This may be really asking for it, but what are some of the strangest sights you' ve seen in Vegas? Keeping in mind, of course, that this is a town with the NYC skyline on one corner, a castle on the second and a giant lion across the street.

Here's my latest.
After we checked into the Imperial Palace last month, we were strolling thru the casino, when I noticed an older man with a quite luxurious white beard.

Then I saw another one.

Then a third - and they all seemed to have a fondness for wearing red!

You guessed it. It was a Santa Claus convention. I remembered then reading they meet at the IP every February. It made the news last year when a member married his Mrs. Claus at the convention, complete with Christmas carols, fake snow and christmas presents.

I do have to say I did not notice them gambling a lot. They're members of "Naturally Santa, Inc" which encourages their santas to have a natural beard and belly, and to avoid inappropriate behavior.

It was strange though to see all these "santas" in civilian clothing passing through the casino! I guess they really do know if we've been bad or good.

So - what's your story?

kes

Binnions used to have a very good seafood buffet on the second floor. I was eating there with several friends once. There was a guy in a booth just over my shoulder. He was constantly on his cell phone and there was a steady flow of young ladies (not the ones you'd take home to mama) in and out of his booth.

We had our ideas of what was going on?


Once I was walking from the MGM to the Trop. A young couple were outside the door into the Trop, she was crying and complaining to him that now they couldn't even get a room for the night. I saw them in the casino playing a bit later!

Drive west on Flamingo towards Sams Town. Turn right on Sandhill. Start looking in the back yards of the houses on the right. I don't know how to describe it.

Homeless guy changing his pants (no underwear) at the corner of the Jerry's Nugget parking lot.

This past trip on our last day we kept running into this strange girl downtown. First we saw her at the Las Vegas Club, we noticed her right away because it early afternoon and she was walking around in what looked like her bra, sweat pants and very high heels. She seemed really out of it. But the strange part was when I went into the restroom at Binions and there she was again this time using the restroom with the stall door wide open! Then came out and stood in front of the mirror adjusting her thong with her pants around her ankles...???? Later that night we saw her again at the LVC she sat at the bar and was approached by some guy who bought her a drink then handed her his room key then he left! The funny part was she couldn't find her way upstairs and kept walking past the elevators until she finally went up! Just strange how we kept running into her.

Oh come on, JMT. Please try to give us a clue! Its gonna be a long time before I can make that drive!

The one many years ago in the Strip Casino....
A man walked through toward the elevators with a blow-up sex doll (blownup) under his arm....

Kes, it's stuff in someones back yard. Lots of stuff, and big back yard. To me, it's junk, to the owner, I think it's serious stuff. It's pretty patriotic. One item is a HUGE chunk of a Statue Of Liberty. It has left a larger impression on my mind than anything else I have seen in this modern day Sodom and Gomorrah that we love so much. I keep trying to figure out what the objective is and what I am missing. OTOH, I really don't want to know.

Maybe I should check out the front yard.

Thank you, Joe. Maybe one of those digital camera whizzes out there will take the drive and post a few pictures for us.

I love seeing that sort of stuff. Here in NY there was a fellow near Syracuse who made all kinds of folk art, really strange stuff, covered his backyard. Problem was, his yard was right along the NYS Thruway and people kept stopping to take pictures. Finally NY put up "No parking-standing-stopping" signs about every 10 feet on that section of the xpressway

Hey Joe, that MIGHT be Lonnie Hammergren's place. He's our somewhat eccentric past leuitenant governor, and also a neuro surgeoun with a wild backyard............not sure, but it sounds familiar

JMT.....That is the home of well-known neurosurgeon Lonnie Hammergren , also former Lieutenant Governor of Nevada. If you take a drive into the neighborhood, the front of the house looks just as normal and well kept as the rest of the neighbors. Lonnie has been collecting all that junk for many years. It's obvious that they don't have a homeowners association in that neighborhood.

A more familiar story that involves Lonnie Hammergren

Thanks Tater and Cajun. I've heard that might be it, but nobody I knew could confirm it.

