[olecapt]

Having spent the teenage years of my daughters with multiple Disney employees let me assure you that the sex inside the creature was not in any way dictated by the sex of the creature. Actually most of the small characters were female. There were however a set of small males who also played the same set.

It is interesting and actually popular with the tourists...we have had visitors who wanted to go get their picture took with someone.

[unf0rgiven6262]

Originally Posted by MizzouGypsy

What is the deal with the costumed homeless begging for money on the Strip?

It seems to be worst on the East side of the strip between MGM & Planet Hollywood. My girlfriend does promotions on the strip infront of Showcase mall, and says there are family units (mom, dad, kid) in costume begging for money everyday.

I work part time over there and have seen these crack heads changing into costume in the Showcase parking garage. Sure seems to me like they live out of thier cars.

This isn't like Hollywood Blvd, where the people actually dress up like famous actors and perform. The losers in Las Vegas get a head to toe costume (Elmo, Shrek, etc) and stick a bucket in front of them begging for change and charging for pictures.

Why, in a town where you have to have a work card for almost every type of job, are these people allowed to beg for money, grope tourists, and cause a nuisance without being licensed with a background check?

Think I'm overreacting? Think about this. The other day I saw Minnie Mouse changing in the parking garage...Minnie Mouse was a middle-aged man. Who loves Minnie Mouse and would want to give her hugs...

...Children. Especially little girls. There is a pedophile dressed like Minnie Mouse hugging and groping children everyday on the Strip and nobody seems to mind.

People are going to do whatever makes them money. There was a story on fox5 news a few months ago about how costumed people were making upwards of $500 a night in tips on the strip. I'm sure as a homeless person hanging around on the streets anyway, this is pretty enticing. Just because it was a guy in a minnie mouse costume does not make him a pedophile. Your post is loaded with presumptions which really take the credibility away from whatever it is your arguing. Realistically though, if these people are homeless or not and making large sums of money daily they should be licensed and paying taxes. It's just one of those gray areas that many people are capitalizing on.

[MizzouGypsy]

Originally Posted by ChrisKLAS

Public property. ACLU. 'Nough said.

BTW, what makes you so certain that these people are "crack heads?"

Fair question, and you're right to call me out on it. "crack heads" may not apply.

Having seen the way these people act and look out of costume, I'd still bet you wouldn't want to spend more than 3 seconds in thier personal space.

As far as ACLU goes...I'm not sure free speech applies. This is more of an unlicensed business issue. Furthermore, my girlfriend who does promo is only allowed to operate in a 5 ft radius around the entrance to her biz. The Furries can stand, sit, or stumble anywhere they please.

Lazy, harrassing, degenerate, drain on Las Vegas is more like it.

Originally Posted by olecapt

Having spent the teenage years of my daughters with multiple Disney employees let me assure you that the sex inside the creature was not in any way dictated by the sex of the creature. Actually most of the small characters were female. There were however a set of small males who also played the same set.

One eensie-teensie little difference...These people don't work for Disney!
Disney is a major corporation that (I'm assuming) does background checks on their costumed characters. I assume you can't come to work drunk or high? Those characters also have to report to a supervisor and pay taxes, right?

None of that applies to Mr. Minnie Mouse outside the M&M Store. (who is almost 6 ft tall, so the "small males" argument is moot) Tell me what's ok about a middle-aged man dressing up like a beloved cartoon character and hugging on children while begging for money?

Come on...if I have to have a sheriff's card and background check to pour beer shouldn't these losers have to do the same?

It is interesting and actually popular with the tourists...we have had visitors who wanted to go get their picture took with someone.

Some of them are interesting. The dueling Michael Jacksons, Superman, and various Evlii can be intertaining. The rest of it is a cheap cash grab. Whatever happened to playing a guitar with a case open at your feet?

[MizzouGypsy]

Originally Posted by unf0rgiven6262

Just because it was a guy in a minnie mouse costume does not make him a pedophile. Realistically though, if these people are homeless or not and making large sums of money daily they should be licensed and paying taxes. It's just one of those gray areas that many people are capitalizing on.

That's exactly my point. Nobody knows what this guy's deal is. He could be down on his luck, or he could be the toothless Tommy Sanders who is wanted by the FBI for murdering a 12 year old.

$500/night or $5/night, there should be background checks, work cards, and perhaps a business license.

And my claims aren't really that far-fetched. Spend 6 hours a day watching these people and you'll reach the same conclusions.

[MizzouGypsy]

Originally Posted by olecapt

There were however a set of small males who also played the same set.

Something else to consider...nobody told this guy to dress up like Minnie Mouse. He could have been anything else in the world, but he choose Minnie Mouse.

That just doesn't hold water. Maybe we should check his permenant record...OH WAIT! He doesn't have one!

[PinkString]

Maybe these people dressing up and making money have tried to get jobs elsewhere and could not. They have to make a living too. I often wondered why Spiderman was hanging out on the Strip asking for money. Now I know why.

[Spraynard Kruger]

If there is one thing I have noticed walking on the strip lately is that there are a lot more performers of all kinds.

I would venture to guess that Metro has a decent undercover presence on the strip. They are obviously out there in full force and have their hands full. I hope that they are keeping tabs on these masked performers. They really could be a security risk, but I think they are generally just a potential nuisance.

And yes, people have to make a living, right? There are so few ways to make one any longer without bureaucracy involved. Local government could put laws in place and people would still go out there and do it illegally. New laws are generally not the answer. Being aware of your surroundings is the golden rule. If you don't like it or it seems sketchy...keep your eyes forward and move. Don't engage.

[jfkIII]

A drunk 6-foot Mr. Minnie Mouse???? That would be hilarious! I've been away from Vegas for too long!

[jfkIII]

Originally Posted by PinkString

Maybe these people dressing up and making money have tried to get jobs elsewhere and could not. They have to make a living too. I often wondered why Spiderman was hanging out on the Strip asking for money. Now I know why.

What evil webs we weave.

[jjameson922]

I see both sides to this discussion but I wonder how many tourists are kept away because of this? Case in point that I can refer to is I have a daughter and a sil, a son and a dil, and they think the Strip is so trashy, they won't even go around it. My daughter and sil, if they have to come out, stay at off Strip properties like Red Rock and they eat at only very nice restaurants. This spring when they were out, since they eat their meals at nice restaurants, they threw caution to the wind because they wanted to try Mon Ami at Paris. They were seated outside and ended up leaving before they were served because of as they said, "all the riff raff" hanging around. I've got to believe they are not the only ones who feel that way.

Also on the same subject, I wanted to go downtown on Halloween and see the parade. The friends I have met out here so far are either locals or long term. I couldn't find anyone who wanted to go with me. They said the parade brought out the dregs of society and that's what the streets were full of; hundreds and hundreds of far out people. I keep wondering if these things are turning off the well heeled tourists, isn't cleaning up this image important to the casinos bottom line?