Vegas Scam
admin : April 1st, 2009
Today we were trying to sort out running CabooseConf during Rails Conf in Vegas. As you may recall, last year we provided free lunch and beverages for you all to drink while you hack. This year, we're doing the same thing under the auspices of O'Reilly.
My favorite energy drink of choice right now is Function Alternative Energy. In fact, I love it so much that we go through a few cases every month. It has caffeine, Yerba Mate and guarana in a great mix that doesn't give you a crazy buzz -- just laser-like focus. This is probably a topic for another day, but the important point is that we got a sponsorship from Function (free drinks!) so that we could bring a couple hundred of these and hand them out to our programmer friends and get them hooked.
Now, as it turns out, you can't just do that. Not in Vegas. You have to pay everyone in line.
It costs me $1 per drink consumed, as corkage. Then, I have to pay the Chef's union another $0.60. Per drink. As the guy at the Hilton said, at least it's better than us providing you with water. That costs $3.75 per bottle.
Now, it's not about the money. I know that there are people ready to either sponsor our little anticonf or I can throw some of my own cash at it. That's totally not the point. I have a moral objection to giving these assholes any money at all.
Oh, and a bowl of pretzels? $30. For that, I hope they let you keep the fucking bowl.
How many of you are planning to come to Railsconf and just hang out at the free caboose conf?
18 Responses to “Vegas Scam”
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April 1st, 2009 at 05:58 PM
That's fucked up. I'll bring a flask rather than force you pay those extortionists. The Chef's union? C'mon.
Come to think of it, a flask might make RailsConf way more fun anyway...
April 1st, 2009 at 06:08 PM
What a way to get money from people. Pricks....
April 1st, 2009 at 06:16 PM
$1.60 seems reasonable for a guy in a waiter outfit to "uncork" my energy drink, and then a guy in a chef's hat to hold it for me while I type. I'm assuming that must be how it works.
April 1st, 2009 at 07:38 PM
Jesse: unfortunately, they won't allow BYOB :/
April 1st, 2009 at 10:51 PM
But you see, it's all in the name of fairness. If you were allowed to bring your free drinks in and just give them out to whomever you please, how would the hard-working residents of Las Vegas earn enough money to eat?
Doesn't everyone deserve their fair share of your wealth? You don't want to be a greedy selfish profiteer, do you?
Think of the children.
April 2nd, 2009 at 12:09 AM
I second the fucked up. Are they seriously going to force 100's of programmers to get rid of their outside caffeine drinks? Regardless, I'm coming just for caboose conf.
April 2nd, 2009 at 04:52 AM
Its that sort of shiznit that came to mind when RailsConf was originally announced for Vegas. Major failure on location choice O'Reilly. And what a bunch of AssHats they are for sticking with the decision. Way to ruin my travel plans.
April 2nd, 2009 at 06:49 AM
I've found that this is actually pretty common at a lot of hotels - it's just that most of them don't really enforce it. (I've done a lot of wedding-related stuff and a lot of hotels refuse to let you bring in outside food, or if you do they charge you anyway.
However, boo to Vegas anyway. $7 for a Miller Lite or Budweiser is criminal enough :)
/is from Wisconsin //is used to drinking cheap.
April 2nd, 2009 at 08:09 AM
I vote we move back to Portland next year!
April 2nd, 2009 at 08:15 AM
+1 for Portland. Three of us aren't going this year because it's in Vegas...
April 2nd, 2009 at 08:38 AM
-1 for Portland. It's halfway to freaking Alaska for those of us on the East Coast. +1 for Lebanon, Kansas: right near the geographical center of the United States....
April 2nd, 2009 at 12:35 PM
That's insane. We're getting a big suite so we can do our own catering. A suite might be a better option for y'all.
April 2nd, 2009 at 01:03 PM
I am elated for RailsConf. My elatedness would be magnified by an order of magnitude if the Conf was in Portland.
April 2nd, 2009 at 05:09 PM
Perhaps find a company willing to host CabooseConf at their offices instead of dicking with Vegas hotels? Or just have it back here in Portland. :)
April 3rd, 2009 at 05:00 PM
I know I will be spending some time at caboose again this year... I will definitely miss hanging at Ground Control and partying in the street. Stupid desert. I can't even see all the colors of the desert at once...
April 8th, 2009 at 08:32 AM
Why anyone would want to host a conference in Vegas is beyond me - so many better places to go that don't revolve entirely around tourists to survive.
April 16th, 2009 at 06:06 PM
I very nearly didn't go this year because I hate Vegas. +1 for moving it back to Portland next year, I doubt this kind of bullshiat would have happened there. And to the East coasters complaining about Portland, I hear you but I'm travelling all the way from South America and it's like 20 freaking hours for me. So let's all man up and get this conference back to where it belongs next time. :-)
Anyway I'm still going to try to keep an open mind and I think the conference will probably still be pretty cool. The idea of Cabooseconf is interesting, I wish you organizers great luck on it and hope you are able to enjoy it without being too stressed out the whole time. I'm planning on coming by for an hour or two each day.
April 21st, 2009 at 02:35 PM
I'd rather have the conference in Bahamas or some other sunny Caribbean paradise. Since you're paying to jet somewhere anyway, why not get some nice weather for free.