Report on AC visit 5/24

[docsteve]

We just got back from AC. We left home about 10:30am and arrived just after 11:30am. There was moderate traffic on the expressway but it was moving smoothly. We parked at Caesar's and went out on the boardwalk to get lunch. The boards were already pretty busy and it was still early. We ate at the Piazza di Georgio Cafe. We had never been there before. Very nice upscale foodcourt/cafeteria. The food was very good and fresh and prices were reasonable.

After lunch, we split up. My wife and I went into Caesar's to play. My mom and daughter stayed in The Pier to shop and wander.

The casino was pretty busy. I was able to get a seat at a recently installed blackjack table on the 2nd floor. I suspect a lot of people don't yet know that they've added table games up there. It was a good thing, too, because I went downstairs briefly and the smoke was terrible. I never would have played down there. My wife played a slot upstairs.

Oh, before I started playing, I went to collect my free $25 cash from the weekend promotion. There was a long line but it moved pretty quickly. They had about 15 agents working.

I played for about 1-1/2 hours and dropped $50. Not too bad (plus they gave me $25 for coming so I was only down $25 total).

We got back together and walked over to the outlets. That whole area was packed with people. The sidewalks were crowded. The stores were crowded. The restaurants were crowded. Also by then, the boardwalk was more crowded and there were lots of people on the beach.

By the time we left for home, traffic on the AC expressway was bumper to bumper coming into town from the GS Parkway all the way in to AC. Very, very crowded.

I realize it is a holiday weekend, but clearly folks haven't abandoned AC.

[Ole Wise One]

Probably mostly going in for shopping the outlets and the beach.

[docsteve]

Ole Wise One wrote:

Probably mostly going in for shopping the outlets and the beach.

If coming just for the beach, 4:30pm seems an odd time to arrive, unless they are spending the night of course.

Caesar's casino was very busy, definitely the busiest I've seen it in the past year. We didn't visit any other casinos so I don't know if that was typical, but I imagine it was.

[prolaw]

I'm glad you had a good time. Your experience is the same as mine if I come by bus or stay overnight. The AC casinos are still busy. I sometimes go to Harrahs's in Chester but I can't tolerate the smoke. If I go to Chester, I go in the middle of the night so it's not as bad. I'm waiting for October in AC so I can breathe comfortably. That 75/25 split was nuts. The smoke is horrendous. AC has a lot to offer that the casinos in PA do not have. I truly enjoy the water show, and also sitting in the adirondack chairs with your feet in the sand looking out at the ocean. That was quite ingenious of them to do that at the Pier.

[mark]

prolaw wrote:

I'm glad you had a good time. Your experience is the same as mine if I come by bus or stay overnight. The AC casinos are still busy. I sometimes go to Harrahs's in Chester but I can't tolerate the smoke. If I go to Chester, I go in the middle of the night so it's not as bad. I'm waiting for October in AC so I can breathe comfortably. That 75/25 split was nuts. The smoke is horrendous. AC has a lot to offer that the casinos in PA do not have. I truly enjoy the water show, and also sitting in the adirondack chairs with your feet in the sand looking out at the ocean. That was quite ingenious of them to do that at the Pier.

so the smokers dont like it anymore, good, we will have a better class of people coming to ac and enjoying the other qualities of the shore.

[Reba]

mark wrote:

<quoted text>
so the smokers dont like it anymore, good, we will have a better class of people coming to ac and enjoying the other qualities of the shore.

Now there is a class difference between smokers and non smokers?? I guess you are right Jeffery Domhmer was Not a smoker, neither was Manson. I guess that puts them in your Non smokers class. then again Queen Elizabeth (queen mother) smoked until she was 97. OH WELL I stick with the smokers then.. Thank you..

[docsteve]

Is it impossible to post anything to this forum without it turning into a smoking debate? Yes, I mentioned the smoke because it was particularly bad yesterday, probably because of how crowded the casino was. I've been to Caesar's numerous other times and wasn't particularly bothered by the smoke. Yesterday, it happened to be really bad. I was just stating a fact - not inviting a debate.

It would be nice if we could use the "Atlantic City Forum" to actually discuss Atlantic City, likes and dislikes, trip reports, restaurant reviews, comp offers, etc. If you no longer visit AC for whatever reason, just skip over the discussions that don't interest you. How does that sound?

[Pricey222]

docsteve wrote:

Is it impossible to post anything to this forum without it turning into a smoking debate? Yes, I mentioned the smoke because it was particularly bad yesterday, probably because of how crowded the casino was. I've been to Caesar's numerous other times and wasn't particularly bothered by the smoke. Yesterday, it happened to be really bad. I was just stating a fact - not inviting a debate.
It would be nice if we could use the "Atlantic City Forum" to actually discuss Atlantic City, likes and dislikes, trip reports, restaurant reviews, comp offers, etc. If you no longer visit AC for whatever reason, just skip over the discussions that don't interest you. How does that sound?

