010 has been a somewhat unusual year in Las Vegas from my perspective as a resident.
While there have always been copious amounts of panhandlers, bums, and “can you spare some change so I can buy baby formula” scammers in this town, in the past several months, the numbers of these groups have really picked up.
Allow me to give you an example.
About an hour ago, as I was arriving home, a man dressed in a city worker’s uniform greeted me at my driveway. I rolled down my window to see what he wanted, and he said “Hello, I am with the Las Vegas Safety Department and I am here to repaint your house number on the curb. It’s almost worn off and it needs to be visible in case of emergency”.
“Alright, whatever”, I said, and I began rolling up my window.
Before it reached the top, the man shouted out “Will that be cash or check?”
“What in the hell are you talking about?”, I replied.
“The service costs $40″, he said, “will that be cash or check?”
“I thought you said you were with the city?”, I asked.
“I am with the Las Vegas Safety Department. We contract with the city”, he replied.
“Let me see your business license”, I said.
(blank stare)
I looked at the man, and in the most calm voice I could manage at the time, I said “Get away from my home and if I see you on my property again I will ass rape you for my own personal amusement”. What can I tell you, sometimes I am in the mood for bullshit, and sometimes I’m very strongly not. This day falls into the latter category. The man mumbled some threats under his breath and sulked off.
I figure that he will either take me off his scam list, or he will come back later tonight and blow my head off. The way my day has been going, I’m really not sure that I have a preference one way or the other. Part of me actually hopes he comes back. He had a nice ass.
Anyway, this little incident was only the latest in a string of weirdness this year. Between people accosting me while I am filling up my gas tank, people giving me stories when I am walking into a 7-11 (apparently, I am supposed to give people $1 when they open convenience store doors for me), people coming up to my car at stoplights with hard luck signs, people standing on the corner saying “God bless you” to all passersby, or panhandlers in general … the numbers this year are just overwhelming.
It’s hard to say just how much the beggars/scammers have increased, but I don’t think I am exaggerating by estimating there are twice as many this year as there were last year, if not three times as many. At least this is the case in Rexville. I don’t think there are any people left in Summerlin, so begging there may be moot. Hell, with home equity and debt-load taken into account, Rexville may now be the wealthiest neighborhood in Nevada.
While the number of panhandlers on The Strip have also noticeably increased this year, so too has another curious group:
Posers.
Actually, I’m not sure what they are called, but here is the gist — random folks dressed up like celebrities or anything recognizeable, ensnare passing tourists to pose for pictures with them, and then extract a tip.
You’ve no doubt seen these people on Hollywood Boulevard in front of Mann’s Chinese Theater, but it seems as though lately, someone opened the floodgates and every last one of them has moved here. Be they Superman, The Las Vegas Sign, Marilyn Monroe, or generic characters such as Playboy Bunnies, it appears that posing is an absolutely booming business on the Boulevard. It’s literally all the rage. You can’t walk two blocks anymore without a faux-Elvis or faux-Jim Belushi trying to coax you into posing with him for a couple of bucks.
Money for Photos - People Dressed up on The Las Vegas Strip
Money for Photos - People Dressed up on The Las Vegas Strip
Money for Photos - People Dressed up on The Las Vegas Strip
Money for Photos - People Dressed up on The Las Vegas Strip
Money for Photos - People Dressed up on The Las Vegas Strip
Now, while I never try to knock a working man’s hustle, I do feel that I am entitled to express my opinion, and that opinion is:
This is getting annoying as hell. There is a point at which something is pushed too far, and I believe that point has officially been reached. The hassle factor on the Boulevard has just gotten too high, and no self-respecting tourist should be expected to endure it anymore.
Seriously, the porn slappers were bad enough. The guys hawking club passes made it worse. The timeshare drones made the situation almost intolerable. Now this?
For Christ’s sake, the line between Las Vegas and Tijuana gets a little more narrow every day. At some point, enough has got to be enough. Taken as individual groups, none of the above scammers are offensive in and of themselves, but in 2010, there are just too many people crowding Strip sidewalks and casino entrances, hustling tourists who just came here to have a good time. Most visitors from Wisconsin do not come here to fend off a thousand scammers a day. Deep down, we all know this.
People verbally crap on Fremont Street all the time, and these scams happen to a certain extent there as well, but believe me when I tell you this:
The Strip is now much worse when it comes to street hustlers, and it seems as if more and more are arriving every day.
It pains me to say this, but as things stand right now, I don’t know that I could in good conscious recommend the Las Vegas Strip as a worthy tourist destination right now. It’s all gotten to be too much. Just too goddamn much. I can still recommend Downtown without too much reservation, but The Strip … just damn.
Money for Photos and Porn Slappers
Porn Slapper
Walking from one property to another has become a gauntlet, and you have to fight off one person after another vying for your attention and money … and once you walk through the casino door, it’s not much better … “Good evening Sir, how long are you going to be in Vegas? Would you like to see a show?”.
Please, for the love of God. Shut up! All of you! Just shut up!