Surely you two long time residents have a strange sight to share.

I was standing outside of IP and watched this poor bugger walk over to the garbage can and root around till he came up with a half eaten hot dog and half cup of liquid. He enjoyed the meal as he went on his way.
One other time I stopped in front of the Flamingo (a definate no-no) went to the back of the car to take a video of Ceasers when I heard someone walk up to me and the guy say's "gimme your camera" I turned and took his picture and told him I have him on video with sound. He swore and took off. I still have it on film.

I'm sure we've seen some that I cannot remember at the moment. However, one comes to mind. A man outside the Barbary Coast taking a full bath with alcohol hand wipes. Couldn't miss it while we were waiting for a shuttle.

One was in Atlantic City at a very nice restaurant in Caesar's. A gentleman(in a sport coat)scoffing up all the breadsticks at his table and placing them in the inside pocket of his sportcoat. No plastic bag, no paper, just breadsticks with garlic, onion and crumbs.

Beth

It was a couple of years ago in a pretty decent cafe (yes,downtown,Magnolias) we were having an early dinner and there was a =/- 30 year old man watching from a close table...drinking coffee only. My wife ate about one half her meal leaving meat,baked potato,and vegetable on the plate.I had scarfed mine down....As we were leaving, tip on table, he leaned over and quitely ask if we minded him moving to our table? No problem says me!, but as we were leaving he was eating the rest of my wifes meal.....I didn't see what happened to the tip...$5 bucks....When we were at the cash out he was being taken away by security......

We have been here so long that nothing is a strange sight to us anymore. :p

OK.....There was one strange sight I saw about 6 months ago. I was sitting at Gordon Biersh having lunch with some nice folks I know from PA. When all of a sudden in walks a Texan and he joins us at the table and says he's movin' to Vegas. I thought the guy was pulling our leg, turned out he DID move to Vegas. :p

"What goes on in Vegas, stays in Vegas, and this is the entertainment capital of the planet soooo, look for everything and expect anything.

I don't really remember anything weird, either........I guess even weird stuff seems normal here!
One night we were having dinner at the Skye Room, now the Ranch, at the top of Binions, and I dropped my napkin. Bent down to get it, and out of the corner of my eye, I could see hair on the floor. ????? Turned around to look, and it was Crystal Gayle having dinner at the next table. Sitting down, her hair was on the floor. I remember thinking that I think I'd put mine on top of my head before I'd let it rest on the floor, but maybe it was a business type dinner, and she had to look like Crystal Gayle. Aquaintences of ours say their neigborhood is very noisy..........Tiger roars........It took them a while to get used to it when they moved in. They live in same neighborhood as S & R.

About a dozen years ago I stopped at the Holy Cow after work.

After several brews I left the place for home about three in the morning.

I decided to head south down the Strip when all of a sudden I see to big ships heading north on the Strip.

I didn't dare tell Mrs. LVC what I saw out of fear she would sign me up for A/A.

As it turned out; the two ships were heading to the pond in front of Treasure Island for their pirate battles.

Another strange sight in Las Vegas. I haven't seen it yet. There was an article about it in the RJ today. It has to do with the light on the Luxor and the millions of moths that are present as a result of the past weather.

Apparently the moths are attracted to the light atop the Luxor. They swarm to the light and fly up and down through it's beam. The result is supposed to appear make it look like the light beam is swirling and changing shapes within the beam. People from as far away as Summerlin noticed the changes in the light beam.

I'll probably check it out on Saturday night.

There's stuff you can smoke that will give the light that same effect! LOL

8o year old woman with low, low cut top, with that glitter stuff on her chest. Ewuuuuu!

1. Maxine and Daisy having their picture made with "Big Elvis". 2. While strolling thru the Mirage casino, a lady with tears in her eyes looking up at her husband and asking "But what are we going to do about the mortgage??

Oh, Wendell. That's just sad.

Number 2, not number 1.

Actually now that I think about it Big E is a little sad too. I enjoyed his show and bought a CD, and took a picture too.

Lee - I second that eewww! The glitter stuff is find, but the lo cut, oh no.

