--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Never been here before. It's like…" description: "\"“Never been here before. It's like something on the top floor of a luxury high-rise casino in Atlantic City, where they put semi-retarded adults from S..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/neal-stephenson-362_atlantic-city_never-been-here-before-it-s-like-somethi_2274994.png" --- # Never been here before. It's like something on the top… ![“Never been here before. It's like something on the top floor of a luxury high-rise casino in Atlantic City, where they put semi-retarded adults from South Philly after they've blundered into the mega jackpot" Hiro Protagonist - Snow Crash” quote by Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/neal-stephenson-362_atlantic-city_never-been-here-before-it-s-like-somethi_2274994.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/neal-stephenson-362_atlantic-city_never-been-here-before-it-s-like-somethi_2274994.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/neal-stephenson-362_atlantic-city_never-been-here-before-it-s-like-somethi_2274994.png) > ““Never been here before. It's like something on the top floor of a luxury high-rise casino in Atlantic City, where they put semi-retarded adults from South Philly after they've blundered into the mega jackpot" Hiro Protagonist - Snow Crash”” [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A chaotic casino scene illustrates how people, especially those marginalized, are drawn into high‑stakes risks that feel both absurd and desperate. **In simple terms:** People gamble wildly in a risky, absurd setting. Key Takeaway Beware of reckless risks that exploit vulnerability. Themes risk society exploitation absurdity Mood cynical ironic Type fictional satirical When to use this quote - casinos - economic desperation - social commentary Key Concepts gambling social marginalization urban decay Questions to Reflect On - What drives people to such extremes? - How does society enable this? A Different Perspective The scene may romanticize danger, ignoring real consequences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atlantic city](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atlantic-city/) [Casino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/casino/) [Casino Atlantic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/casino-atlantic-5287651/) [Cyberpunk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cyberpunk/) [Jackpot Hiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jackpot-hiro-5287652/) [Mega Jackpot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mega-jackpot-5287653/) [Rise Casino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rise-casino-5287654/) [Sci fi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sci-fi/) [Snow-crash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/snow-crash-172761/) ## Related quotes > [If Trump claimed something was the most luxurious, it was likely a dank, low-end casino in Atlantic City.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wilson/if-trump-claimed-something-was-the-most-luxurious-it-was-likely-a/) [Rick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wilson/) > [“Ever think of introducing yourself?" Y.T. says. "Nah," he says, "people always forget names. You can just think of me as that one guy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/ever-think-of-introducing-yourself-y-t-says-nah-he-says-people-always/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“The Teamsters pension fund organized by Hoffa almost immediately became a source of loans to the national crime syndicate known to the public as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/the-teamsters-pension-fund-organized-by-hoffa-almost-immediately/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [Cole Archer's Chillout Mix. That's my son's mix. He's ten weeks old, and this is what he listens to: 'Valerie' by Amy Winehouse, 'Everyday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-pally/cole-archer-s-chillout-mix-that-s-my-son-s-mix-he-s-ten-weeks-old-and/) [Adam Pally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-pally/) > [“I wondered what it was like, to gradually lose little pieces of your mind. Maybe it wasn’t so bad if you didn’t know it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cora-brent/i-wondered-what-it-was-like-to-gradually-lose-little-pieces-of-your/) [Cora Brent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cora-brent/) > [I'm the No. 1 developer in New York, I'm the biggest in Atlantic City, and maybe we'll keep it that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-the-no-1-developer-in-new-york-i-m-the-biggest-in-atlantic-city/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I was actually born in New York City, but my family moved to Atlantic City when I was five, this being my dad's home…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-kay-penman/i-was-actually-born-in-new-york-city-but-my-family-moved-to-atlantic/) [Sharon Kay Penman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-kay-penman/) > [I lost $6 in Atlantic City once and said, 'Never again.