9) Crime
My car has been broken into, my home has been burglarized, and I've had so many things stolen in Las Vegas that I just stopped keeping track.
Once, while playing in a poker tournament at the Hilton, I came out to find that all of the reflectors had been stripped from my bicycle. Reflectors are roughly 25 cents each, yet not even these cheap items were off-limits to thieves in Las Vegas. While I was preparing to move, I took a small bag of my boxer shorts out to the driveway, went back inside so that I could get the keys to open my car, and when I returned ... the bag was gone. Someone literally stole my used underwear from my driveway in under 2 minutes. Theft in Vegas is rampant. If you take a shit on the sidewalk and turn your back for 5 seconds, chances are high that someone will steal your fecal matter. It's really that bad.
Las Vegas is a desperate city, and as the local depression worsens, it's only a matter of time before people begin robbing each other on city sidewalks. In some areas, this already happens. Mark my words, as McMansion Ghettos continue to sprawl outward, this crime will eventually spread to places like Summerlin and Henderson as well.
Las Vegas does not post official crime stats that would place it among the most dangerous cities in the USA, and in my opinion, this is because the overwhelming majority of crimes in the city goes unreported. Of all of the thefts I have been the victim of in Las Vegas, I've never reported a single one of them. I don't think I am unique in this respect. When the cops are bigger criminals than the criminals themselves, who do you turn to?
In Las Vegas, the answer is "no one".
Las Vegas has all of the drawbacks of anarchy without any of the benefits. There's really no central protection authority in the city, but if you dare attempt to protect yourself, the Gestapo will throw you in a cage or shoot you in the face.
Las Vegas works for casino owners, local government employees, and the very wealthy, but everyone else is pretty much on their own.
If you are middle class or below, and you live in central Vegas long enough, you will be the victim of crime. Probably multiple times.
Hopefully, like me, most of it will be petty crime ... but you have to stay alert and vigilant.
The LVCVA won't tell you this in their slick promotional marketing, but it's something you need to know.
10) English as a Second Language
If you have ever read the story of the Tower of Babel in the Big Book of Delusional Fiction (sometimes referred to as "The Bible"), you will get a hypothetical example of why "diversity" is not all it's cracked up to be. If people in a specific geographical region cannot agree on a common language, then the entire society becomes a confusing mess.
Frankly, I'm not sure why this problem exists anywhere. Assuming you have a population which is all but the most severely of retarded, the solution is obvious. Instead of people having to learn 12 different languages, one specific language should be assigned to a geographic area, and everyone with the intent of living in that area should learn to speak that language.
It just makes good common sense.
I remember going to a bakery on Desert Inn Road and asking the clerk if the turnovers in his case contained fruit. He continously shrugged as I repeated the word "fruit", "fruit", "fruit", and before giving up, I decided to try the Spanish version of the word ... "frutas".
As soon as the word came out of my mouth, he lit up and said "si si frutas!".
He thought it was kind of funny, but I felt that it was nothing short of sad that a fellow citizen could not understand what I was saying until I added "as" to the end of a common English word. In my opinion, it was just plain lazy, and an outright disgrace.
If I moved to France, I would learn French. If I moved to Korea, I would learn Korean. If I moved to California, I would learn to interject the word "amazing" into as many sentences as possible. Adopting a local language instead of expecting locals to learn yours is just the right thing to do. I cannot believe that any rational person would dispute this notion.
Unfortunately, due to an addiction to cheap, exploitable labor ... this third-world, intellectually void language mish-mash is not only accepted ... but it is actively encouraged in the City of Las Vegas. In many parts (possibly the majority) of the Vegas Valley, it can be quite challenging to find someone who speaks even the most basic English.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, if Las Vegas tripled the quality of its healthcare, it would be indistinguishable from Mexico.
So there you have it.
Since this list was rather long, allow me to summarize.
If you are considering moving to Las Vegas, please consider the following:
There are no jobs, our schools rank last in the nation, our healthcare is quite possibly the worst this side of Bangladesh, our occupying police force is constantly looking for people to kill, we have no usable mass transit, our streets are perpetually clogged with depressed and drunk people, panhandlers and bums are appearing everywhere, we have a corrupt government which will never be held accountable due to our transient population, our power monopoly constantly rapes us with the blessing of our corrupt government, and there is only one industry and that industry is failing.
Aside from these issues, Las Vegas is an excellent place to live.
Please consider moving here and buying one of our houses.
Thank you.
Comments 10 Worst Things About Living in Las Vegas 5
14/09/2010 10:36am by kelly
I agree 100%! Living here hurts my soul, I have many more complaints, as well. Wanted to write a book called "I walk through parking lots, the truth about living in LV" and include them. I'd rather just focus on getting out of this toilet shithole of hell that the country would be better w/out. Don't conform if you live here. Meaning don't dumb yourself down, trash yourself up, become overweight, addicted, or become a scumbag dishonest hustler. I HATE HATE HATE LV!
11/08/2010 11:02pm by Sierra
Analytical, provocative, entertaining and credible. I don't know who else could/would write this. It will make a difference.
10/08/2010 1:34pm by James Goldman
Extreme heat PLUS dryness, that's the number one reason for pre-mature aging.
Moisture is always good for your skin.
A long-time Vegas resident looks a lot older than his twin brother say in Maine or Seattle.
People overly praise Las Vegas has one reason only - the person still has financial interest there. PERIOD.
