Sometimes just getting into the poker room is a major ordeal. The first part of the experience is jumping on the freeway and trying to defend yourself from people in a hurry to die and they want to take you with them. Taxi drivers are the worst offenders and really want to make sure the rest of the world goes out with them. When Mother Nature dumps a load of water on Vegas, just multiply all the scary incidents that pop into your head by 5,000.

Once you hit the Strip, you now have to change lanes to escape the vehicles that are parked, in a right turn only lane, watching the Fountains at Bellagio. There are people scurrying between vehicles waiting for a traffic light to change. Instead of using crosswalks and even after the signal light has changed to ‘DON’T WALK’, they still gamble by crossing anyway. They seem to be in a hurry to end their life or spend it maimed.

Once you’ve made it to the employ entrance on the Strip and Harmon, construction for the new Spa and connecting Harmon from East to West, is a myriad nightmare. There’s only one way in and one way out, slow and irritating. A Security Person stands at a small guard house and looks for your employ ID as you enter. They always look like they hate their job and their life and you for making them be there.

Now you look for parking…there are lots of places to park but they are close to 1/2 mile away from the building. You have two choices, park and walk or wait for the employee shuttle. The shuttles arrive almost back to back during regular shifts but during off hours there’s only one and you can wait for 10 minutes sometimes for it to appear. There have been times that a small hand written note is posted at the Shuttle Stop, stating that there will not be a shuttle at certain times. So you’re stuck. Get ready for a walk. Taking a seat in the shuttle is not possible at times, it’s standing room only. You get jostled and bumped by big butts passing by, handbags and back packs, and inconsiderate fellow employees that fail to realize you’re a person instead of part of the shuttle.

Once you arrive at the Employee Entrance, you are now greeted by another Security Person that insists you show ID to enter the building. This done, you now have to walk down ‘heart attack hill’, don’t worry, when you leave the building, you are walking up it. Word has it that if you walk up it five times, you’ve walked a mile so this gives you an idea of the trip.

You pass offices, uniform control where literally thousands of garment bags hang on automated rails from a 20 to 30 foot ceiling, (and one of them is yours), Mangia (the employees dining area), the Dealer’s Room, (where all dealers in the casino can go for a break and it contains your locker…lockers are shared by two people), an employee’s discount store, and a satellite cage, (where all employees can cash out and the bank is picked up and turned in by bartenders and people in the retail stores), plus entrances and exits to the Grand Ballroom, storage, kitchens, spa, bathrooms, and a million other places unknown to God and man.

Once you’ve made it through this, you have the choice of walking up two flights of stairs or taking an escalator to see another Security Person, (watching everyone come and go), and finally an entrance/exit into the casino floor. Think you’re home free? NO WAY!

Now you fight your way through the buffet line which is conveniently located across the employees entrance/exit doors…NOT…and through crowds of people going to “O”, stop to answer Guest’s questions and give directions, and finally…the poker room.

It’s never easy. People always stand in the doorway and traffic aisles to talk. They walk three abreast coming towards you and act like you are supposed to disappear into the carpet or levitate yourself so they can pass unimpeded. Even tho you wear a white shirt and stand out in the pedestrian traffic, you are still invisible and they run right into you. A lot of times they are very overweight which makes your slipping past them impossible. Believe it or not, usually the worst offenders are employees. This is before you’ve ever turned a card or clocked in…you need valium just to get to work…OK! Now put on your best smile, look through your wardrobe for your best attitude shirt, slip it on and get ready to DEAL.

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This post is done by Chanzes – during the time period that I took a break from posting in the Diary.