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-mckinnon/i-lost-6-in-atlantic-city-once-and-said-never-again/) [Kate McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-mckinnon/) > [There's milk-and-cookies Grandma, and there's Colt 45 and Atlantic City Grandma. She was the latter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-williams/there-s-milk-and-cookies-grandma-and-there-s-colt-45-and-atlantic/) [Jessica Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-williams/) > [“beauty contests, she said seriously, they gave out scholarship awards. "It's the biggest scholarship program in the world—they told us that at the Miss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-gilles-seidel/beauty-contests-she-said-seriously-they-gave-out-scholarship-awards/) [Kathleen Gilles Seidel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-gilles-seidel/) > ['Atlantic City' is very good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-capaldi/atlantic-city-is-very-good/) [Peter Capaldi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-capaldi/) > [Donald Trump was tainted every kind of way you could imagine. I mean, no way in the world that Donald Trump is a champion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/donald-trump-was-tainted-every-kind-of-way-you-could-imagine-i-mean/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [ “On my way out of \[Atlantic City\] at quarter after seven in the morning, a young pump jockey at the gas station \[...\] mentioned… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/on-my-way-out-of-atlantic-city-at-quarter-after-seven-in-the-morning/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [In all my years in show business - on stage, clubs and TV shows - my audience has been 75 percent white. In Las…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nipsey-russell/in-all-my-years-in-show-business-on-stage-clubs-and-tv-shows-my/) [Nipsey Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nipsey-russell/) > [“I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving, hysterical, naked... who passed through universities with radiant cool eyes hallucinating Arkansas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-ginsberg/i-saw-the-best-minds-of-my-generation-destroyed-by-madness-starving/) [Allen Ginsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-ginsberg/) ## More by Neal Stephenson > [“I study dead languages for a living,” I said. “That’s why you hired me. Why should I be up to speed on your line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/i-study-dead-languages-for-a-living-i-said-that-s-why-you-hired-me/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Other people - store clerks, burger flippers, software engineers, the whole vocabulary of meaningless jobs that make up Life in America - other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/other-people-store-clerks-burger-flippers-software-engineers-the/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“It is what you don’t expect,” he’d said, “that most needs looking for.” “Do”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/it-is-what-you-don-t-expect-he-d-said-that-most-needs-looking-for-do/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“...the insects here see you as a big slab of animated but not very well defended food. The ability to move, far from being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-insects-here-see-you-as-a-big-slab-of-animated-but-not-very-well/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“There was no way that these guys were going to let a bleeding, barefoot woman simply wander off alone into the streets. Two of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/there-was-no-way-that-these-guys-were-going-to-let-a-bleeding/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Space and Time! Two minor omissions that no one is likely to notice," grumbled Newton.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/space-and-time-two-minor-omissions-that-no-one-is-likely-to-notice/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [See, the world is full of things more powerful than us. But if you know how to catch a ride, you can go places,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/see-the-world-is-full-of-things-more-powerful-than-us-but-if-you-know/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Hey,” Shaftoe says, “if we surrender to you, you’ll kill us. Right?” “Yes.” “If you guys surrender to us, we won’t kill you. Promise.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/hey-shaftoe-says-if-we-surrender-to-you-you-ll-kill-us-right-yes-if/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“My men think you are dead now, and won’t waste balls on you,” Jack said. “In fact I have let you live, but for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/my-men-think-you-are-dead-now-and-won-t-waste-balls-on-you-jack-said/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“You’ve probably heard the expression that the Industry feeds off of biomass, like a whale straining krill from the ocean.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/you-ve-probably-heard-the-expression-that-the-industry-feeds-off-of/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“The Deliverator belongs to an elite order, a hallowed subcategory. He’s got esprit up to here. Right now, he is preparing to carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-deliverator-belongs-to-an-elite-order-a-hallowed-subcategory-he-s/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [Interesting things happen along borders - transitions - not in the middle where everything is the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/interesting-things-happen-along-borders-transitions-not-in-the-middle/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“and people could only make sense of complicated matters through stories. Likewise”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/and-people-could-only-make-sense-of-complicated-matters-through/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Van Eck phreaking,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/van-eck-phreaking/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“When the Deliverator puts the hammer down, shit happens.