A walk down the Las Vegas strip for 2 country bumpkins
Dec 29, 2015, 9:00 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 747
A walk down the Las Vegas strip for 2 country bumpkins
My teenage son and I experienced two attempted scam / ripoffs twice in ten minutes on the Las Vegas strip yesterday, probably nothing out of the ordinary for people from big cities but for us it was a new experience.
We saw three guys dressed in Star Wars costumes, Darth Vader and two storm troopers so I stopped to take a photo. They said we could take a picture with them "for tips". After the photo I offered them a tip and they demanded "at least 25 bucks". Off came the Star Wars masks and it was 3 black guys. "Don't disrespect us, b****. Give us at least 25 bucks". We walked away.
Ten minutes later, a large black man cornered my son, stuffed a CD into his hand, asked him his name and started to sign the CD. Next step was a demand for payment. I grabbed my son and we walked away.
These episodes are probably normal low-level scams / attempted intimidation which someone from New York etc would probably completely ignore. However we have not experienced this sort of thing before. It seems the game is to imply a threat without actually breaking any law, and some people will fall for it.
Afterward it was a conversation with my son about (1) if a stranger approaches you in a foreign city, ignore them, and (2) the majority of black people don't act like this, judge each person as an individual, but out on the street, steer clear of these people.
We saw three guys dressed in Star Wars costumes, Darth Vader and two storm troopers so I stopped to take a photo. They said we could take a picture with them "for tips". After the photo I offered them a tip and they demanded "at least 25 bucks". Off came the Star Wars masks and it was 3 black guys. "Don't disrespect us, b****. Give us at least 25 bucks". We walked away.
Ten minutes later, a large black man cornered my son, stuffed a CD into his hand, asked him his name and started to sign the CD. Next step was a demand for payment. I grabbed my son and we walked away.
These episodes are probably normal low-level scams / attempted intimidation which someone from New York etc would probably completely ignore. However we have not experienced this sort of thing before. It seems the game is to imply a threat without actually breaking any law, and some people will fall for it.
Afterward it was a conversation with my son about (1) if a stranger approaches you in a foreign city, ignore them, and (2) the majority of black people don't act like this, judge each person as an individual, but out on the street, steer clear of these people.
Dec 29, 2015, 9:21 am
#2
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 68
My teenage son and I experienced two attempted scam / ripoffs twice in ten minutes on the Las Vegas strip yesterday, probably nothing out of the ordinary for people from big cities but for us it was a new experience.
We saw three guys dressed in Star Wars costumes, Darth Vader and two storm troopers so I stopped to take a photo. They said we could take a picture with them "for tips". After the photo I offered them a tip and they demanded "at least 25 bucks". Off came the Star Wars masks and it was 3 black guys. "Don't disrespect us, b****. Give us at least 25 bucks". We walked away.
Ten minutes later, a large black man cornered my son, stuffed a CD into his hand, asked him his name and started to sign the CD. Next step was a demand for payment. I grabbed my son and we walked away.
These episodes are probably normal low-level scams / attempted intimidation which someone from New York etc would probably completely ignore. However we have not experienced this sort of thing before. It seems the game is to imply a threat without actually breaking any law, and some people will fall for it.
Afterward it was a conversation with my son about (1) if a stranger approaches you in a foreign city, ignore them, and (2) the majority of black people don't act like this, judge each person as an individual, but out on the street, steer clear of these people.
We saw three guys dressed in Star Wars costumes, Darth Vader and two storm troopers so I stopped to take a photo. They said we could take a picture with them "for tips". After the photo I offered them a tip and they demanded "at least 25 bucks". Off came the Star Wars masks and it was 3 black guys. "Don't disrespect us, b****. Give us at least 25 bucks". We walked away.
Ten minutes later, a large black man cornered my son, stuffed a CD into his hand, asked him his name and started to sign the CD. Next step was a demand for payment. I grabbed my son and we walked away.
These episodes are probably normal low-level scams / attempted intimidation which someone from New York etc would probably completely ignore. However we have not experienced this sort of thing before. It seems the game is to imply a threat without actually breaking any law, and some people will fall for it.
Afterward it was a conversation with my son about (1) if a stranger approaches you in a foreign city, ignore them, and (2) the majority of black people don't act like this, judge each person as an individual, but out on the street, steer clear of these people.
You're in Vegas. Chill out.
Dec 29, 2015, 9:25 am
#3
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: NYC
Programs: DL
Posts: 963
Did you really advise your son to steer clear of black people on the street????
Dec 29, 2015, 10:14 am
#4
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, *A Silver
Posts: 4,896
In before lock!
For the sake of mankind, I do wish those with your attitude stay away from not only black people, but stay away from all people in general.
For the sake of mankind, I do wish those with your attitude stay away from not only black people, but stay away from all people in general.
Dec 29, 2015, 10:50 am
#5
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: North of Carlisle
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 1,538
How does this constitute a trip report ? - you've posted on the wrong forum I'm afraid
Dec 29, 2015, 12:07 pm
#6
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: DEN
Programs: UA1K, F9 Ascent
Posts: 187
All I can say is "wow".
Dec 29, 2015, 9:58 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Here, there … you know how it goes.
Posts: 1,518
1) I agree this doesn't belong in the TRs section (not sure where; OMNI?)
2) This part is certainly confusingly written:
I don't think the OP was instructing his son to avoid any particular ethnicity, but by "these people" he meant hucksters/touts/costumed characters and the like.
As always, I could easily be wrong.
2) This part is certainly confusingly written:
As always, I could easily be wrong.
Dec 29, 2015, 11:15 pm
#9
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: YYC
Programs: BA bronze, Aeroplan peon
Posts: 4,746
Dec 30, 2015, 11:34 am
#10
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: BOS
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott/SPG/Hilton Gold, PreCheck + Clear
Posts: 2,306
Dec 30, 2015, 2:24 pm
#11
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: BA Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,809
Not a TR and not adding value to the community.
Thread closed.
matthandy
Moderator: Trip Reports
Thread closed.
matthandy
Moderator: Trip Reports