No, I do not want a girl direct to me. No, I don’t want cheap passes to a nightclub. No, I don’t have spare change. No, the kid is not my son. No, I haven’t found Jesus. No, I don’t want $3 off a monorail ticket. No, I don’t want a free ride to a strip club. No, I don’t want free show tickets. No, I don’t want to converse with you about my plans for the weekend. No, I don’t want to waste 4 hours of my trip to see your swell vacation home. No, I do not want to take a picture with you. No. Whatever you are about to say to me … the answer is no.
Religious Sign People on The Las Vegas Strip
Money for Photos and Porn Slappers
You know what I want? What I really really want?
I’ll tell you what I want, what I really really want.
I want you to leave me the FUCK ALONE!
Written by Jinx on May 14, 2010 at 2:11 am
You’ve coined it “the losers” and it’s right on. The strip is overun with them. I used to walk the strip regularly now I almost dread it at times, let’s not forget the guitar playing beggars, water bottle selling salesman, and 3 card Monty operators that have popped up about the sametime as the posers. It’s crazy and adds way too much traffic to the walkways not to mention the aggression some display.
Written by Crunchead on May 14, 2010 at 2:12 am
Amen
Written by toastcmu on May 14, 2010 at 2:25 am
Rex –
I was just in Vegas last month and couldn’t believe how aggressive the nightclub hawkers and timeshare pee-holes have gotten in the last year. (Been coming for 3). I split my stay between Downtown and the strip, and must say that I enjoyed DT much more than the strip. Shoot, even the Mrs. liked it downtown – it’s almost gen-teel! I think I will continue to hit the strip for what I need (shows, occassional food) and continue renting a car (4 nights was only $18 a day), or just hole myself up in a casino and not leave if I stay on LVB.
Written by wrxrob on May 14, 2010 at 4:24 am
I’d rather see a poser than a timeshare hawk. I thought all the timeshare hawks went out of business (and perhaps posing was their new gig), but I guess that is not the case.
Fremont street is where its at. The strip has sucked since 2007 as far as I’m concerned.
Written by par88 on May 14, 2010 at 4:58 am
Given the importance of tourism up there and the fragile economy, its unbelievable that Las Vegas tolerates that crap.
Here’s what to do Rex – shoot some video walking down the strip showing how often you get hustled or scammed. Send it to some of the major convention & trade show organizers and convince them to move their event to another location outside of Vegas. When the city starts losing business because of these clowns, they’ll be banned.
Written by DR on May 14, 2010 at 7:28 am
It is getting so bad in Vegas that even the 70% wrong bloggers want $30 just to read their forums. These people have no shame.
Written by BillyBob on May 14, 2010 at 7:33 am
Too many hustlers. Too few hookers.
Written by Dan on May 14, 2010 at 10:13 am
Rex,
Bravo, my wife and I made the mistake of going to the strip in March to see the Bellagio and TI “free” shows. While the shows were cool I don’t feel the need to go back to the strip for a while. It just isn’t worth it. Your comparison to Tijuana is absolutely spot-on! Gimme DT anytime….
Written by tully on May 14, 2010 at 11:20 am
DR, 80% of the forums are free—a decent showing for a 70% wrong blogger, I’d say.
The casinos may not care about what’s happening out on the sidewalks—they want people inside the resorts spending money. The execs may feel the onslaught of posers, peddlers, and beggars helps achieve that. But roaming the Strip, going from property to property is something a lot of visitors enjoy. Being accosted every five feet is not fun.
Maybe the casinos don’t feel compelled to do something, but visitors and residents walking the Strip can—-don’t give these folks an money. Don’t pay for a photo, give change to a pan handler, and buy your water elsewhere. If there is no money to be made in it, people might stop doing it.
I have no quarrel with buskers and street performers, as such. If someone is talented, don’t mind dropping a bit in their tip jar. But putting on a costume and asking for money to pose for a photo does not require much talent.
Written by ColinFromLasVegas on May 14, 2010 at 1:47 pm
“For Christ’s sake, the line between Las Vegas and Tijuana gets a little more narrow every day.”
Ain’t that the truth. Sounds like the shit is getting out of hand when you walk down the Strip.
I did read something in the local rag newspaper about how County Commissioners have been going down on the Strip to take a look at the problems along the street. From the tone of the article, they were focused on porn slappers, and looking at instituting some kind of law to stop them from doing it and bothering passersby.
More power to them. Because it sounds like now you got a horde of hawkers down there. And they got more to worry about than porn slappers now. All the way down to the Transvestite Spiderman Who Found Jesus.
I make a suggestion to relieve the tension. Let’s get them to combine their efforts.
Say something like….A costumed Superman comes up to you, slaps a porn ad in your hand and asks if you want to see a show, but you have to suffer through a 3 hour dissertation about how you should buy a condo on the top floor of the Trump Tower.
Or something like…A Pam Anderson impersonator driving by in a billboard truck advertising a strip club and handing out leaflets.
Kind of lessen the aggravation by lumping them all together.
God, I love this town…..
