Masks. Local vs Strip

Originally posted by: Rick Sanchez

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Please keep this civil. Not looking to start a political fight or anything like that.

 

Wife and I stayed at the Bellagio for her birthday on the 18th and 19th. While we live here in town my wife had always wanted a room with a fountain view so I figured what the hell.

We noticed that by best guess around 25% of the people in the Bellagio were maskless, not even a chin diaper, and of that amount probably 75% of those didn't even have a drink or cigarette in their hand. Nothing was being said to these patrons either.

 

Since we live here in town we didn't gamble on the strip we went to our favorite place to play The M. My guess is less than 5% had a mask and most were with drink or smoke in hand, we later visited Green Valley and the same applied. Now most of the people at these two places are locals where as most at the Bellagio are most likely from out of town.

 

I asked a cashier at the Bellagio about it and she said they had given up, sick of being berated and the tantrums. She said a lot would say we are from so and so state and we don't have to wear a mask there. She got tired of telling Dorothy she wasn't in Kansas anymore.

 

My thinking on the subject is us locals understand that our economy depends on the casinos being open and we mask up even though we might hate it. The visitors don't give two shits about the people that live here since they don't, so screw the mask. You know the whole What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas BS.

 

So what are your thoughts?

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Originally posted by: Roger S

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So much for keeping things civil.

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Originally posted by: O2bnVegas

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The other day someone said (paraphasing except for one word) to get someone to comply you need to find out what their "currency" is.  If a kid refuses to mind his parents, they determine his currency, whether 'time out' for little ones, watching TV, early bed time, loss of other privileges, etc. 

 

For me, the currency to get the vaccine was avoiding the virus. 

 

There can be other currency which has already been built in, in some cases.  The monetary rewards offered/given; actual money for taking the shot.  Would I have waited for that currency had I known?  No.  I wanted the protection of the vaccine the very second I could get it started.

 

Other currency:  Ability to travel.  Our family reunion was in July in NC.  My sister from Canada had to show she'd had the shots (which started later than the US, I think), plus she had to show a negative Covid test within 24 hours of boarding her plane both ways, even with vaccination documentation. She wanted to attend the reunion, currency, so despite it taking some research (where would she get the testing 24 hours before the flight and pay for it), it was worth it to her.

 

Ability to work is another currency some have put in place.  Businesses that have instituted this have somewhat diluted it (but I understand) by allowing entry with a recent Covid test if one doesn't have documented vaccination.  The school systems had to come up with something to keep classes going since not every age group was eligible for the vaccine yet (still not).  What a mess for teachers and kids alike.  Their currency is keeping school going, keeping kids up to grade level (a real leap, IMO), keeping teachers on the job.

 

Sometimes the currency has been watching a loved one go through Covid sickness and perhaps die.  This convinced some other people to get the vaccine.

 

What is your currency for getting vaccinated?  Have some forms of currency not been thought of, or lack of backbone, to lay down for Covid-19 vaccination?  What about the abiity to seek care in a hospital, for non-Covid but serious health crises, without having to wait outside in an ambulance or be turned away because of overcrowding and lack of staff?  If not you, what about your wife, your child, your grandparents?

 

Candy

 

 

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Originally posted by: Kevin Lewis

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Interesting concept. I'd like to think, though, that this isn't strictly transactional. Do we need a reward to do the right thing? The sensible thing? The responsible thing?

 

There are, of course, many possible incentives available, including loss of social and working privileges, fines, even imprisonment. Virtually none have been implemented. Maybe even something like a tax break for the fully vaccinated? Why is no one talking about positive or negative incentives? Because it might piss off the vaccine-resistant? That ship sailed long ago.

 

My currency was, I don't want to get sick and maybe die. My God, you'd think that alone would be more than enough, right? For everybody? But since it clearly hasn't been enough, I think we have to focus on negative currency. Since vaccination is a clear benefit and the cost is a small amount of time, there must be some reward--real or imaginary--that accrues to the unvaccinated.

 

What that is, I can only speculate. Certainly, some of it is Party loyalty. But unless a person is so servile to the RepubliQ or personally hot for Greg Abbott etc. (a revolting thought if there ever was one!) that they are willing to get themselves killed, I can't see what the currency for not getting vaccinated would be. Peer pressure--you can proudly proclaim your FREEDUMB as your friends and family munch on the fried chicken? Social media--you want to be able to flaunt your credentials as a heroic freedom fighter against Biden's vaccine tyranny?

 

You would know this better than I--are there that many people who are simply afraid of getting a shot? Irrational as that may be, it must be a factor. And of course, all the social media shit about how the vaccines will kill you or make you turn purple or make you gay hasn't helped, but how much of a factor is that? I wonder, given social media's mighty power to make millions of people believe things that are absolute horseshit (or horse pills).

 

I'm still in favor of the build-a-thousand-foot-high-electrified-fence-around-Texas plan; we could round up all the unvaccinated and fling them over that fence (they'd probably be happier there anyway). I'm sick of not being able to live a normal life because of the obstinacy of these assholes. But...we probably have to live with them. How can we offer them incentives sufficient to entice them to get %^%#$@ vaccinated--or, failing that, how can we neutralize the negative currency/incentives that are persuading them to risk their stupid lives?

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