Kimo’s Vegas
Cabbie Adam Woldermarim. David Cleveland/Las Vegas Review Journal AP from Kimo Akane
“WHAT WOULD you do …” is the premise of a popular ABC TV show hosted by John Quinones. Using actors and hidden cameras, they test people’s reactions to ethical dilemmas. What would you do if an underage kid asks you to buy him beer, or would you intervene if you saw a woman or child being verbally abused? For Las Vegas cabbie Adam Woldemarim, it was an easy question to answer. What would you do if you found a laptop case stuffed with $221,510 in the back seat of your taxi … would you turn the money in or buy a one-way ticket home to Ethiopia? You know it’s your lucky day when you beat the Wynn casino for 200 large then leave the money in a cab at the airport only to have it returned to you a few hours later. The grateful owner rewarded the honest driver with a $2,000 tip.
SPIRIT AIRLINES’ new baggage policy has passengers re-evaluating their travel options. Beginning Nov. 6, if you wait until you get to the airport gate to declare your carry on, it’ll cost you a Benji … Now that’s a bag fee.
PHIL IVEY WON $11.7 million from a private gaming club in London playing a version of baccarat called Punto Banko. The bettors wager on what hand (banker or player) will be closest to a nine. The deal and subsequent draws follow a set series of rules, and players don’t even get to touch the cards. But winning and collecting are two entirely different things. The club has refunded his initial $1.6 million buy-in, but has yet to pay the winnings. To date, no reason has been given for the eight-time World Series champ’s non-payment.
IF NEW JERSEY is the Armpit of America, Columbus, Ohio, is undeniably the piko (belly button) of our country. The latest addition to Middle America is a Las Vegas-style casino that’s named after the birthplace of U.S. cinema. The feel of the Hollywood Casino Columbus is a modern-day take on the Golden Age of cinema, with art deco styling, chandeliers, movie posters and video screens that pay homage to the good ole days playing vintage movie trailers and commercials. The casino has 3,000 slot machines and 78 tables (blackjack, craps, roulette, Mini Baccarat, Big 6 Wheel, Crazy 4 Poker, Pai Gow Poker, etc.). Now residents and visitors find themselves quoting Hollywood icon Clint Eastwood’s line from Dirty Harry … “Do I Feel Lucky.”
CONSIDER THIS the next time the significant other goes to a Vegas spa … Before she attended this year’s Emmys, Kelly Osbourne got a manicure that cost $250,000. The one-of-a-kind hand-job was done by jeweler Azature and made with 267 carats of black diamonds – at these prices, you’d expect a pedi would be included.
