5 minute freewrite 2701 prompt annual award for idiots

in Freewriters16 days ago

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This is my post for #freewriters 2701 prompt annual award for idiots hosted by @mariannewest

One of my sisters called last night and asked if I wanted to go with them today. They were going to the Cape and going out on one of the gambling ships. They said it would be 35 dollars each, which would cover our boarding cost, lunch, two free drinks, and two game tokens. I told her I would go.

One sister picked me up at 8:30 this morning and we drove to where the other sisters are staying. When we were almost to the Cape, the one who made the reservations said she could not get the payment to go through but did get the reservations.

When we boarded the ship and paid, I told the lady she gave me too much money back. As it turned out, you only get the 35 dollar deal if you do it online, but this way it only cost us 20 dollars to board, and as long as you are playing on a machine, your drinks are free. All we lost out on was the 2 game tokens because lunch cost almost 15 dollars.

We went through security, and I noticed the lady did not give me and one sister a boarding pass so the two of us had to go back to the front desks. The lady apologized and gave me a VIP bracelet for each of us. I asked what do we get with it and she said we will be the first ones off the boat when we return.

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This was a pretty big boat going into the port and it looks so small next to the one I am on.

We were not allowed to take pictures inside the boat where the gambling things were. I put 20 dollars on my card and quickly watched it go away. I was done. I do not care for gambling, and I do not understand the games. I only knew I had better ways of spending that much money, so I watched all the people trying to walk.

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They were calling for it to blow 20 to 30 and it was doing more than that. It had that big ole boat listing A LOT, I would watch people start to walk straight, but they would go sideways until they came to a chair or wall, then they would get their bearings and head off only to end up on the opposite wall. I had more fun people watching than gambling.

Several people said they go out on one of these ships once a week or more, I think they could qualify for the annual award for idiots for the money they lose every time they go on it. One person won big on the Whell of Fortune game, they counted out a huge stack of cash but I never heard how much it was, my sister saw them giving him the money. One sister won 200 but then sat there and lost it all. She deserves the annual award for idiots. I told her to cash out and start over with 20 and not to spend the 200.

We could not gamble until the ship was out 3 miles from the coast, they had the machines turned off. But on the way in they did not turn them off, and they let people gamble all the way until they were about to dock. It is supposed to be illegal to gamble until you reach Federal waters, which is 3 miles. I told my sisters that the new guy had one job, turn the machines on when we get to 3 miles and off when we get back to 3 miles, and he failed at doing it.
photos are mine

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Casinos are designed to separate people from their money. If the food and drinks are good, a nominal fee seems reasonable to go out on a ship, but then again, I'm a landlubber with zero experience aside from some sailing lessons on Lake Pend Oreille and a tour cruise on Lake Superior near Duluth. I'd be the one stumbling about like a drunken sailor with the slightest swell.

I know the house is going to win, that is why I have a set amount I am willing to lose.
Me, the crew, and maybe a few Vets who were in the Navy were the only ones who could walk, and at times, I wobbled.

This journey has so many levels of "NOPE" to it ... I would be the one running into the wall over little to nothing because I don't gamble either ... but that ship listing three miles out and the whole idea that the guy had ONE JOB and failed it and we could all be in the way of the feds?

Gambling is not my thing either, but that is what they wanted to do. I would have been happier walking the beach picking up shells. I was joking about the guy with the one job. IDK why they did not turn off the machines. My guess was they made more money by not doing it, and if they get away with it several times, that could add up to big money.

Exactly -- they are gambling with the law, and it will work until it DOESN'T.

Yes, that was a clever way of saying it.