Today, a comical sight unfolded before my eyes as I cruised up an escalator to the bridge that connects Caesars Palace to the Bellagio Hotel across the street.
Tourists - and locals alike - are keen to the fact that vendors illegally hawk their wares daily on the crowded passageway (from cheap jewellery to bottled water) without a business license or even a nod from the the property owners.
Mid-afternoon, one of the look-outs for the merchants spotted security approaching and proceeded to frantically signal an alert.
Within seconds, the once-ballsy entrepreneurs were packing up their discounted goods and fleeing to the nearest escalator or exit with a look of terror on their faces.
If caught, I surmise the independent businessmen (!) would be fined and summarily banned from the Vegas strip.
The whole kit-and-caboodle will probably be back staking out their territory once again tomorrow, just betcha.
By the way, the card snappers (a posse of aggressive individuals who pass out free passes to nightclubs and sex parlors) have returned in full force once again.
However, I noticed that - for the most part - the day workers are not as pushy as they used to be.
Tattler readers may recall that I published a post on the subject a couple of years ago.
Pedestrians - and politicians alike - complained at the time that "snappers" blocked their way, invaded their space on occasion, and - quite generally - made a nuisance of themselves on the strip.
A bold-faced effort to ban the "promoters" met with resistance from their attorneys who argued that denying the vendors access to the street was unconstitutional.
Judging by the conduct I witnessed today - tamer - I would have to surmise that the bosses instructed their workers not to cross the line or get in an individuals face.
