This sidewalk meeting took place last month when the cold was beginning to abate _ Photo by Royal Hopper
Something happens in Las Vegas when it rains. When the wind driven drops of water bounce off the oily sad covered sidewalks and months worth of dirt, car exhaust, dried beer, spit vomit and other and bodily fluids rise from the pavement and pools begin to collect on the streets as the overworked drainage pipes struggle to keep the City of Sin dry something happens…
Rainy Day in Vegas or where are your parents
By Royal Hopper
Everybody goes inside. Even in Sin City we have the sense to come in out of the rain.
A local order keeper spies two young teen aged men wandering in and out of several banks of slot machines with cash in their hands drooling at the banks of one armed bandits like coyotes staring at rows of young rabbits. When confronted by the order keeper as to why they were wandering through banks of slot machines with money in their hands they had a perfectly logical answer.
Bus stop in the rain –RMH
They were wandering through banks of slot machines with money in their hands looking for vending machines, for a coke and some chips.
“Points for originality boys and by the way where are your parents?”
After all these years I am still not sure why on earth you would bring children into a Sin City casino. When you watch them staring wide eyed at the brightly flashing cut scenes of the newest video technology slot machines sitting in the lap of their paents who are usually sipping martinis or beer as their kids become the next generation of addicted gamblers and see the fake disgust on their face as you tell them they are violating the law you realize something.
This photo of a last loon spring _ Photo by Royal Hopper
The problem is the parents. Adults gamble drink and then go home go back to work. When you get hooked as a child the fever is in your blood . You see it In 1989 in 1999 in 2009 and you saw it last week. Most of them get caught and told to leave the casino but the damage is already done.
Years ago while I was working TI hotel/casino I saw a child no more than ten years old sitting in his father’s lap shoveling quarters into a slot machine and sipping on a drink.
When confronted by the illegality of his act the man replied with consummate conceit. “It’s okay he is with me.” and got very angry when he was told that the law says differently.
The sign jungle in Las Vegas _ Royal Hopper
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So what do we do about situations like this abolish gambling? Of course not ..people are going to gamble and drink regardless usually in more dangerous places if. If there is no Vegas there will be hundreds of back room games full of dangerous people and cheaters and killers amd badly dressed conmen like the old west or modern political campaign.
Parents keep track of your kids and dont let them gamble or drink. Its not that complicated.
The City of Sin is not a terribly sympathetic place especially not for those who are considered players. The feeling is if sit down at the table you take the same risk as the other players. There is no special treatment ..you win or you lose. It is the price of being a player.
If you are not prepared to have your children become players then stop sitting them in your lap and teaching them how to do it.
Its a yard
Yes in rained in the desert last week Cars slip and slide all over the road spraying water to and fro and they ungracefully plow through small makeshift ponds put in the road by mother nature’s wet fury. Tourists from Idaho yawn and wonder why they left home, locals looked up at the sky in puzzlement and remembered they had forgotten how to drive in the rain and people still let their kids run wild in the City of Sin…..
That is life in the City of Sin
Take Care sinners
Royal's Sin City Journal 