# Anyone else surprised (dismayed?) by Las Vegas? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 9, 2023, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948 "2023-03-09T21:07:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/301 "2023-03-29T14:30:44Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The parking garage still floods when it rains, though. Hah! I stayed there once with a group of friends, and it rained. I spent like, _two days_ watching water drain into the garage. I was just amazed that their entire plan for rain was, “Well, just let it flood.” ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/302 "2023-03-29T14:52:13Z")
I agree walking is a big part of the attraction of Vegas. But the infrastructure for walking is terrible once you leave the Strip, say walking to the Palms(?) or Fremont. A wealthy town like Vegas could do better. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/303 "2023-03-29T14:57:10Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The parking garage still floods when it rains, though. It has to. That’s always been part of the flood control on that part of the Strip. When they rebuilt everything into the Linq that was a major part of the rebuild - refining the flood channel through and out towards UNLV. **Sam** - Mob Museum, Neonopolis, Pinball Hall of Fame, Shark Reef, Penn & Teller, Frankie’s Tiki Room, Atomic Museum…there is always something to do/see in Vegas. You won’t be bored. **RW** - When I first started going to Vegas way back when, the **IP** was the hotel of choice for the central location. It was always a dump, but it was close to everything and dirt cheap. Over the years I think I’ve stayed at every hotel on the Strip and most of the ones downtown. Used to be the hotels were different - themes and atmosphere. Now they are corporate shells and some of the “charm” has been lost. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/304 "2023-03-29T15:01:49Z")
We last went in 2019 and also stayed at the Flamingo, mostly because of its location to Caesars and Bellagio etc. We don’t gamble, so our entertainment were the shows, restaurants, and the Neon Museum. I can second the recommendation for the _Unofficial Guide_, useful for show reviews. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/305 "2023-03-29T15:04:04Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > I agree walking is a big part of the attraction of Vegas. But the infrastructure for walking is terrible once you leave the Strip, say walking to the Palms(?) or Fremont. A wealthy town like Vegas could do better. Walking from , say, the Bellagio to Fremont Street is over six miles one way. Realistically, very few people are gonna walk it. It is odd how hard it can be to walk to places just off the Strip though, like the Palms or the Rio. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/306 "2023-03-29T15:09:00Z")
It’s a city in the middle of a very hot desert. Only coyotes and gila monsters walk. That’s why they invented cabs with air conditioning. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/307 "2023-03-29T15:30:10Z")
All real Vegans are at the pool, the bar, or asleep while the sun is up. Walking the Strip is a vastly better experience after dark. That’s when the magic comes out. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/308 "2023-03-29T15:55:51Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Walking the Strip is a vastly better experience after dark. That’s when the magic comes out. It’s not really the Strip in daylight. It’s just a street. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/309 "2023-03-29T16:01:19Z")
'Zactly. It’s like visiting a stage play set with the stage lights off, the work lights on, ladders and workmen everywhere, no audience, no actors, and no music. It might suggest to you some of what the show will be like, but it’s sure not the show. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/310 "2023-03-29T16:05:07Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > It’s not really the Strip in daylight. It’s just a street. Hah! Bourbon Street is like that. I was in NOLA for a work related thing, and I had to go to a hotel for a few hours of lectures each morning. While my gf slept, I walked to my meeting. Most people out and about on Bourbon at 7 am were hosing down vomit and urine, picking up trash, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/311 "2023-03-29T16:10:55Z")
Now, to be fair, it can be a fairly interesting street in the daylight, but it’s not _The Strip_™. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/312 "2023-03-29T19:05:20Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > Just for fun, sign up to go to one of the timeshare presentations, but pick one that gets you show tickets. That will kill a day, save money on a show or two, let you see hard-sell pitches, and give you something to add to the various threads here on timeshares. Be sure to watch the recent John Oliver episode about timeshares first, and DON’T BUY ONE! Again, this suggestion is just for fun. We went to a timeshare talk with friends who already owned one. We got a free suite to show up. After half an hour the salesman gave up on us and concentrated on our friends. Who bought another week. The show was mediocre, unfortunately. Pre-Covid we went with our kids to the buffet at the Bellagio. Definitely not cheap, but you get dishes that are so far above the standard buffet fare that it was well worth it. And one more vote for the Atomic Testing Museum, which when we went had a display quoting Tom Lehrer. