Two weeks and counting

Vegas two weeks from today!!!! Three nights at Paris and then two at NYNY. My brother is meeting me there and we are leaving the women at home. I've been there around ten times and know the Strip, but this is his first visit. This is my first time when we will rent a car to see some the sites around and outside of Vegas. We both work in the environmental and engineering fields and both are interested in natural history. Hoover Dam and Red Rock for sure. We are not afraid of some hiking to see these sites. Any suggestions on places to visit would be appreciated.
I also understand that we can enter the Paris parking garage without getting on the Strip. Can someone confirm this?

Quote: timberjim

I also understand that we can enter the Paris parking garage without getting on the Strip. Can someone confirm this?

I know that you can turn off Flamingo through the Bally's entrance (going underneath the moving sidewalk and underneath the Bally's south tower) and then up the ramp to the parking deck shared by Bally's and Paris. There may be another entrance from back by the tennis courts and pool, but I have never tried that way. I think it would be off Audrie Street.

Thanks Doc. That will help. I've relied on limos and taxis and never really paid attention to traffic patterns.

I read somewhere that it's always better to travel than to arrive.

timberjim:

I checked Google Maps, and it appears that the entries directly off Arlie Street are for deliveries to their convention center. However, there is an east-west drive (possibly un-named) from Arlie St. to the front circle entrance of Paris. It looks like that drive has an entry to the parking garage.

I have never stayed at Paris, but I have used this parking deck both when staying at Bally's and when just visiting the area. I find this one and the Bellagio self-parking garage to be the best places for a visitor to park in the center strip. Entering the Paris/Bally's garage by the ramp between the two properties puts you (I think) on level 3. A combination of elevator (next to that ramp's entrance) and escalator down takes you to the mall area between the Bally's and Paris casinos, right where there is a statue of a street sweeper.

The best way to park at Paris is to valet park. The tip is peanuts and the service is one of the better on the Strip. I leave a buck. Why bother with a garage??

Jerry, you tip the Valet? Wow.

Quote: boymimbo

Jerry, you tip the Valet? Wow.

Actually tipping the valet in a free parking garage makes sense even to a cheapskate.

I recall hearing Jay Leno say that he would never use valet parking. I don't think it had anything at all to do with being a cheapskate. Of course, I have no idea how often Jay actually drives himself when in Las Vegas, but I suspect that as an auto enthusiast he often does in the LA area.

My own reluctance to using valet could indeed be related to my being a cheapskate, but, perhaps surprisingly, it has a bit to do with convenience. I have seen many times when people are leaving a casino or restaurant, giving their ticket to the valet. I walk to the self-park area, drive back to pick up my wife (and possibly luggage), and then I see the valet customers still waiting for their car to arrive. I have also had vehicle damage when trusting my car to valet services, so I only do it when there is no viable alternative.

I also self park for most of the reasons above. It seems that this would be a good idea for a "consumers Report" type article on valet wait time. Compare various casinos valet staffs, see who are the slackers (those we will never again use) and those who give fast service, those we will use as they are worth the short wait.

When you think about it those who refuse to valet park, especially at a casino/resort, have a bit of a problem upstairs.

First, they're willing to lose hundreds if not thousands inside, yet they balk at paying a buck or two for the convenience of valet parking. Those who make the absurd point that there's times parking in some far off garage yields a quicker getaway for some reason ignore the fact that that's a rare occurence, just as they do the extraordinary convenience of arriving and checking in at valet parking. It's also the safest method of carrying a bunch of cash in & out.

Jay Leno doesn't valet park because he's neurotic about his collection of expensive and meticulously-kept cars. All that means is he values "stuff" over convenience. Pretty stupid and certainly petty, considering where he & all that "stuff" will be a hundred years from now. But for the rest of you who react similarly I suggest you take a good look at what that car really means in the overall scheme of things.

Convenience is the reason I prefer self parking. I would rather spend my time walking than waiting in line. That said, if I find places that valet parking is faster than self parking, I take advantage of it.

