Monday, January 02, 2006

Casino high, casino low

I talked about the casino some earlier, but I'd like to mention a couple of other things. There is of course the thrill of victory. When your number comes up at roulette, especially back-to-back. When you get three of a kind playing three credits on the slot machine (the ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding sound of credits piling up is wonderful, though it's a shame they've done away with the coins falling into the tray). And if I understood craps, I'm sure the joy of not hitting seven on the dice would be just as sweet.

Losing is bad, but not as bad when you expect to lose. But a really bad part of going to the casino is looking around at so many people that make you think to yourself, "They shouldn't be here." I don't say they don't have the right to be there, or that their presence is offensive or disruptive. And maybe they're just in for a little while, know their limit, and will be out in a jiffy. I'm not talking about compulsive gamblers or seniors betting their social security checks or priests and nuns.

My sister and I were walking around the floor when we passed a certain row of slots and I said, "I think it's sort of disturbing to see people in wheelchairs playing the slot machines." About sixty seconds later, she said, "Not as disturbing as that."

"That" was a woman at a slot machine. A woman hooked up to an oxygen machine. Why didn't she just breathe the gas coming out of an erupting volcano? A casino has to be one of, if not the worst, places in the world to go if you have breathing difficulties. There are more smokers in there than $100 chips. No, I'm not her guardian angel. No, she's not breaking the law. But she shouldn't be there!

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