not skyscraper related but troubling none the less....
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2...simmons/070220
Quote:
Al Harrington, who pooh-poohed Vegas' future as an NBA team by warning everyone before last weekend, "The biggest thing about Vegas is that there's no police. ... I lived out there for two months this summer and I probably saw one cop car, so it's a free-for-all. ... If people want to come in and start trouble, they've got a free pass because the only security or police is in the casinos. Anything outside, do whatever you want."
I read that quote and thought to myself, "Wait, he's right, when do you ever see cops outside the casinos in Vegas?" Then I made a mental note to keep track during the weekend. Shockingly, Harrington was a prophet. There were barely any cops along the Strip, even though tens of thousands of people were walking around at all hours, even though there were tons of legitimately sketchy people cruising around who seemed to be sizing everyone up and didn't seem to be heading in any specific direction (reminiscent of the shady guys who walk around during Mardi Gras looking everyone over), even though cab lines and gridlock were forcing everyone to walk more than they expected to walk. Again, this was a free-for-all: Walk around at your own risk.
After initial reports that the weekend was relatively quiet, more and more information about shootings, arrests and brawls keeps trickling out. (Check out this story on Channel 8's Web site that carries the headline, "Violence Erupts During All-Star Weekend," or another story on the same Web site about the poor behavior of some of the NBA "fans"). I know for a fact that the Strip was closed twice on Friday night because of shooting incidents (saw it myself), that there was a 20-person brawl outside the Mirage's cab line at 5 a.m. that same night (my friend Marty saw it), that paramedics were covering up something that looked to be a corpse in front of the MGM Grand on Saturday morning (Sully saw it), and that I threw myself into the spirit of the weekend and shot somebody outside of Treasure Island because they were wearing a Yankees cap (fortunately, no witnesses). Who knows what else happened? Was it in Vegas' best interest to report every unflattering crime or brawl that happened? Probably not.
Here's the lingering question: Since Vegas' ultimate goal was to win everyone over and prove its worth as an NBA city, and since All-Star Weekend has previously proven itself as a destination spot for every gangbanger and troublemaker within a 750-mile radius, why not import extra policemen and National Guardsmen like New Orleans did before Super Bowl XXXVI, just to make sure everyone felt totally safe? Why would they want visitors saying stuff like "I don't care how long this cab line is, there's no way I'm walking the Strip" and "I wonder if we'll have the biggest riot in the history of sports this weekend?" In my opinion, Vegas dodged a major bullet this weekend. No pun intended.
|
I have mixed feelings how Vegas came out of this All-Star weekend. the article makes it seem like violence was rampant and people were afraid to walk down the street so instead opted an hour cab ride from Caesars to the Wynn. ridiculous if you ask me.
Quote:
What a strange weekend. There was gambling and partying and Vegas and basketball -- four of my favorite things -- with a fashion convention and Chinese New Year happening as well, which meant Vegas was throwing three blockbuster weekends at once. There were so many big-time celebrities in town, a rumored Michael Jackson cameo came and went without a single shrug. So many parties happened that it was impossible to keep track of everything. Unfortunately, the stifling gridlock made it impossible to hit multiple events in one night unless you could afford a limo or helicopter (or were robbing someone who could afford a limo or helicopter). So many gangbangers and troublemakers flooded the Strip that late-night gamblers willingly chose 75-minute cab lines over a 15-minute walk to their next casino. So many wild stories floated around about shootings, robberies and everything else that we never knew what to believe; still, every tale seemed reasonable because there were no cops to be seen. On Saturday night, one of my friends even joked that the city might have to declare martial law, only none of us laughed because we didn't realize he was joking.
|
This brings me to another topic which i have adressed before with Vegas. there needs to be transportation alternatives. right now there is none. The monorail is NOT an alternative at this time because it goes nowhere. there needs to be a dedicated train in the middle of the strip as well as spokes branching out down the east west streets (Harmon, Flamingo, Tropicana). People have told me, "you walk the strip in Vegas." apparently not anymore because too many people are afraid of getting shot. and besides, nobody wants to be walking all the time on their vactation. Driving on the strip is a lost cause. The mayor thinks he is on the path to becoming a real city, but how can you constanlty overlook the transportation issues and think along those lines? if there is one thing that the government is needed for in this city, it is public transit. The casinos do not care about the traffic because they want the people staying in their hotel at all times. Look at the construction happening and planned on the strip and its only going to get worse. Capicity on the strip will double in 5 years and as far as I've seen, nothing is going to be done to the infrastructure to deal with this capacity. the strip is over crowded already today, so imagine 5 years from now at double that. good luck getting anywhere!
I was ready to actually start calling Vegas a real city myself, but this past weekend brought too many issues that need to be fixed to the forefront. I believe there is no way now that a pro team can call Vegas home in the foreseeable future. Vegas will always be a great place to visit, but it is still a place i would not want to live in.