This is a thread that keeps on living - as we all make trips to LV, there's always some new strange thing to see

I can just imagine the reports after the end of June!

Kestal, as the temps rise in Vegas, so do the strange sightings....it has nothing to do at all with the "bark at the sun" meets.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Wendell, Maxine & I also had another unusual sighting in the Barbary Coast while waiting to see Big Elvis .... a middle-aged man had a row of 10-12 quarter slots marked off with buckets on the stools and was rotating back and forth playing all machines. He'd play 2 or 3 machines, then stand back and look at the row to pick his next 2 or 3 machines; he just kept repeating this cycle. I was surprised that security let him monopolize that many machines, but Wendell noticed they were watching him ... and laughing.

kes-the bark started 3-4 years ago when we were trying to pick a place for a meet and i said why don't we just get a barrel o beer,go out in the dessert and bark at the sun,and howl at the moon,build a bonfire and get naked.but the senator and larry didn't show so we had it at the monte instead<G> still plenty time for you to book!

Kes, it would be cool if you got to post one of those late June trip reports. And it would probably answer a few questions you might have.

I have one more strange sight to report, but it is kind of adult in nature so skip on if it may offend you...Very true though!!
One evening (not dark) I was walking from the "Bourbon St." to the strip and in the area between there and "Barbary Coast" saw a short skirted Lady (?) down on her knees in front of this gent! Maybe tieing his shoes?......

You are right Kes, that was sad - and then there is the story of a "gent" at the Golden Nugget who was "3 sheets in the wind" and bet 50k on one roll of the dice and lost. He became mad and wanted his money back. (Of course, he did not get it)

Once saw a woman screaming at her husband in the riviera. She was saying "what do you mean you lost all of our money we still have three days left." Probibly more common than we think.

Welcome to the board, Dman.

Yeah that probably is seen a bit. I just hope it was "you lost all our gambling money" not "You mortgaged the house, cleared out the college fund, cashed in the pension - lost all our money"

Dman, What exactly do you think is more common, The yelling or the loosing? LOL or both!
It seems gambling can bring out the worst in some relationships.

That quote of yours...it's from? Las Vegas Vacation?

Looks like both Lee and Dman are up on their classics.

I saw some interesting things on the way to work this week.

1. Driving down Paradise near the Hard Rock, traffic was heavy and 3 couples were trying to cross the street and were not near a crosswalk. Two of the girls took their shirts off to reveal nothing underneath. That got traffic to stop as the bare breasted women twirled their shirts in the air and danced across the street.

2. Driving down the strip at the crack of dawn, stopped at a red light when a motorcyle passed me and ran the red light. By the sound of the motorcyle it must have been very small, maybe 125cc. On the bike were 2 girls wearing very small bikinis. The outside temp was about 80, so they were probably comfortable. Just unusual at 5am.

3. Stopped at a mini mart Shell station for gas. I saw some international folks getting gas also. While the woman pumped the gas, the man took the squeegee/sponge thingy and cleaned his windows. When the windows were done, he used the thingy to clean the roof of the car. At first I thought that was strange. Then he started cleaning the hood of his car with it. Then the fender, door, and kept going. He gave himself a full car wash with that thing. I was too shocked to take a picture.

I just saw an interesting sight. A guy riding a ten speed bicycle down a major 6 lane road carrying a full 5 gallon water bottle under one arm. This dude was severely out of balance wiggling down a busy road where car speeds are generally 50 mph.

Oh I love this thread!
JMT, Our man about town! I'm guessing as the temp rise, so will the strange sightings.
Keep'm coming JMT!!!!!

It's been kinda calm, relatively speaking. I hope I'm not getting used to the bad drivers.

I've noticed a lot of BMW motorcycles in this town. I saw one a few days ago where the driver was smoking a cigar. It was a big cigar, it was lit, and it was sticking straight out forward.

