World Championships 2013 - Las Vegas

[Kit Clement]

Does anyone have good knowledge of the best public transport to catch from the airport (McCarran) to the Riviera (not necessarily right to the front doorstep)? I've searched a bit and it seems catching a bus down the strip is the best option. But if anyone has specific knowledge of the best way to get from the airport to the hotel area, such as the exact bus to catch, or a specific airport-to-hotel service could you please respond ^_^

Best bet is to do the bus, here's the route I found via google that seems to be the best. Unlike all the strip routes which are a $6 faire, this is a residential route so it's only a $2 fare to ride it, and it will stop you in short walking distance away from the Riviera. Here's the bus system's map of the 108 route:

http://www.rtcsnv.com/wp-content/uploads/routes/2013/108(07-07-13).pdf

I'd advise not to take a taxi, LV taxis are some of the best con artists out there, and will give you roundabout routes to your destination so they can charge you more. See here:

http://news.yahoo.com/audit-vegas-taxis-overcharged-15m-194818083.html

You could split the taxi with others to make this less of a problem, but stuffing a taxi full will not beat a $2 fare, especially if you don't mind walking one block. I've looked into shuttles as well, and they're way overpriced.

 

[Kian]

20% is ridiculously high. If you have a large group, restaurants will auto-charge you 15%-18% - tips they believe to be high enough to justify dealing with the hassles of a large group. 15% is standard. Chinese places may expect (only) at least 10% in the Bay Area, at lealst.

20% is absolutely not ridiculously high. 15% is bare minimum now. It is not standard.

I realise that, but to me a tip is a reward for outstanding service. If the tips are essentially just the person's wage, then you feel obligated to pay it and that defeats the whole point of tipping.

(I'm aware of how tipping works in the US, I just think it's an insane system)

This system places a reward on competent service. It is quite sane.

I heard that for housekeeping, you leave a couple of dollars with a thank you note on the pillow every morning before you leave your room for the day?

I would leave maybe $2 a day with a note, yes. That will ensure that they know the money was not simply left out.

 

[Sa967St]

I'd advise not to take a taxi, LV taxis are some of the best con artists out there, and will give you roundabout routes to your destination so they can charge you more. See here:

http://news.yahoo.com/audit-vegas-taxis-overcharged-15m-194818083.html

Yeah... that happened to me last year. I paid $40 for a taxi ride from the Airport to the Riviera when it shouldn't have been more than $25.

If anyone is planning to take a taxi, I suggest that you ask the driver when you're about to leave whether $20 is enough, and if he/she says no then find another taxi or take the bus.

 

[Tyson]

This may be a completely stupid idea and perhaps too late to implement, but I think it would work out. Instead of an unofficial consolation round, there could be an official competition with just 1 round of 3x3 running parallel to the main competition. In that way, those who didn't make it to the second round, can still do an official average. The room is there, the equipment is there and looking through the psych sheet, there are enough delegates who are unlikely to make it to the second round and who could act as delegates for this parallel competition. Much of the logistics is already done, so organisation wise, it's not that much work on top of what has already been done. It's mainly an admin matter. As far as I know, there is nothing in the WCA Regulations, which prohibits multiple competitions happening in one venue at the same time.

But as I said, it might be completely stupid but it's an idea.

Come up with the plan and e-mail the organizers.

Update, 7/22 @ 13:29 PDT - Still waiting for your plan. Since it's so simple, your airtight plan shouldn't be hard to put together, right?

 

[TheJCube]

According to the RTC transit rules, it says

"As a rider on the RTC transit system, I will: ... Not bring on board the bus certain restricted items including used gasoline cans, car batteries, skateboards, scooters and skates (unless placed in a bag or container with wheels covered), tires or any object too large to fit between passenger seats."



Would this also include luggage, or is luggage acceptable to bring on the bus? (This question is mainly targeted at people who have used the LV bus line before)

 

[Kit Clement]

According to the RTC transit rules, it says

"As a rider on the RTC transit system, I will: ... Not bring on board the bus certain restricted items including used gasoline cans, car batteries, skateboards, scooters and skates (unless placed in a bag or container with wheels covered), tires or any object too large to fit between passenger seats."



Would this also include luggage, or is luggage acceptable to bring on the bus? (This question is mainly targeted at people who have used the LV bus line before)

Depends on your luggage size, really. I'm just taking carry-ons and I don't expect to have luggage that wouldn't fit between bus seats.

