Las Vegas trip spoiled by pimpish behaviour.

[abvidledUK]

Any time, day of night, being approached by these people distributing cards for the local ladies of the night.

Every few feet.

Totally spoilt walking along the Strip.

I did write to the Authorities when we got back home, no reply.

Clarification edit:
It's not what they're selling, it's the constant harassment and being approached every few feet is the problem.

 

[imfrogman]

I would suggest you stay home then, or go to a Shirley Temple marathon.
That is what makes Vegas, Vegas. It ain't no family town

 

[Greta]

imfrogman... I don't think that's a very valid (or polite) suggestion. As the Las Vegas Visitor's Authority likes to advertise and promote their city as being family friendly, I would imagine that they don't agree with your assessment. And visitors should be able to have the expectation that the Visitor's Authority is not misleading them.

I know that I avoid the strip like the plague now because of this issue that abvidledUK is posting about. Once upon a time, I used to love walking the strip and seeing the sights. Now one has to watch out for and walk around these people who all but assault you with their little "flyers" and then wade through the mess of discarded "flyers" on the sidewalks. At the very least, you'd think that the hotels/casinos would not want the mess around their property and the added expense of having to have it cleaned up several times a day... :ironic:

 

[abvidledUK]

imfrogman... I don't think that's a very valid (or polite) suggestion. As the Las Vegas Visitor's Authority likes to advertise and promote their city as being family friendly, I would imagine that they don't agree with your assessment. And visitors should be able to have the expectation that the Visitor's Authority is not misleading them.

I know that I avoid the strip like the plague now because of this issue that abvidledUK is posting about. Once upon a time, I used to love walking the strip and seeing the sights. Now one has to watch out for and walk around these people who all but assault you with their little "flyers" and then wade through the mess of discarded "flyers" on the sidewalks. At the very least, you'd think that the hotels/casinos would not want the mess around their property and the added expense of having to have it cleaned up several times a day... :ironic:

Thank you Greta, you have re-inforced my point precisely.

Perhaps the snow today will keep them indoors.

This is from a UK newspaper

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/wor...g-capital-world-Las-Vegas-blanketed-SNOW.html

Nice pics of the Luxor Hotel we stayed at, just near that big light on the top, overlooking the airport.

 

[FlashKat]

It is called Sin City for a reason.

 

[Greta]

It is called Sin City for a reason.

Oh there's no disputing that! However, I do believe that there should be a tad bit of "truth in advertising" also. I go to Las Vegas quite often for shopping and for the airport (it's the closest one to me). As a matter of fact, I'm going Christmas shopping there tomorrow (also the closest large mall to me). If there are going to be family themed hotels such as Treasure Island, Circus Circus, NY NY, Excalibur, etc right there on the strip then there should be a reasonable expectation from visitors that they can bring their families along with them on their vacation. Hell, I don't even care to go watch the lights and fountains at the Belagio anymore due to this crap. I *KNOW* how Vegas is now... so I wouldn't even DREAM of bringing young children there. But what about someone like abvidledUK who lives in another country entirely and plans an entire family vacation based on what amounts to false advertising? Sucks... truly does... :shakehead

 

[kelmo]

I worked in "Lost Wages" 4-5 weeks a year for 7 years at my last job. Yes the flyer pushers are annoying. But that is part of being in a free market economy. If you think they are bad go visit Istanbul and go to the Turkish Bizzare. Now those vendors are pushy!

 

[abvidledUK]

Oh there's no disputing that! However, I do believe that there should be a tad bit of "truth in advertising" also. I go to Las Vegas quite often for shopping and for the airport (it's the closest one to me). As a matter of fact, I'm going Christmas shopping there tomorrow (also the closest large mall to me). If there are going to be family themed hotels such as Treasure Island, Circus Circus, NY NY, Excalibur, etc right there on the strip then there should be a reasonable expectation from visitors that they can bring their families along with them on their vacation. Hell, I don't even care to go watch the lights and fountains at the Belagio anymore due to this crap. I *KNOW* how Vegas is now... so I wouldn't even DREAM of bringing young children there. But what about someone like abvidledUK who lives in another country entirely and plans an entire family vacation based on what amounts to false advertising? Sucks... truly does... :shakehead

Don't forget the snow.

And the airport has NO snow clearing equipment !

"At Las Vegas's own airport, McCarran International, the conditions caused numerous delays as officials admitted they have no snow removal equipment."

We loved the Bellagio, day & night, especially the water fountains display, which we weren't expecting the first time we saw it, Magic.

 

[abvidledUK]

I worked in "Lost Wages" 4-5 weeks a year for 7 years at my last job. Yes the flyer pushers are annoying. But that is part of being in a free market economy.

I did notice that if you walked straight at the pushers ( non aggressively and sometimes looking sideways ), they jumped back out of the way very quickly, is there a law not allowing contact ?

It's just a pity that on approaching the strip, there are many badly placed and discarded cards, by open weave fencing, not a good advert is it ?

 

[kelmo]

I don't know of any law preventing contact. I just looked at them and say no thank you. Las Vegas gets snow very very rarely. That is why they don't have snow removal equipment.

 

[greenlight]

Thanks for bringing your vacation dollars to the U.S.A. Las Vegas really needs it right now.

 

[Greta]

Don't forget the snow.

I'm actually looking forward to that tomorrow! For all of the snow that Vegas and surrounding areas have gotten over the past couple of days, it has been all rain for us. Kinda puts a damper on riding the scooter... :ironic:

 

[Sgt. LED]

Thanks for the thread title!
Pimpish, I can't say I have ever read or typed that word before today.

