Monday, December 23, 2019

PublHICK Enemy #1

When we met The Pony at Downstream Casino on his way home for the Christmas holiday, we had a little time to kill before check-in. The Pony and I went one way, and Hick another. We had plans to meet in one hour to have lunch, and then check in.

Hick was sitting at a table waiting for us when time was up. He looked preoccupied. While waiting for our order, he told his tale.

"I was playing at this machine when a woman came up and said, 'Did you take my ticket?' I told her no, and kept playing. She asked if there was a ticket in my machine, and I said no. She left. I hit some bonuses. I looked at the amount on my machine, and figured it was showing in pennies. When I cashed out, I had $147. I'd only been playing on a twenty. I thought that seemed like a lot.

I went around, playing several other machines, using that ticket. On about the fifth one, I heard someone behind me talking on a radio. Like a casino employee. Then the guy stepped over to me, and said, 'Are you Hick Thevictorian?' I said yes. The guy wanted to see some ID.

He said, 'Did you put your card in on someone else's card?' 

I said, 'Not that I know of. There was no card in there. A lady came up and asked if I took her ticket, and I said no. I didn't take anyone's ticket.'

He said, 'Was there money in the machine when you started playing it?' 

I said, 'Not that I noticed. I don't look at that when I put my card in to play. I put in a twenty, and started playing. I didn't do anything wrong. I did think it seemed like a lot of money when I cashed out.'

He said, 'A lady said she forgot to cash out her ticket. There was $141.36. Can you have the money to pay this back today?'

I said, 'Sure I have it right here. Let me get it out of my pocket.'

He said, 'No. You have to cash out this ticket, and then give me the exact amount.'

I said, 'Okay. Let's go over to this cash machine.' I cashed out that ticket, and got the rest out of my pocket. I didn't have the 36 cents, but I had 30 cents. I said, 'Is this going to be a problem, over 6 cents?'

He said, 'No. That's good. I'll tell the lady you were very cooperative, and I believe you did not do this on purpose.'

I said, 'I didn't do anything wrong!'

He said, 'If you had been unable, or refused to pay back the money, you would be banned from this casino.'

I called my brother (who used to work in security at Circus Circus in Las Vegas), and he said they banned people all the time for stuff like that. I don't see how it's my problem that she walked off and left her money! I didn't even realize it was in there."

Well. Wouldnt' THAT have been a fine kettle of fish, if Hick had been banned from the casino where we were staying, on his birthday!

That darn Hick. He makes my weirdo encounters seem so tame...

6 comments:

  1. How do you put in a twenty and not notice you have a credit for over $160? Pretty much the same way as you walk away from a machine and forget to cash out $141!

    I guess the casino can tell what the amt was when a twenty was added, so no harm no fowl.

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    1. I never look at the amount when I start playing. I just assume it's the $20 I put in. Otherwise, it would be like expecting to find free money already loaded. That's just crazy!

      Yes, it would show when a new player's card was put in. If Hick wasn't using a player's card, they would have had to watch the surveillance tapes closer, to see who was playing at the time that twenty got added.

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  2. I don't know all the rules, but if that lady walked off and forgot her ticket that's her bad luck and she should be more careful.

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    1. That's what I think! It would be different if she had the chair tilted against the slot, signifying a return, or if she'd left her card in the slot. You don't expect money to be in a machine when you sit down to play. How is that HICK'S fault? And you know how I generally love to blame everything on Hick.

      I think Hick had his nose out of joint for being treated like he was a criminal. He had no problem giving the money back, since it had seemed to be more than expected when he actually cashed out his ticket and saw it in dollars and cents. It was the perception that he'd been caught shenaniganning, and they were doing him a favor by letting him go.

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  3. Replies
    1. Because another lady is careless with her money!

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