Written by keith on May 14, 2010 at 1:56 pm
once again i recommend the ear-bud trick – place the ear buds in your ear and walk around. you don’t even need to listen to music, nor do they need to be attached to anything. if someone accosts you, just point at the buds & shrug as you keep walking.
Written by coolpacific on May 14, 2010 at 7:44 pm
As I mentioned in a previous comment, add to all of this the level of “sloppy” drunkeness and I will not walk the strip anymore.
Here is an idea: CLASS IT UP ALREADY!!!! Make it a true sin city with all of the vices that entails but make it classy:
- Quit selling those ridiculous yard glasses of cheap booze – instead sell a martinis at the bar for something less than $15
- Encourage (or require) people to dress up a little at night
- Bring back entertaining and free loung acts
- European pools? Sure but make it difficult (read very, very expensive) for an entire rugby team of sausage to roll in and ogle the talent instead of $20/head and a bucket of beer.
- Additional cops/ hotel security on the strip
- Allow (encourage) the working girls to work but 86 the skanky ones
In short, make Vegas a place where gamblers and middle aged tourists with money feel like going for a classy vacation. Quit trying to be all things to all people. The obvious problem with my Vegas ideal is that they are in a tough bind and need any and every warm body they can find to fill a heavy surplus of hotel rooms.
Written by Scott on May 15, 2010 at 12:56 am
“leave me the FUCK ALONE!” Print it on a Hanes and then that is a t-shirt I would buy from the Vegas Rex shop.
Written by isnin on May 15, 2010 at 6:35 am
As a cheesehead who just came back from LV today my little midwestern mind was blown by the sheer VOLUME of panhandlers, porn slappers, time share cockroaches, hard luck story hopefuls, shameless self-promoters and meth-head scaries. In some areas the beggars outnumbered the tourists.
I did not enjoy walking on the pedestrian bridges. It was an obstacle course of bums and vagrants. It’s not just that it makes me uncomfortable to say “No”, it makes me ANGRY that the city of LV allows this crap to go on. As a tourist I want to be able to to walk freely and feel SAFE and not feel hassled.
HEY CRACK HEAD, No, I don’t want to hear you sing a song. HEY SCARY CARNY GUY, No, I don’t want to buy a bottle of water from your nasty cooler held shut with a bungee cord. HEY CREEPY COSTUME GUY, No, I don’t want an effing “souvenir” photo with a man in a pit-stained Batman suit. And finally, HEY FAUX HOMELESS GUY, stop blocking the pedestrian pathways…your cardboard sign is NOT funny or cute. It’s sad and depressing.
“Most visitors from Wisconsin do not come here to fend off a thousand scammers a day.”
EXACTLY. If I feel uncomfortable, I don’t return.
Written by The German tourist on May 15, 2010 at 7:53 am
I would buy the whole “No, I do not…” paragraph nicely printed on a t-shirt for a trip to Vegas.
Written by J. Louise on May 16, 2010 at 12:40 am
Good info Rex……I think Vegas is entering the Calcutta Era.
Written by Tom on May 16, 2010 at 5:09 am
Makes the off strip casino hotels sound all that much better!
Written by ColinFromLasVegas on May 16, 2010 at 5:25 am
Just an addendum to your blog, Rex. This is a link to a recent article from the Las Vegas Sun about law enforcement targeting those unlicensed contractor scams in Las Vegas.
I read it and immediately thought of your blog. Not sure if I can link shit here, but I’ll try.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/may/15/sting-operations-uncover-growing-number-unlicensed/
Written by James on May 16, 2010 at 5:37 am
I got accosted by a timeshare vampire inside the Gold Spike’s back entrance a couple of weeks ago. If the low-roller places are haunted with these people, there’s no escaping it.
And for those who say Vegas is turning into Tijuana, please note that Tijuana has cheaper drinks and legal prostitution. If you don’t mind betting on jai alai, they have gambling too. Advantage: Tijuana.
I also like coolpacific’s idea. Brad Pitt and George Clooney had the same idea a few years ago, but the plans fell through.
Also, the Western is paying even money on blackjacks. You know this town has turned to shit.
Written by james on May 16, 2010 at 3:53 pm
Rex,
I’m still trying to figure out if you saying faux-Jim Belushi instead of John was intentional.
Written by loomis on May 17, 2010 at 2:03 am
Right on Rex!
Spent 4-5 hours on the strip during my most recent trip of 7 days
and that was TOO many.
Saw 3 different people with little dogs and signs saying “need $$ for food and water”
An eldery black woman in a wheelchair with a sign saying ” i have MS need $$ for diapers”
Written by jaz on May 17, 2010 at 4:27 am
thanks for sticking up for us from wisconsin.
Written by Ken on May 17, 2010 at 6:45 pm
Damn!!! I knew you guys would find out about Downtown sooner or later! I won’t be able to get a room before long. (Maybe Lady Luck will open again!!).
Written by FleaStiff on May 23, 2010 at 3:13 pm
Lets hear if for The District and other such areas where private property rights make it easy to keep scummy bloggers .. er uh,,, scummy pornslappers away from decent people.