Another sight was a family having lunch at Fatburger on Charleston. Mom and Dad did not look too outrageous. The little girl had fresh ear piercings. She must have had about 8-10 objects in each ear plus one in the eyebrow. Most were so fresh, there was blood around the hole. The son, who was probably 10 years old, was about 2 or 3 years older than the little girl. The son had a fresh tatoo on his arm. His mom was telling him that the brusing would go down and the tatoo would look good in a week or so. He replied that the bone in is arm still hurt from the tatoo. The tatoo was on the arm away from me so I didn't get to see it. Imagine my relief when I saw them leave and get into a van with California plates.

A related situation of irresponsible parenting, although not in California or Las Vegas was a little boy who was under 3 feet tall. I have no idea how old he was, but he was traveling out of the Portland Airport. This child had a mohawk hair cut. His hair was about 8 inches long, stuck straight up, and colored bright fire engine red.

And of course, the wildfires are a strange sight. Maybe they are a strange lack of sight. As much as I would like to blame California for this sad event, I can't quite stretch it this time.

There may be a really strange sight next week ... JMT talking to someone from California. I really shoulda taken a picture of JMT driving a car with California license plates, instead I took a picture of a cute lil a$$ out in Red Rock Canyon<vbg>.

Daisy, I wasn't out in Red Rock at that time, you must of taken that picture before.(G)

Okay, here's another couple of sights. And I have four witnesses.

First was an electric mobility scooter that helps people get around. This particular one looked normal except it was a two seater. There was an extension out of the back with another seat on it so two could ride. It's probably not as "strange" as it is unique (to me), and a darn good idea since there is probably a demmand for it. Why didn't I think of it? In addition to the rumble seat, it had a cover to it, lights, and mirrors. That was one decked out scooter. I'll bet the ramp agents cringe when that couple travels by air.

The other was a guy with his hands in his pockets. Pretty disgusting sight in the Wynn Dot in front of god of everybody. Maybe he was just jingling quarters in his pocket.

Don't know if this was a strange sighting as much as a strange listening. While waiting for our rental car at Valet, some white trash woman is having a very loud conversation on her cell phone, telling the guy on the other end she's moving out, and she's not paying any portion of the rent.
Maybe it's just me, but it struck me as odd, doing this by phone outside a casino that you just visited for all the world to hear. This woman was teary eyed, but when valet came back, she was all about giving the valet heck for taking so long!
Maybe it was just a bad day for her???

What a coincidence, Lee ... I was hanging out at a DB machine by the elevators at Sam's tonight and got to hear what may have been the same trash woman chewing someone out on her cell phone while waiting for the elevator. The guy showed up a couple of moments later, and they continued their loving discussion before he stomped off to the casino while she headed upstairs. There was almost an instant replay with the next couple that showed up for the elevator --same ending too.

As I was taking the moving sidewalk into the Mirage near Caesars today, I saw a black guy with blue jeans and a white T-shirt walking through the pond picking up quarters that people through into the water. This was about 2pm on a bright day, and this guy was stealing from charities. How low can one go? And this guy wasn't just taking all the money, he was selectively picking out the larger silver colored coins. When I got into the casino, I called security on a house phone.

The guy behind me said it was the strangest thing he ever saw. I guess he doesn't read this forum.<g>

Had to add this. Back in the day when I was still riding Cat Bus, I was sitting at the bus stop off of Boulder Highway and Mojave when a guy on a motorcycle rode past me wearing a helmit with rear view mirrors ducktaped to the helmit. They stuck out long and far so he could see in them.

On another day the same stop a man in an old convertable cadillac had the top down and huge scubba diving goggles on as he drove down the road.

Wow, DLH, you must really be enjoying looking back through the old threads!

Thanks for reviving this one - maybe some folks have seen some more strange things in the past two years.

Don't know if this is strange - but I saw a family at red rock canyon,at the highest point overlook, and the teen son was throwing rocks at the joshua tree. The parents did not seem too concerned. They then asked me if I would take their picture, for their Christmas card. I said sure - as long as you get your son to stop throwing rocks at the tree, so other families can have their picture taken in front of it in the future. They were surprised, but immediately reprimanded him. Then they all smiled for the photo!