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/when-the-deliverator-puts-the-hammer-down-shit-happens/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) [Explore all 633 Neal Stephenson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## More Atlantic city quotes > [“I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving, hysterical, naked... who passed through universities with radiant cool eyes hallucinating Arkansas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-ginsberg/i-saw-the-best-minds-of-my-generation-destroyed-by-madness-starving/) [Allen Ginsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-ginsberg/) > [In all my years in show business - on stage, clubs and TV shows - my audience has been 75 percent white. In Las…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nipsey-russell/in-all-my-years-in-show-business-on-stage-clubs-and-tv-shows-my/) [Nipsey Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nipsey-russell/) > [ “On my way out of \[Atlantic City\] at quarter after seven in the morning, a young pump jockey at the gas station \[...\] mentioned… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/on-my-way-out-of-atlantic-city-at-quarter-after-seven-in-the-morning/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [Donald Trump was tainted every kind of way you could imagine. I mean, no way in the world that Donald Trump is a champion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/donald-trump-was-tainted-every-kind-of-way-you-could-imagine-i-mean/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > ['Atlantic City' is very good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-capaldi/atlantic-city-is-very-good/) [Peter Capaldi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-capaldi/) > [“beauty contests, she said seriously, they gave out scholarship awards. "It's the biggest scholarship program in the world—they told us that at the Miss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-gilles-seidel/beauty-contests-she-said-seriously-they-gave-out-scholarship-awards/) [Kathleen Gilles Seidel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-gilles-seidel/) > [There's milk-and-cookies Grandma, and there's Colt 45 and Atlantic City Grandma. She was the latter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-williams/there-s-milk-and-cookies-grandma-and-there-s-colt-45-and-atlantic/) [Jessica Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-williams/) > [I lost $6 in Atlantic City once and said, 'Never again.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-mckinnon/i-lost-6-in-atlantic-city-once-and-said-never-again/) [Kate McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-mckinnon/) > [I was actually born in New York City, but my family moved to Atlantic City when I was five, this being my dad's home…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-kay-penman/i-was-actually-born-in-new-york-city-but-my-family-moved-to-atlantic/) [Sharon Kay Penman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-kay-penman/) > [I'm the No. 1 developer in New York, I'm the biggest in Atlantic City, and maybe we'll keep it that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-the-no-1-developer-in-new-york-i-m-the-biggest-in-atlantic-city/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [“I wondered what it was like, to gradually lose little pieces of your mind. Maybe it wasn’t so bad if you didn’t know it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cora-brent/i-wondered-what-it-was-like-to-gradually-lose-little-pieces-of-your/) [Cora Brent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cora-brent/) > [Cole Archer's Chillout Mix. That's my son's mix. He's ten weeks old, and this is what he listens to: 'Valerie' by Amy Winehouse, 'Everyday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-pally/cole-archer-s-chillout-mix-that-s-my-son-s-mix-he-s-ten-weeks-old-and/) [Adam Pally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-pally/) > [“The Teamsters pension fund organized by Hoffa almost immediately became a source of loans to the national crime syndicate known to the public as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-brandt/the-teamsters-pension-fund-organized-by-hoffa-almost-immediately/) [Charles Brandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-brandt/) > [It doesn't seem too unusual to have a live hermit crab here in Atlantic City, but when you think I brought it all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-george/it-doesn-t-seem-too-unusual-to-have-a-live-hermit-crab-here-in/) [Phyllis George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-george/) > [During Prohibition, Atlantic City created the idea of the speakeasy, which turned into nightclubs and that extraordinary political complexity and corruption coming out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/during-prohibition-atlantic-city-created-the-idea-of-the-speakeasy/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) [Browse all 59 Atlantic city quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atlantic-city/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Never been here before. 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