I was staging at the Mirage last night.

It was about midnight and it was just slowing down for the evening. I was sitting about tenth in line fooling around with my new cellphone as a Lucky cab pulls up next to me that's loaded with these 4 good looking girls. Lucky cab rolls his window down and asks:

Hey man, do you have any passes for JET?

JET is the newest and hottest nightclub in town at the Mirage. They just opened on NYE and like anything else in Vegas it will be the hotspot until another new one opens up. Its not uncommon at all for cabbies to get club passes. You can get them from a variety of means. Usually from the call-girl agencies or sometimes promoters will be handing them out for free to cabbies that are staging. The passes offer the holder free admission into the said club. Generally saving the person at least $20 but now most places are charging $30 to get in which is the case with JET. They are meant as promotional tools for the clubs. The want as many people waiting in line as possible. The cabbies are supposed to hand them out for free in an attempt to increase your tip and spread the word about the club at the same time. However most of us sell them. And why not? If you can get a passenger a pass for $10, you just saved them $20. Plus you make a little on the side. Especially if you were going to wait in line anyway. Unfortunately, many cabbies will lie about what the passes get you in a attempt to sell more of them.

I have a lot of passes for about 15 different night spots in town that I carry in a ziplock bag in my carry on. I immediately knew what this guy was trying to do so I decided to help a brother out.

I think so, lemme check.

As I'm searching through my ziplock, lucky driver gets out and walks around to my cab and kinda sticks his head in and said quietly:

What do you want for 4 of them man?

ahhh...Ill give you 4 for $10

I easily could have doubled that price. But what the hell, it's the easiest ten bucks I would make all night.

Sure enough I had the passes, he threw me a 20 and I gave him a 10 back and four JET passes.

I never thought twice about it.

Twenty minutes later I'm second in line now. I got out to stretch a little and enjoy the beautiful evening. Im talking to a couple of tourists that had just asked me a few questions as I hear in the distance a females voice.

THERE HE IS!!!

I turn my head and see these same 4 girls just walking out the front door headed my direction not looking to happy. The leader of the group gets in my face.

WHAT THE FUCK?

Excuse me?

FUCKING JET IS CLOSED TONIGHT AND THEY LET GIRLS IN FOR FREE ANYWAY....

Oh

(I knew that JET wasn't open this night, but in all honesty, that thought hadn't entered my mind 20 minutes ago. As far as the girls in for free thing, I think that varies greatly, but again not something that entered my brain 20 minutes ago)

YOU SOLD US BUNK PASSES. YOU OWE US FORTY BUCKS!

I laughed out loud.

I didn't sell you anything

Whatever...THAT OTHER CAB DRIVER SOLD THEM TO US, WE SEEN HIM GIVE YOU $20 FOR THEM!!!

Actually, I sold him four passes for $10, what you guys worked out is between y'all

WELL GIVE US THE $10 THEN!

She's still yelling and now everyone waiting for the tram to Ti is now watching the scene unfold. Im sure all of which are siding with these hotties. I don't know, maybe I was in the wrong here but there is no way I was giving these chicks a dime.

No. You're out of your mind and Im not giving you anything. You need to take it up with your cab driver.

Who of course is long gone now.

It's an unfortunate situation but certainly not one that Im gonna make right.

Now cab in front of me gets a ride and Im on the nut so I hop in the cab to pull forward. As im getting in the cab leader of the pack gets on her cellphone (presumably with the cops) as she instructs the others to "get my cab number". I think she thought I was fleeing the scene. (LOL) After pulling up 15 feet I put the cab in park and get back out.


My empathy turns to annoyance.

you're calling the cops?

yep

And what do you think that's gonna accomplish?

they're are gonna come here and make you give us 40 bucks

Now I laugh out loud even louder this time. These girls are delusional.

Doorman blows the whistle.

Well, what you should have done was gotten the cab # of the guy who sold them to you...or better yet not believe some line of crap ...lemme know what you and the cops figure out.

I get back in the cab, drive away and pull up to the pickup spot. A young, cool looking couple gets in and dont give a destination.

hey do you know what nightclubs are going on right now?

Back to work.