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/313 "2023-03-29T19:52:03Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > **Sam** - Mob Museum, Neonopolis, Pinball Hall of Fame, Shark Reef, Penn & Teller, Frankie’s Tiki Room, Atomic Museum…there is always something to do/see in Vegas. You won’t be bored. We saw Penn and Teller last time they were there, and we might see them again. They were great. We even got some cool selfies with Teller after the show. We are planning to see the pinball, mob and atomic museums, but we will definitely check out the others. There’s also an aviation museum I would like to see. > [@JohnGalt](#): > > Just for fun, sign up to go to one of the timeshare presentations, but pick one that gets you show tickets. That will kill a day, save money on a show or two, let you see hard-sell pitches, and give you something to add to the various threads here on timeshares. Be sure to watch the recent John Oliver episode about timeshares first, and DON’T BUY ONE! Again, this suggestion is just for fun. We did the timeshare presentation thing in Florida. Even though I had been trained in sales when I was younger and knew all the tricks, it was a minefield to get through, and their ‘one hour free lunch and presentation’ turned into half a day. I wrote about it here back in the day. We did get free tickets to Disneyworld out of it. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/314 "2023-03-29T20:44:58Z")
In Vegas terminology, playing a game with a tiny positive expectation given perfect play is termed “grinding”. Yes, you’ll make “free” money. But you’ll be working long and hard for it. Attending a timeshare sales presentation feels to me like a very unpleasant form of grinding. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/315 "2023-03-29T21:09:02Z")
Yeah, pretty much. They also make it fairly unpleasant to say no. We had a very nice lady tell us all about her kids and her plans and such, and when we refused to buy from her she had to ‘call her manager over’ who proceeded to dress her down in front of us, then she went away and the manager offered us a new, better deal. Which we also refused. On our way out, we were stopped by a ‘consulting firm’ who had been supposedly hired by the timeshare firm to help them improve sales. They said they weren’t connected to them, and just wanted to find out why we didn’t buy. That set off my alarm signals. Of course, they turned out to be part of the timeshare company, trying to get your guard down and answer truthfully why you didn’t buy. My wife said, “Well, we were concerned about the monthly payment.” And what do you know, the guy had just ‘overheard’ someone who turned down a great deal that happened to match the payments my wife said we could afford, and could he just run out and see if it was still available for us? Before we could answer, off he went. And what do you know! There was still just one available at our price! But we had to act very quickly! He reiterated that he didn’t even work for them, but he didn’t want us to pass up a great deal. The truth is, the first rule of sales is “Find the customers true objections. If you can overcome all of them, you’ll get the sale.” The problem is that most people won’t tell you the real reason. They’ll make up some BS to hide the fact that they can’t afford it, or that their spouse doesn’t want it, or whatever. But the ‘consulting company’ schtick gets your guard down and you might just tell them the truth - then they’ve got you. We managed to get out of there without buying, after many sad faces and wishes we would reconsider, but I can see how people get hooked into those things. The sales people are very good at what they do. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/316 "2023-03-29T23:16:49Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I like the Flamingo. It’s usually cheap and has the benefit of being essentially in the middle of the Strip. … [snip] Thanks, **Rick**. Much appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/317 "2023-03-30T02:55:45Z")
Some of the hotels sell hotel-style rooms, with kitchenettes, to people who want to own a place close to the strip. These tend to be at the back of some of the hotels and the owners often rent them for short periods. They often come with hotel services and access to amenities, but you will be walking even more. But you could save some money if the room is not important, but location is. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/318 "2023-03-30T03:51:13Z")
I’ve never done a timeshare presentation. I’m curious: what would happen if you were honest with the salespeople? “We just came for the free stuff. We never had any intention of buying.” ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/319 "2023-03-30T04:22:13Z")
I bet they are trained to assume everyone who is there is not (yet) interested in buying into the scheme, and there lies the challenge. I guess they convince enough people to go to the next step - otherwise the whole “presentation” think wouldn’t exist ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2023, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948/320 "2023-03-30T11:59:44Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Attending a timeshare sales presentation feels to me like a very unpleasant form of grinding. We met a young couple on a beach in St Martin one year. They told us about their “vacation scheme”. They had gotten cheap airfare, but still couldn’t really afford a week on the island. So they were attending a timeshare presentation _every day_! There are many places that offer a free room to try for the night in exchange for attending a sales pitch. They had done three so far and it was wearing on them. Imagine spending half of each vacation day in misery. Packing your bags and moving daily. My gf asked me if she should offer our second bedroom to them for a few nights, but we both decided not to. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948.md?page=15) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-surprised-dismayed-by-las-vegas/980948.md?page=17)