People are everywhere in Las Vegas. Everywhere. It can be overwhelming. Especially since the majority of these folks are strangers and tourists. There are real obstacles in the way of making a real connection with someone in this city. That's where RentAFriend.com comes in.

RentAFriend is exactly what it sounds like. It's a website where people can "shop" for "friends" in their area to hang out with. The activity is up to you and your new pal and the hourly rates vary from person to person. You can hire a friend to see a movie with you, go out for ice cream, give personal advice, act as a wingman, pick out presents for your grandchildren, or to even go hiking with. Pretty much anything you could do with a real friend, you can do with your rental.

The site already has 108,000 friends listed and though it may be free to list yourself, to contact a friend costs $24.95 a month. At only five months old, the site already as 1,200 paying members. Not too shabby.

Founder Scott Rosenbaum makes sure to clarify that RentAFriend is a friends-only site, not friends-with-benefits. Physical contact is actually prohibited during outings to deter RentAFriend from becoming used as a dating site. It also stops me from making any of the Dollhouse references I had prepared.

And I wasn't kidding earlier when I mentioned how hard it was to make friends in Vegas. Matt Wray, a former UNLV researcher, learned that just being in Clark County doubles your risk of suicide. He also found that when people leave Las Vegas, their suicide risk decreases, demonstrating that there really is something very sad lurking beneath the neon lights of the Strip.

This could be due to the 1.2 million people who moved into Clark County in the past 15 years, causing an influx of residents without any strong community ties or roots in the city. This was very bad news for Vegas since, as University of Chicago psychologist John Cacioppo learned, loneliness is contagious and spreads through three degrees of separation.

Cacioppo even warns against relying on sites like RentAFriend as a remedy to loneliness, saying it can be harmful by dissuading the person from making real, non-paid friends. Many people who use RentAFriend though aren't so much isolated souls as they are people who need help in some activity. This can range from being a spotter at the gym, a partner for lessons, a local to show them around town, or even a fake parent to fool school administrators at a discipline hearing.

And there are a myriad of interesting friends to choose from in the Las Vegas area. One of my favorites is "Mountain Man." He is a 66 year old with an "above average" body who lists "Prom Dates" and "Teacher Manners" under his many, many activities which he's available for. Mountain Man sells himself by saying, "Rent a friend with a ‘Gold Mine' and a ‘Treasure Chest' filled with an infinite amount of wealth and love to share. A world traveler, a great companion, or a business partner - you decide!"

There are also more traditional friends, like Kellie who describes herself as "a huge hugger" and Marie who "just [loves] having fun. And shopping." 19 year-old Sarah says that "Laughing and playing soccer are my favorite hobbies. So give me a chance and I'll change your life!"

Whether you're just looking to kill time, have some company at the movies, or pull a Debra Messing in The Wedding Date, the RentAFriend website is definitely worth a visit.