 | Bovada is the only Internet casino endorsed by the Wizard. Here are my reasons why and my promise of support. |
Rio hotel theft: did I make the wrong call?
| October 25th, 2010 at 8:08:46 AM permalink | |
| Nareed Member since: Nov 11, 2009 Threads: 218 Posts: 7264 | In general it's a bad idea to leave valuables unsecured in your room, but especially before housekeeping has come in. I always either use the room safe, even if I have to pay for it, or get a safe-deposit box at the front desk (or sometimes in Vegas by the casino cage). The only things I leave in my room is stuff that can be easily replaced: clothes, toiletries, magazines, books, brochures, etc. Never jewelry, cash, cell phone, electronics, laptop (if I had one), ID and other documents (including credit cards and passport), or any other things of value. I'm not saying you're to blame if you left valuables in your oom, or that you were asking to be robbed. Not at all. You were wronged and it sucks that the hotel won't do anything about it. But next time take better precautions. Hmm. I wonder if there may be a market for hotel room insurance... This space is closed for remodeling |
| October 25th, 2010 at 8:16:58 AM permalink | |
| sunrise089 Member since: Jul 12, 2010 Threads: 5 Posts: 174 | Op, that sucks, and I'm sorry. I'm impressed you maintained such good spirits for the rest of your trip and while writing your report. That said, I agree with others that safe > on-person > hidden in room. Yes it's crazy that the thieving made put so much effort into searching your stuff, but my impression is still that maids steal from rooms often, people are mugged rarely, and hotel safes are broken into very rarely (probably because staff would then know the maid was involved). If I heard lots of stories of safes being broken into (or if there was some sort of override a maid could use) I might be willing to rank things on-person > safe > hidden in room, but hidden in room will always be last. I also think it's an intriguing possibility that the maid closed the safe herself to raise her chances of finding something in the room, but who knows... Is this based on any numbers, or just "common sense?" I have a hard time believing the chances of you getting mugged and shot with $300 but mugged at let go with $1,000 outweighs the general danger of carrying an extra $700 (loosing it, pickpockets, increased chance of being mugged period, plus any of the above is now much more costly). |
| October 25th, 2010 at 8:28:19 AM permalink | |
| teddys Member since: Nov 14, 2009 Threads: 100 Posts: 2721 | I would hope that the cleaning person would be fired immediately. I see no reason why they should be given the benefit of the doubt. They were the only ones who had access to the room. There are surveillance cameras in the hallways showing who enters/exits the rooms, making it pretty obvious who the person was. All the evidence is in your favor, and the Rio did you dirty by not following up on it. I think you should have filed a police report to show you were serious about the money being stolen, and insisted the hotel follow up in a significant way. "If you can make one heap of all your winnings / And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss / And lose, and start again at your beginnings / And never breathe a word about your loss..." -Rudyard Kipling |
| October 25th, 2010 at 8:45:00 AM permalink | |
| DJTeddyBear Member since: Nov 2, 2009 Threads: 105 Posts: 5701 | And there's the tipping point. If you're not gonna bother with the police report, the hotel is not gonna bother confronting the maid. Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown.
But how much does it cost to knock on wood? |
| October 25th, 2010 at 8:57:54 AM permalink | |
| JerryLogan Member since: Jun 28, 2010 Threads: 26 Posts: 1344 |
Forget the police. He should be consulting with anyone who lives within the confines of common sense. Chalk it up to being one of those "teachable moments" Obama tries to squirm out of situations with. |
| October 25th, 2010 at 9:07:59 AM permalink | |
| Paigowdan Member since: Apr 28, 2010 Threads: 54 Posts: 2111 | My wife works for housekeeping at a local casino hotel, and yes: 1. "Some" crooks work for housekeeping, much in the same way crooks work as baggage handlers....but: 2. They [maids] should be given the benefit of the doubt, simply because the thief might be their supervisor, or some other maid, etc., and an honest maid could be wronglyfully fired. Also, some guests "take shots" with false claims after loosing their asses at the slots/tables, with NO housekeeping theft occuring. With THAT said, surveillance tapes of the hallway WOULD answer the question of "who." 3. The only thing maids can get away stealing is drugs, because a guest cannot claim that. ("Hey, I had two bundles of really great smack stolen from my room...call the cops!") 4. Housekeeping supervision has a pulse on who has "sticky fingers." Hotel management has crews who stay at rooms with marked goodies to check up on things, just as Casino management sends in false players (called "mystery shoppers") who play at tables to bust excessively rude dealers who cost them table games business. 5. If you did NOT get fleeced by them, DO tip the maid $3 a day as an amulet. Leave it on the dresser with a note that says "gracias" or "Khob Khun Krap." "Teachable Moments:" I would store cash in a false handle, panel, or wheel of a piece of luggage, or use travelers' checks, or keep cash on a debit "gift" card for myself. While vacationing in Thailand, I kept countefeit money in a cheap decoy wallet for pick pockets, sometimes using "porno money." Armed robbery was virtually non-existent, but pick-pockets abound. Gambling doesn't build character, it reveals..no character. But a lot of characters. |
| October 25th, 2010 at 9:43:48 AM permalink | |
| JerryLogan Member since: Jun 28, 2010 Threads: 26 Posts: 1344 | I would never blame a housekeeper for anything. You leave valuables in your room then you're asking for one of them to scoop it up. And why shouldn't they, it's part of the game of life and they usually need whatever they can get. By the time we all leave, your life is measured by how well you did playing the game. We get fleeced this way, we fleece back that way. |
| October 25th, 2010 at 5:55:39 PM permalink | |
| Hcer Member since: Jun 12, 2010 Threads: 2 Posts: 11 |
Well, here's how you get the money back.. Hang around the next day (and make sure it's the same maid) for your room to be cleaned, and after the maid goes in your room, go in and close the door and start asking where your money is in a threatening way. Just make sure you're 100% sure you got the right person. |
| October 25th, 2010 at 6:30:01 PM permalink | |
| JohnnyQ Member since: Nov 3, 2009 Threads: 49 Posts: 587 |
|
| October 25th, 2010 at 6:36:50 PM permalink | |
| Wizard Administrator Member since: Oct 14, 2009 Threads: 312 Posts: 6757 |
How would he know he has the right person? Of course the maid is going to claim, in Spanish, that somebody else cleaned the room yesterday. He wouldn't have any evidence to contradict that. Again, foiled by the "benefit of the doubt." It's not whether you win or lose; it's whether or not you had a good bet. |
| Bovada is the only Internet casino endorsed by the Wizard. Here are my reasons why and my promise of support. |