Monday, August 4, 2008

The Fine, Fine Blue-Haireds of The Palms

I now have yet another reason to love the Palms. It's not enough that owner George Maloof is the most media-savvy owner in quite possibly American business today, that they have such neat facilities or that they're hosting the Vegas Podcast-A-Palooza.

Today, I found out what good people their customers are, too.

I was over there scouting a new assignment idea I had and decided to pop $1 into one of those multi-hand video poker machines. Once it was gone, I hopped to The Lounge to shoot some photos of the space where the Palooza will occur. Here's what it looks like:


God help us fill all that space, but it's a pretty terrific room anyway.

So after I snap these shots, I'm about to leave and I realize I'm missing my wallet!!! Holy crap!

I go back to the machine I played, walked aimlessly around The Lounge, unpacked my pockets and my messenger bag repeatedly. Nothing. WTF? Beyond the agony of having to replace all the items in the wallet was the fact that the wallet itself is worth a lot. It's one of those designer things that Miles insisted on giving me and now I live in perpetual fear of losing. For good reason, evidently.

Finally, in the meekest, saddest voice I've probably ever made, I found an employee near to the machine I had played. "I think I lost my wallet," I squeaked, nearly crying.

She brightened! A kindly old woman had found it on the seat where I had been playing and brought it to security counter! "She said that's what she hoped someone would do if they found her wallet," this lovely lady told me. Then, as I heaved a sigh of relief that my brief stint of terror had passed, the lady walked me to the security desk literally by the hand, soothingly repeating, "It's OK, baby boy. It's OK."

Baby boy?!? But, anyway, I got it back! I was so gleeful! And it made me wonder. The old ladies at the Palms during the day are almost always locals. Would the old ladies at, say, Caesars Palace, have been so civic minded?

I supposed it just depends on what individual finds the thing. I'm just so unbelievably relieved.

5 comments:

Troy in Las Vegas said...

True in that is was maloof who agreed to let MTV film their Real World show there 1) bringing a shit load of exposure to his new property and 2) opening the door to even more filming in town including Las Vegas and CSI etc etc.

Anonymous said...

My wife once left her purse by a machine at Fitzgaralds. The employees turned it into security. When we went to security, they had to run out the side door and stop the girl they had mistakenly given it to a minute earlier. Got it back also, but not much faith in casino security (at least downtown).

Amy said...

Gotta love good karma! I know the sinking feeling of realizing you've left something valuable behind -- a video camera in a Vegas taxi -- and the elation when someone honest returns the item to you. The taxi driver wouldn't even take an extra tip. Kinda gives you faith in humanity.

But the taxi driver didn't call my husband "baby boy." That was a special level of karma just for you, Steve.

Anonymous said...

I dropped my wallet at the 4 Queens on Fremont Street of all places, and was able to retrieve it at Security an hour or so later (once I figured out where I had been), with everything, including the cash still in it! What a pleasant suprise - kinda restores your faith in humanity ... kinda.

Anonymous said...

With the Bellagio, Wynn and Palms already charging $499, $519 and $329 respectively for a standard room on the night of Podcast-a-palooza, its clear the city is rapidly filling up in anticipation of this Broadcast Event......

I also had the same thing happen this month at Cesars while playing roulette, my wallet with *everything* fell on the floor and a Casino floor Employee pointed it out to me.....