 

[Dene]

Best bet is to do the bus, here's the route I found via google that seems to be the best. Unlike all the strip routes which are a $6 faire, this is a residential route so it's only a $2 fare to ride it, and it will stop you in short walking distance away from the Riviera. Here's the bus system's map of the 108 route:

http://www.rtcsnv.com/wp-content/uploads/routes/2013/108(07-07-13).pdf

I'd advise not to take a taxi, LV taxis are some of the best con artists out there, and will give you roundabout routes to your destination so they can charge you more. See here:

http://news.yahoo.com/audit-vegas-taxis-overcharged-15m-194818083.html

You could split the taxi with others to make this less of a problem, but stuffing a taxi full will not beat a $2 fare, especially if you don't mind walking one block. I've looked into shuttles as well, and they're way overpriced.

That's the same as what I found, thanks. Hopefully a smallish suitcase won't be a problem >.<

 

[mushroomhead88]

Hi,
I've registered online and my first event is on Friday at 12:05. I received an email from Tim and part of the email said that registration/check-in starts at 8am (for Friday). He also mentioned that you should check in at least half an hour before your first scheduled event. Does this mean i can arrive at the competition venue to check in around 11? Or do I have to be there at 8? Thanks.

 

[Tyson]

Hi,
I've registered online and my first event is on Friday at 12:05. I received an email from Tim and part of the email said that registration/check-in starts at 8am (for Friday). He also mentioned that you should check in at least half an hour before your first scheduled event. Does this mean i can arrive at the competition venue to check in around 11? Or do I have to be there at 8? Thanks.

Arriving at 11am should be fine, but 10:30am for a 12:05pm event would probably be more advisable.

 

[cmhardw]

20% is absolutely not ridiculously high. 15% is bare minimum now. It is not standard.

Agreed. I usually pay 18% unless the service is not great, then I pay closer to 15%.

This system places a reward on competent service. It is quite sane.

In many cases this is not true. I found this interesting. Another article I read said that restaurant owners in the early 1900s heavily approved of the introduction of tipping as a custom because it meant that they, the owners, could have to pay the waiters and waitresses less in payroll since the customer essentially becomes a co-employer of the waiter/waitress. This is part of the reason why some tipped workers are paid substantially less than minimum wage, and why it is argued that their tips make up for the difference.

The tipping system in America is unfair to tipped workers in many cases, in my opinion. I do not tip because I think the service is good (or don't tip if it's bad). I tip because the system is setup to where I am a co-employer of the waiter/waitress whenever I visit a restaurant.

tl;dr
I tip 18% as standard, more for good service, less for bad service. Tipping less than 15% communicates very strongly to your server that you thought your service was really not good at all.

 

[masterofthebass]

To all those worried about bringing a suitcase on a city bus... It's a god damned city bus. No one could care less about what happens on those things. As long as you're not bringing a couch onto one, you'll be ok.

 

[stoic]

This system places a reward on competent service. It is quite sane.

In most systems competence is rewarded with a salary, no?

I found this interesting.

Yes, interesting link.
I tip, but I do find it annoying when it's expected. I was in Vegas last year and a taxi driver nearly bit my head off because he thought I'd tipped him less than a dollar for a short ride. (I hadn't, I'd left a couple of dollars between the front seats while he changed a bigger note and he misunderstood me.) To me, the price was clearly displayed on the meter but he expected more?! And having bar staff hand you bundles of one-dollar bills in change when you buy a drink also bugs me. Do I really have to massively inflate the price of every drink I buy not to offend?
Where I live, tipping is:
a. Not expected.
b. Appreciated.
And that seems better to me.

 

[jayefbe]

In most systems competence is rewarded with a salary, no?


Yes, interesting link.
I tip, but I do find it annoying when it's expected. I was in Vegas last year and a taxi driver nearly bit my head off because he thought I'd tipped him less than a dollar for a short ride. (I hadn't, I'd left a couple of dollars between the front seats while he changed a bigger note and he misunderstood me.) To me, the price was clearly displayed on the meter but he expected more?! And having bar staff hand you bundles of one-dollar bills in change when you buy a drink also bugs me. Do I really have to massively inflate the price of every drink I buy not to offend?
Where I live, tipping is:
a. Not expected.
b. Appreciated.
And that seems better to me.