Pimpish

Sorry you had a bad time though.

 

[mchlwise]

Sorry your trip was ruined.

Unfortunately, that is the reality of Las Vegas.

For years it was a seedy hang out for gambling and partying and the occasional good deal on a buffet. Circus Circus was about the only "family" game in town, and other than driving up and down the strip looking at lights was about the only place my parents and I would go.

Then, about 20-30 years ago, they started constructing more entertaining hotels - Excalibur, Treasure Island, etc. People started going to Vegas to see that kind of entertainment, and bringing their kids more. Vegas tried to cash in with more family-friendly advertising, but the truth was it wasn't a very family-friendly place.

Their latest "What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas" campaign has been closer to the mark - Vegas is a town for adults to play around in (not for kids) - but I think there's still some hold-over from the "family place" advertising.

I haven't spent any real time there in years now. Two years ago I drove through with my wife and 2 boys, one of which was 10. We didn't even get out of the car, but didn't have to - we were bombarded by very scantily clad women on every side - billboards, signs on cabs, signs on trucks driving by. It's EVERYWHERE.

Bottom line - if that's what you're looking for, that's fine, but Vegas is NOT a family town.

 

[imfrogman]

I am sure the vegas tourism board were thinking what a family oriented town they are when they adopted the motto"What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas

imfrogman... I don't think that's a very valid (or polite) suggestion. As the Las Vegas Visitor's Authority likes to advertise and promote their city as being family friendly, I would imagine that they don't agree with your assessment. And visitors should be able to have the expectation that the Visitor's Authority is not misleading them.

I know that I avoid the strip like the plague now because of this issue that abvidledUK is posting about. Once upon a time, I used to love walking the strip and seeing the sights. Now one has to watch out for and walk around these people who all but assault you with their little "flyers" and then wade through the mess of discarded "flyers" on the sidewalks. At the very least, you'd think that the hotels/casinos would not want the mess around their property and the added expense of having to have it cleaned up several times a day... :ironic:

 

[LukeA]

Don't forget the snow.

And the airport has NO snow clearing equipment!

"At Las Vegas's own airport, McCarran International, the conditions caused numerous delays as officials admitted they have no snow removal equipment."

And it would be an inappropriate misallocation of taxpayer dollars to purchase snow removal equipment there. Las Vegas hasn't seen snow like this for 30 years.

 

[InTheDark]

I'm just curious, what type of atmosphere were you expecting at Vegas? Vegas has been, and always will be an adult playground. Their nickname "Sin City", is well deserved. I guess I've just always grown up knowing that, so I never really paid attention to how they were percieved by an outsider. At one point they did try to market it as a more friendly family type atmosphere, but obviously families aren't the ones that spending the money, it's adults. There really isn't any family friendly activities in that town. So they're back to promoting themselves as the "don't ask, don't tell" capital of the west.

Unfortunately complaining to the authorities will do absolutlely nothing. That town is run by the casinos (i.e. the mafia), so whatever they want, they get. If the Casinos didn't want those street peddlers outside their casinos, they'd be gone. But obviously somebody must be paying them to stand out there, and they wouldn't do it unless there was money to be made.

 

[StarHalo]

For years it was a seedy hang out for gambling and partying and the occasional good deal on a buffet. Circus Circus was about the only "family" game in town, and other than driving up and down the strip looking at lights was about the only place my parents and I would go.

Then, about 20-30 years ago, they started constructing more entertaining hotels - Excalibur, Treasure Island, etc. People started going to Vegas to see that kind of entertainment, and bringing their kids more. Vegas tried to cash in with more family-friendly advertising

That town is run by the casinos (i.e. the mafia), so whatever they want, they get.

These two posts have it right by a connection: Vegas was run by the Mafia until the 80's, when the corporate culture and the Mafia's own lack of discipline finally moved them out.

The general view from those who remember the era is that it began with Howard Hughes; Mafia accountants ran casinos in such a way that the casino as a whole was profitable (which is why the food and entertainment was so cheap; the showrooms and buffets by themselves didn't have to make a dollar), but Hughes, who bought out the majority of The Strip, ran casinos like a corporate enterprise - each individual business and feature operating within the casino had to itself be profitable. There was little the mob could do against such an aggressively corporate and profitable force.

This combined with the push to make Vegas appear as a "family town" and some blunders/murders/arrests on the Mob side eventually made Vegas the Mob-free high-dollar corporate theme park that it is today.

 

[BB]

I was there a couple weeks ago with my family (wife and kids like the lights and free shows--plus we have gone to a few of the "big" shows--very impressive).

The group of pamphleters outside Paris Resort was a bit thicker than I have seen in visits past--but they were grouped in one small area on the sidewalk (did not walk much last time).

What caught my eyes was the new "lighted signs" that a couple of them were carrying... Bright white even back-light, almost as thin as a laptop screen, and no sign of a large battery pack... Quite the attention getter (yes, I was, for the most part looking at the hardware rather than the ad copy :shakehead ).

-Bill

 

[Hitthespot]

Sounds like things have changed since my wife and I went around 10 years ago.

There was a band playing outside which we stopped and listened to for around 30 minutes. In that time two different ladies asked me to dance right in front of my wife. Once I was handed a flyer while walking down the strip. I think I was in front of the Flamingo. Other than that, I was never bothered the whole 5 days we were there. I must say it was one of the best if not the best vacation I ever had. I am dying to go back again. Has the strip really become that much different? Sounds like it. Oh well I'm still looking forward to going back.

Bill