Bert strolls the boulevard _ Photo by Royal Hopper

Sluts are people too

By Royal Hopper

I saw a sign about sluts this that makes perfect sense in a Vegas kind of way.  On the way to work in the early morning hours on a Sin City byway, while waiting impatiently for a stoplight to turn gree I saw a sign.
In the spot on the back of a taxi normally reserved for advertising for magic acts and personal injury attorneys I saw a sign. The first word I saw the forst word on the back of the cab that caught my eye, was the word SLUT.

Relaxing at the Burger Stand _ Photo by Royal Hopper

What am I doing here _ Photo by Royal

For whatever reason that word stood out in mixture of shadows and  the reflected neon glory that is the City of Sin, and caused my brain to think through the mush caused by Monday morning blues and a fourth cup of coffee. I carefully read the rest of the sign which proudly proclaimed.
“Sluts Are People Too.”
Apparently that proposition is in doubt.
“Are sluts people?” the world really wants to know. Maybe some are androids from a secret government project.

One day that week a woman, who from her dress and action I took to be a working girl or someone damn dedicated to parting her ass off commented on an older couple who were standing nearby. “They are so cute,” she said My reply is somewhat hazy in my memory for some reason but went something like. “That’s one of the benefits of growing old together..or that’s what life is about in the end…having someone to share it with…” some kind of greeting card sentiment…”
“So then I am already screwed,” she said looking genuinely downtrodden before giggling at the irony of her own joke.
“Hey you play the hand your dealt the best you can,” I replied in true greeting card fashion.
“She shook her head,” and deep in thought turned to go…
“That reminds me where are the dollar minimum black jack tables,” she muttered, “dollar down you cant beat that.”  ?????

A man from who knows where walked up to me the other day full of righteous outrage spotted my brightly colored casino workers uniform.
“All right sir I will get right on that I have your number and we will let you know about it as soon as we can,” I said with the practiced smile of authoritativeness you develop when you work in the business long enough.
“All right then. Somebody finally listened to me,” he said straightening himself up as much as Mr. Jack Daniels and cheap shoes and bad posture would allow and stalking off with a renewed sense of self satisfaction.
The thing is I hadn’t understood a single thing the man said before that. He was slightly intoxicated and clearly been up for days and was from someplace foreign _  Pittsburg maybe.
Sad as it sounds. No mater how friendly or tolerant you are there are times when you just don’t want to hear about someone else’s issues.

Working as a casino security guard and as small town reporter I have in the past been threatened by midgets, flirted with by 80-year-old women and men on occasion. Hit on by every type of person of both genders, recruited and threatened by drug dealers and pitched to by salesman who were standing,  half naked,  in casino elevator lobbies.
“I can get you a great deal on a new laptop. Here give me a call,” one man said as we helped him into his room after he was found laying on the floor.”
I have taken it all in fairly good stride BUT…….
There are times when you just don’t want to hear what crazy people or drunks or well meaning house painters from Hoboken or the anonymous trust fund baby has to say.

Now to the question at hand Are Sluts People Too

I want to hear from you sinners it is a question that must be answered……

That’s life in the City of Sin

In the end it doesn’t matter people just want someone to listen to them.