As a deputy, and, consequently, a very gentle and sensitive guy with a mild manner, and having an aversion to confrontation and coersion, I can see where you might find that process upsetting and intimidating. For us old Quality Control guys, who are reviled by all, we the ultimate anal retentives and are endowed with thicker skin and have no aversion to playing the Don't Pass line at a crowded craps table.

The last time I was in Vegas I had a couple of hours to kill because I was too overweight to take the helicopter tour into Grand Canyon. For 3 hours of high pressure sales tactics I snagged a buffet at Sahara, followed by the Drifters, Platters, and Coasters show. I had a ball. Even wasting the time of the salesperson I looked upon as a challenge. It is a sport, you know. I could have gambled at the Palace Station (I was comped a tower room for three nights and a slot tournament) but I had already made the decision to not gamble the rest of the time there because I dropped $300 in less than two hours on penny and quarter slots. My luck was awful for that 3 days. I went around to different casinos using my Las Vegas Advisor match plays at craps, and lost all 7 match plays in a row.

I still had two days to go at El Cortez, where I was a little luckier, and 2 days at Main Street Station, where I didn't gamble because I didn't like their games. Both the El Cortez and Main Street Station were Buy 1 night Get 1 night Free, so I got four nights for paying two cheap nights. While not gambling I saw Gordie Brown at the Golden Nugget - 4th row for $39 (try seeing him now for that price), and the Smother's Brothers at the Orleans - 1st row, plus Larry Jones at Fitzgeralds (which sucked). Oh, and there was this great, and free, pianist playing out on Fremont Street. I bought two of his CD's.