Right on!(As some of used to say.)

[John from NJ]

docsteve wrote:

Is it impossible to post anything to this forum without it turning into a smoking debate? Yes, I mentioned the smoke because it was particularly bad yesterday, probably because of how crowded the casino was. I've been to Caesar's numerous other times and wasn't particularly bothered by the smoke. Yesterday, it happened to be really bad. I was just stating a fact - not inviting a debate.
It would be nice if we could use the "Atlantic City Forum" to actually discuss Atlantic City, likes and dislikes, trip reports, restaurant reviews, comp offers, etc. If you no longer visit AC for whatever reason, just skip over the discussions that don't interest you. How does that sound?

Maybe if you stopped with the self-righteous attitude against people who smoke, people could and would talk about other things. Presenting the "facts"? Just an aside? I doubt it.

You could just have easily as said that you didn't like the tables you first went to and then found some on another floor that you liked. But no, you had to make it a smoking issue.

[Pricey222]

John from NJ wrote:

<quoted text>
Maybe if you stopped with the self-righteous attitude against people who smoke, people could and would talk about other things. Presenting the "facts"? Just an aside? I doubt it.
You could just have easily as said that you didn't like the tables you first went to and then found some on another floor that you liked. But no, you had to make it a smoking issue.

When there's smoke, there's smokers. But docsteve didn't slam smokers, only stated a fact. I smoke, but I hate too much smoke as well. Self-righteous? How can we know that?

[mark]

Reba wrote:

<quoted text>
Now there is a class difference between smokers and non smokers?? I guess you are right Jeffery Domhmer was Not a smoker, neither was Manson. I guess that puts them in your Non smokers class. then again Queen Elizabeth (queen mother) smoked until she was 97. OH WELL I stick with the smokers then.. Thank you..

I DONT THINK jeff dohmer or queen elizabeth come to the ac casinos do they????

[John from NJ]

Pricey222 wrote:

<quoted text>
When there's smoke, there's smokers. But docsteve didn't slam smokers, only stated a fact. I smoke, but I hate too much smoke as well. Self-righteous? How can we know that?

I smoke and smoke bothers me also. But if you had read his comments before you would understand.

And of course the 25% areas are smoky. Before you may have had a couple of people at the table smoking and now it is almost everyone. So it becomes more noticeable. The same is true at the slot machines.

Smoking lounges? Have you ever gone into one of those at most airports? I would go through security at the airport again to avoid them.

I might add that I hope that "docsteve" and the others like him start tipping for his drinks, not a quarter, not a dollar but more like five dollars. The Cocktail Waitresses are quite concerned about a loss of income, not wanting to add a possible loss of jobs. Talk to them. Ask where they make the most money.

[docsteve]

John from NJ wrote:

<quoted text>
You could just have easily as said that you didn't like the tables you first went to and then found some on another floor that you liked.

Sure I could have said that, but it wouldn't have been true. I always play downstairs. The only reason I played upstairs on this visit was the smoke. I see nothing wrong with mentioning that in a trip report.

[John from NJ]

docsteve wrote:

<quoted text>
Sure I could have said that, but it wouldn't have been true. I always play downstairs. The only reason I played upstairs on this visit was the smoke. I see nothing wrong with mentioning that in a trip report.

Then you are inviting comments regarding smoking.

So don't complain if others comment on it.

If they didn't have the 25% rule they wouldn't be consolidating people who choose to smoke in a small area. You must have chosen to go to an area that they allow smoking, and then complained about the smoke.

[docsteve]

John from NJ wrote:

<quoted text>
You must have chosen to go to an area that they allow smoking, and then complained about the smoke.

Nope. I would never go into the smoking section except when I have to to pass from the front of the casino to the back (Caesar's smoking section is in the middle of the main floor).

Sunday was the first time since the 75/25 started that I really found smoke to be a problem in the non-smoking section. Just riding down on the escalator was bad and it didn't get much better when I got downstairs, so I turned around and went right back up. I'm glad they decided to put tables upstairs. I think that was a smart more on their part. If all of the casinos offered separate smoking and non-smoking areas, maybe the ban wouldn't have been necessary.

[Smoke Free]

Hey Doc,
My wife and I are going to wait until October to visit AC. Can't say why docsteve, because they will jump all over me too. The 75/25% didn't work for us.

With that said, my main concern with AC is getting there. I'd love to go every weekend but just can't deal with the awful roads and traffic.
From Maryland it is a nightmare at best.

One major obstacle is the Delaware Tolls, always jammed. Sometimes I think they do it on purpose to keep us in Delaware to gamble!!