This is a topic I thought about posting previously, but chose not to because I was pleased to see that most people posting from outside of the US were keen on learning the appropriate way to tip.

This is exactly why a lot of servers don't like waiting on foreigners. They aren't expected to tip in their home country, and are ignorant or don't agree with how it's done in America, and end up stiffing their wait staff. Whether or not you agree with it, this is how it's done in America. Gratuity is how many people are able to afford to make a living and support their families. If you don't agree with it, then don't go out to dinner, don't drink at a bar. But by all means, don't stiff your wait staff, don't make them pay because you don't agree that tipping should be necessary. It makes you look bad, and it makes your fellow countrymen look bad.

 

[mushroomhead88]

@Tyson Oh ok. Thanks for your reply. Looking forward to a fun competition!

 

[antoineccantin]

I tip, but I do find it annoying when it's expected. I was in Vegas last year and a taxi driver nearly bit my head off because he thought I'd tipped him less than a dollar for a short ride. (I hadn't, I'd left a couple of dollars between the front seats while he changed a bigger note and he misunderstood me.) To me, the price was clearly displayed on the meter but he expected more?! And having bar staff hand you bundles of one-dollar bills in change when you buy a drink also bugs me. Do I really have to massively inflate the price of every drink I buy not to offend?
Where I live, tipping is:
a. Not expected.
b. Appreciated.
And that seems better to me.

I fully agree with this.

 

[stoic]

This is a topic I thought about posting previously, but chose not to because I was pleased to see that most people posting from outside of the US were keen on learning the appropriate way to tip.

This is exactly why a lot of servers don't like waiting on foreigners. They aren't expected to tip in their home country, and are ignorant or don't agree with how it's done in America, and end up stiffing their wait staff. Whether or not you agree with it, this is how it's done in America. Gratuity is how many people are able to afford to make a living and support their families. If you don't agree with it, then don't go out to dinner, don't drink at a bar. But by all means, don't stiff your wait staff, don't make them pay because you don't agree that tipping should be necessary. It makes you look bad, and it makes your fellow countrymen look bad.

I think you missed the bit where I said

I tip

FYI I tip at home, and I tip well.
When I'm abroad not only do i tip but I try to take account of local customs and tip higher where it's expected (eg USA).
Don't insult me by calling me an ignorant foreigner. I've enjoyed reading some of the discussion here, and I'm certainly better informed now that I know that eg wait staff are disadvantaged by the tax system if they don't get 10%.
But I still don't think it's a good system.

 

[jayefbe]

First, my response wasn't meant directly towards you, but to people coming from out of the country in general. So I apologize if it seemed as a pointed criticism. However, in response to your post, no, I didn't miss those two words, that for some reason, you believe absolves everything else you wrote in your post. I also didn't miss the following (bolded is mine).

To me, the price was clearly displayed on the meter but he expected more?! And having bar staff hand you bundles of one-dollar bills in change when you buy a drink also bugs me. Do I really have to massively inflate the price of every drink I buy not to offend?

To me, that sounds like an ignorant foreigner that doesn't understand American customs and why they exist. You don't agree with them, fine, but why complain about it so vehemently? Whether it's gratuity or salary, the customer ultimately has to pay for it. At least this way the customer has some say in how much the service was worth to them.

By the way, the bartender gives you a bundle of dollar bills for your own convenience.

 

[Mollerz]

So I forgot to do this beforehand so I was wondering where abouts in LV I can change my currency into the dollah?

 

[stoic]

@jayefbe
So even though I go along with the custom I have to like it as well?
I'm not asking to be absolved of anything
I'm complaining about it because it appears to result in awkwardness, confusion and (in some cases) aggressive disagreement. Thats my own experience. I'd prefer if everyone got a suitable wage, everything was out in the open and the advertised price was the price you were expected to pay- like it is in the rest of the retail sector. People are defending tipping here like its some wonderful benevolent system and I still don't see why it's better than just having one price.

And as for the dollar bills...Be serious. They don't do that in the supermarket (or any other store) for my convenience.

 

[Rnewms]

I was stopped by airport security and acclaimed as the Rubik's Cube Champion by a few officers and surrounding persons when my bag was searched. Oh how wrong that will be in a few days.