Everyone ignore the TROLL and enjoy your Sunday.

Someone mentioned having a large amount of cash when gambling, and I believe it was the WoO [in another thread] who told him to use Valet parking. Any chance at all someone observes you having that cash, and especially observing you coloring up and leaving with thousands, might mean following you out to see if you are vulnerable to being mugged.

Now how much money would be tempting, I don't know, perhaps any respectable bankroll, but I have to admit I typically skip the valet parking.

PS: as a matter of fact I know someone who got shot leaving with cash after gambling; it was in a residential area where illegal gambling was going on. He survived, but died a decade or so later; complications from the shooting had haunted him and were surely a factor. Obviously, he was taking chances that someone going to a casino is largely avoiding. Just a cautionary note.

I understand the reasons for self parking vs Valet, and I've seen similar things, too.

But very likely the time you gain on the way out you lost on the way in. How many times have you climbed flor after floor looking for an open spot?

Quote: Nareed

How many times have you climbed flor after floor looking for an open spot?

Yes, that has happened at a few places, but never in the Paris/Bally's parking garage that this thread initially was about. As I said earlier, I enter via the ramp between properties, going directly to level 3 (?). I have never seen that level even close to full. It's usually more a matter of people trying to get a space on the very first row of that level, as if walking from the second row would be too much.

I don't know about valet parking at Paris, since I have never stayed there, but my impression is that at Bally's the wait to pick up a vehicle may be significant. Also, if you are staying in the north (better) tower, the walk to the front entrance for valet is almost as far as the walk to the self-park garage entrance. By avoiding valet, you may save time both on the way in and the way out.

I feel much better about using the valet over self-park due to the safety issues as well. It's also a lot more convenience and the 5 - 20 minute wait at the end of the night is a good time to reflect on one's gambling experiences.

As I'm headed to the elevators I usually give a great big smile to all the slugs that come marching into the reception area after that 10-minute walk in from the parking garage. It's so stupid. They're usually all sweaty, out of breath because most of the people who are too cheap to valet park are smokers, and many of them are dragging/yelling at/slapping their pack of kids out of frustration by the time they finally get into the check-in line.

But of course to each their own. I prefer common sense.

Why are you in the parking garage elevators if you always valet?

You're an idiot, dude. Who cares whether people self-park or valet? Both have distinct advantages.

The phrase, by the way, is "To each his own." The word "each" is singular. The pronoun "their" is plural. Now that's common sense.

Quote: Doc

Yes, that has happened at a few places, but never in the Paris/Bally's parking garage that this thread initially was about.

I'm willing to take your word for it.

Of course, situations vary. At Mex City's airport I invariably get lost when trying to retrieve my car (that's another reason I fly out of Toluca when I have the chance). Problem there is there are half-levels, set in mirror image buildings, all painted in the same colors (that is both 1 levels are blue, say, both 2 levels yellow, etc). When I can, I use the valet. It's more expensive, but I get reimbursed on business flights.

Quote: nyuhoosier

Why are you in the parking garage elevators if you always valet?

You're an idiot, dude. Who cares whether people self-park or valet? Both have distinct advantages.

The phrase, by the way, is "To each his own." The word "each" is singular. The pronoun "their" is plural. Now that's common sense.

Are you always as dumb as a rock or do you make a special effort every now and then. And it's easy to tell when someone gets rattled beyond their boiling point: They bring up grammar errors. Which, BTW, in this case (as in probably most) you are wrong. The word "each" is indicative of a plurality if used in conjunction with a pronoun of the same tense. If I had a dunce cap I'd give it to you right now.

The only "advantage" in self-parking is to save a buck or two. If someone going to a casino needs to do that then they do not belong in a casino in the first place.

Quote: JerryLogan

Are you always as dumb as a rock or do you make a special effort every now and then. And it's easy to tell when someone gets rattled beyond their boiling point: They bring up grammar errors. Which, BTW, in this case (as in probably most) you are wrong. The word "each" is indicative of a plurality if used in conjunction with a pronoun of the same tense. If I had a dunce cap I'd give it to you right now.