Second obstacle once we enter NJ is which way to go?

Route 40, Oh My God!!! Road Rage would kill me first. Driving through all the little Podunk towns and street lights. Forget it.

I-295, that's screwed up too trying to get on the AC expressway/I-76/Rt42 from I-295!!! Some drunken rocket scientist designed that interchange. Coming north on I-295 should be an easy ramp to get on I-76/Rt42 to the AC Exprwy, but nooooo you have to go towards Philly take the first exit (if you don't get killed first trying to merge over) on to Market street take a left then a right get back on I-76/Rt42 again merge over so you can get in the lanes for AC (better close your eyes on that merge).

Then you have the choice to go on the NJ Turnpike.
Love the high speed EZpass entrance, and then shoot up to exit 2.5 and take the ramp that gets you on the AC Expressway. OH WAIT there is NO EXIT and NO EASY RAMP; you just go underneath the AC Expressway waving to those already on it.
Heard that back in the 70's the green people fought a ramp to the expressway because of some 3 toed frogs that would be disturbed.
You have to go up to Exit 3 then take a step back in time ride through Runnemede, several lights and always under construction. OMG!!!

Once you get pass that nightmare you have the SUMMER Beach traffic to deal with.

I really can’t believe the CASINO’S haven’t pushed or forced the State to build a few ramps here and there so people can get to AC from the south easier. People from Virginia, Washington D.C., Maryland, Carolinas, West Virginia, etc. all have to go one of the ways I’ve explained.

Problem is AC has relied on the traffic coming from NY and PA for years and years virtually ignoring the South.

Somehow, I’d let the Casinos fund and oversee the construction of a ramp from the NJ Turnpike to the AC expressway as it will take only months to build verses years and years for the state to build it. If ya know what I mean??

You got me started “docsteve”!!!
To avoid all this we just settle for the local Slot Parlors in WV and DE, certainly not AC caliber but will do.

Again, my wife and I would visit AC more often if you could get there in a reasonable time.
Even if they offered a quick hop on a plane from BWI to AC, that would help. But you have to fly from BWI to Atlanta or Detroit then to AC. Forget that too!!!

[John from NJ]

docsteve wrote:

<quoted text>
Nope. I would never go into the smoking section except when I have to to pass from the front of the casino to the back (Caesar's smoking section is in the middle of the main floor).
Sunday was the first time since the 75/25 started that I really found smoke to be a problem in the non-smoking section. Just riding down on the escalator was bad and it didn't get much better when I got downstairs, so I turned around and went right back up. I'm glad they decided to put tables upstairs. I think that was a smart more on their part. If all of the casinos offered separate smoking and non-smoking areas, maybe the ban wouldn't have been necessary.

If the city had actually allowed the casinos to put up the walls, etc., that they required it would have been better.

Thinking about it, they could have told the three owners of most of the casinos there to pick one that was smoke free or one that allowed smoking and the balance would be the reverse. Trump Taj could have been smoking while the Plaza and the Marina non-smoking. Hilton non smoking, Resorts smoking for example. It would have been more fair than what they did.

But for some, not including you here, all that matters is that what they want they get. Once you head down that road no one is safe.

[docsteve]

John from NJ wrote:

<quoted text>
If the city had actually allowed the casinos to put up the walls, etc., that they required it would have been better.
Thinking about it, they could have told the three owners of most of the casinos there to pick one that was smoke free or one that allowed smoking and the balance would be the reverse.

Did the city not allow walls to be put up? I hadn't heard that. I heard that since the law didn't have a date deadline, the casinos dragged their feet, not wanting to spend the money. Plus, they expected that a total ban was coming eventually and they didn't want to spend a fortune putting up walls and then have smoking banned entirely, which certainly makes sense.

I think making some casinos smoking and others non-smoking would have been great. I, personally, would have been in favor of that option. However, it wouldn't have addressed the issue of worker safety, which is what many people are concerned about (including many of the workers themselves).

[shell]

The workers will have their safety and clean air but no tips from me. This is the only way I can show my disatisfaction with the smoking ban. I don't think the casino's were pushing for this so my beef isn't with them.

[Reba]

docsteve wrote:

<quoted text>
Did the city not allow walls to be put up? I hadn't heard that. I heard that since the law didn't have a date deadline, the casinos dragged their feet, not wanting to spend the money. Plus, they expected that a total ban was coming eventually and they didn't want to spend a fortune putting up walls and then have smoking banned entirely, which certainly makes sense.
I think making some casinos smoking and others non-smoking would have been great. I, personally, would have been in favor of that option. However, it wouldn't have addressed the issue of worker safety, which is what many people are concerned about (including many of the workers themselves).

One newspaper report said that the city Never ok'd any of the permits to build the walls, so the walls never got built. the city knew there would be no need for them.