Downtown bums

Read an article once about how some of these panhandlers are not homeless.They use panhandling as a "parttime" job.They go home from their normal job,dress like a bum,and beg for money.It was amazing how much money these people were making during the course of a month.

Thought I'd ask since I'm staying downtown. The cafe at the El Cortez has a limited menu after midnight and I prefer to hike down to the Golden Nugget for a late supper.

If you want to see the Vegas homeless, just stroll down Main Street from Main Street Station to Jerrys Nugget. They have a mile long homeless encampment. A lot of them have tents, so I guess they technically have tent homes without addresses. Some of them are tentless though. Those people have plenty of cardboard. I think a lot of them are too far off the deep end to panhandle effectively.

I stayed downtown in March and my only encounter was a young man sitting down next to me at my slot machine and asking me for money. I politely declined.

Well, first, my experience isn't typical, because I go 6' and 215 lbs, and I'm mean.

If I was going to do that walk say 5 times there and back, I would be somewhat worried about an unpleasant confrontation. But if I really enjoyed supper at the Nugget, that environment wouldn't prevent me from doing the walk.

Consider the fact that you are less likely to find trouble when travelling in a group. I would also refrain from drinking to excess at the Nugget; I would be likely to keep spirits in my room.

I always thought you wore tuxedos from the 1980's.

We go downtown a couple times a week and have always loved it. We enjoy being able to walk to different casinos and seeing all the different people. Lately that has changed. There are some kind of street impersonators who do not bother anyone, but just stand around and guess they charge to get pictures taken with them. That is really cute - the Elvis guy, the pudgy playboy bunny, the tin man, morgan freeman. The problem is the aggressiveness of the panhandlers who come right in your face. Because the city council has approved the street performers, it gives the panhandlers the ability to approach you. It is quite frightening after a couple of beers, walking out of a casino, just minding our own business, and being confronted by a toothless bum who is aggressive and confrontational when told to not bother us. We don't like it, and "prabon" is right - it is alot different than it used to be and we'll be more on guard, and probably just go less.

We stay dowtown all the time and have never really ran into this type of problem. The only people (twice) that approached me were two males in the GN where we stay. It was only a matter of minutes and security moved them out. People and you can pcik them out will come up and sit next to you while you ar eplaying a machine and usually a stiff no moves them on.

My usual "answers" when approached by "panhandlers":

Q: Got any spare change?

A: Yes. But my spare change is the only thing that is keeping me from being you.

Q: Got an extra cigarette?

A: I've been smoking for more than 40 years, and do not ever recall an extra cigarette. (Take our pack, open, and count them) NOPE. This pack did not come with any extras either.

I'm "charitable" at home, and donate often to reputable charities and agencies. I contribute shelf stable food items to pantries, much of the worthwhile "Free Stuff" I get to (shampoos, toothpaste, travel size hygiene stuff) to appropriate groups where I know it will be put to use. Clothing and household items to charity thrift shops that are agency affiliated and not for profit.

I do not give cash to panhandlers. If they claim to be hungry, and hit me up outside a fast food place, I will often buy them something from the dollar menu. I may give them something I've packed for lunch or snack. I even go so far as to buy a book of 10 bus trip tickets and carry some with me, because I often get hit up with "I need 75 cents more to catch the bus". I'll give a bus pass ticket. But there is no way I'm giving money directly. :::shrug:::

On vacation in Vegas, I have much less tolerance.

Hi Roadtrip - Wow you're really alot more prepared than we ever could be, and your answers are very humorous. We just want to be out there having fun and not be approached. We have certain charities that we donate regularly. The only time we give to anyone downtown is the guy in the wheel chair with the little dog. He doesn't ask or approach - we go to him.