The only "advantage" in self-parking is to save a buck or two. If someone going to a casino needs to do that then they do not belong in a casino in the first place.

Ever waited for 30 minutes or more for your car to come back from that valet? Go through that experience on a busy weekend night and you will know why people sometimes self-park.

Nareed:

Perhaps the Mex City airport garage is like the one I think is the most confusing Las Vegas parking garage I have used. It is the one at Harrah's, particularly when you come back over the bridge from the hotel/casino. Once I crossed the bridge and went looking unsuccessfully for my car. I remembered for certain just what position I had parked in but couldn't find it. I wound up wandering up and down ramps to multiple levels in case I had forgotten the level number.

Eventually, a passing driver (actually a valet attendant) pointed out that there are two garages interleaved, meaning whichever section you are in, when you drive to the next level, you really went up/down two floors. One section is for self park and the other is for valet, and they both have levels marked with each numeral. Unfortunately, I had walked into the valet area to the level having the same number as the level where I had parked. From there, it was impossible to get to my car via a route that a car could drive -- I had to take a stairway to one-half level different. Felt a bit silly and didn't make that mistake again. Yes, indeed, that time it would have been much quicker to have used valet! It seemed particularly strange that when you cross the bridge, before getting on a garage elevator, you are on a valet parking level. There goes any sense of security for a valet-parked car.

As for the Bally's/Paris garage, it may well get crowded on lower levels that you enter at ground level around the corner from Audrie St. I don't know, because I have never used that entrance or parked on those levels. I just know that I have never seen the level I enter on anywhere close to crowded beyond the first two rows.

As I have said before, Nareed, there are a number of benefits of self park beyond saving a trivial tip. But to each his own.

Quote: ruascott

Ever waited for 30 minutes or more for your car to come back from that valet? Go through that experience on a busy weekend night and you will know why people sometimes self-park.

Of course that's happened, but it's only slightly bothersome because I'm prepared for it. I also make an effort not to leave the resorts I'm at on Fri. or Sat. nights because of that potential wait & the traffic mess.

There's an element of respect here. I would never ask my wife to make the trek in from the garage with all the self-parking slugs, with or without luggage. Just doesn't make sense. I have a fairly high dollar Audi A8, and unlike Jay Leno or anyone else who looks at a car like a part of their ego, I have no problem at all letting the valets drive & park it. It's just a freakin car!

Quote: Doc

Nareed:

Perhaps the Mex City airport garage is like the one I think is the most confusing Las Vegas parking garage I have used. It is the one at Harrah's, particularly when you come back over the bridge from the hotel/casino.

Something like that. Once I had to ask security for a ride in their golf cart to help me look for the car. We were in the wrong part of the building, as it turned out.

There is a valet service, but for some reason they don't receive cars until 8 am. I usually arrive way earlier, since I like to take the first flight out.

Quote: JerryLogan

Are you always as dumb as a rock or do you make a special effort every now and then. And it's easy to tell when someone gets rattled beyond their boiling point: They bring up grammar errors. Which, BTW, in this case (as in probably most) you are wrong. The word "each" is indicative of a plurality if used in conjunction with a pronoun of the same tense. If I had a dunce cap I'd give it to you right now.

¨Elements of Style` (Strunk & White);

``They. A common inaccuracy is the use of the plural pronoun when the antecedent is a distributive expression such as each, each one, everybody, every one, many a man, which, though implying more than one person, requires the pronoun to be in the singular. Similar to this, but with even less justification, is the use of the plural pronoun with the antecedent anybody, any one, somebody, some one, the intention being either to avoid the awkward "he or she," or to avoid committing oneself to either. Some bashful speakers even say, "A friend of mine told me that they, etc."

Use he with all the above words, unless the antecedent is or must be feminine.``

Shall we move on to, say, fused participles?