10/08/2010 4:19am by Ben
I agree w/some of Rex's points, disagree w/others. Schools, health care, customer service and policing leave a lot to be desired. The weather? That's a matter of opinion. I grew up in Wisconsin and still prefer to be overly hot than overly cold. Rex might feel differently. Had he gotten out of the city more he also may have seen some great outdoor places to beat the heat, truly unique natural oases in the desert. Loved the point commenter Ted Newkirk made about LV proximity to Colo River.
As for crime, knock on wood but I've lived here since 2006 and haven't been a victim. I live in an older neighborhood about 1/2 mile from downtown. No garage, but I'm going to install a fence. Real estate, it depends. I rented from 2006-09 b/c the houses seemed overpriced in my opinion and poised to fall in value fast and far. I bought a place in 2009 and lowered my monthly living expenses by several hundred dollars. As for the people, well, my theory is about 65 percent of people in any community, across races, creeds, colors, etc., are mean, ignorant or some combination. The other 35 percent or so are generally decent people trying to do the right thing. LV has its shallow, ignorant club people and douchebags, Seattle has its know-it-all yuppies and arrogant hipsters. They're all among the 65 percent group, they just wear different clothes.
Overall, it is too bad Rex couldn't make a go of it in LV. He had a nice Web site and did a good job writing for a local audience about stuff that only a local would know about or care to experience. It will be missed until someone else picks up the torch and fondly remembered thereafter.
10/08/2010 1:19am by Scooby
#11 -- If Vegas is your number one vacation destination and you enjoy planning the trips and reveling in the anticipation of upcoming trips, that will be gone. You will have to find a new vacation destination as exciting to go to and plan for. Good luck with that! If you take a kid that loves Disneyland and set him up in a tent on the Matterhorn for a year, the novelty will eventually wear off. Vegas is no different for most adults. I am eight years in and the novelty of 'Living in Vegas' wore off a few years ago. My pussy doesn't hurt anywhere near as bad as Rex's on this subject, but it is getting a little chafed. Keep in mind, you reap what you sow. If you park a bike outside of the Hilton, don't whine about your missing reflectors. Sounds like a 98er move to me. ;)
09/08/2010 11:55pm by The Fonz
A Minnesota city recently decided it would recognized English as its official language, and therefore wouldn't print non-essential documents in multiple languages. This was supported by some, criticized by others. There's no chance in hell I'm moving to China, Japan or France and expecting everyone to accommodate me because I haven't learned the language. That's naive, yet somehow it's wrong of us to expect employees of a suburban Burger King to speak English? I guess it's a good thing we have immigrant workers at McDonald's seeing as there's a shortage of able-bodied teens to run the drive-thru window.
09/08/2010 10:56pm by boomer262
Rex,
I imagine this may be your most commented on piece to date because people are so passionate about this.
I lived in Vegas for 2 1/2 years until last Fall, and I may be moving back in a few weeks if I get the job I am interviewing for (it's the 3rd interview with the company).
I do love Las Vegas, but I have a lot of friends who would never want to live there. It can be an isolated place. To be honest, I don't have friends there. I don't even really have people to do things with. Las Vegas can be a very lonely place, but it's what you make of it. As a solo person, it offers much more to do than a lot of other places.
Las Vegas isn't for everyone. It isn't even for most people I know. Sometimes it can be the right town for you at one point in your life, but wrong at any other point. It sounds like you are ready to move on, and I wish you the best.
09/08/2010 9:37pm by MrCdnVegas
"Canada is a pretty great place with a few bad spots compared to the US, and they have two official languages (French is effectively the stand-in for Spanish) "
1) French to Spanish comparison in Canada is not true.
2) "All Canada is bilingual" I beg to differ. Maybe in Ontario and further east, but Western Canada IS NOT french english bilingual.
3) I could deal with the Fench and English as they are "official". But I can feel Rex's pain that half the time here (Alberta) English seems to be the "option" no one wants to learn. Asian / East Indian immigrants don't seem to want to learn either of the Candian offical languages, and more and more offten are insiting that goverment services be provided in their native tongue.
Rex, like you the way I see it is if you want to move somewhere, it's your obligation to learn the local language, laws, and customs NOT the other way around.
09/08/2010 4:49pm by ColinFromLasVegas
Enjoyed the articles, Rex.
Now that you got that out of your system...
...when you moving back here?
09/08/2010 2:53pm by keith
"Canada is a pretty great place with a few bad spots compared to the US, and they have two official languages (French is effectively the stand-in for Spanish) "
the difference here is that most french canadians, and a good protion of the population who are just canadian, are bilingual. they can speak both languages equally well. it's not a stand-in for spanish, where that is the only language they know, aside from a few words in broken english.
09/08/2010 2:17pm by mike_ch
Ted, not all of us are from the east coast. I'm from Northern CA, and a far north of San Fran cluster of communities of 20,000-50,000 population towns. But the region and even the individual towns all have good mass transit.
And not all of us can drive. Some of us can't for medical reasons. Some of us can't for legal reasons (it is a privilege, not a right.) Some of us just don't want to.
My entire METRO AREA has about 486,000 people, that's less than 30% of the Vegas valley. But because our transit agencies are usually not the same agencies that run road and highways, they don't have to fight directly fight road redevelopment and the like in the agency's budget. Maybe that's why they're so much better than Vegas. I do know our buses to San Francisco are paid for with Golden Gate Bridge tolls, but even local service is much better than what the RTC can do.
It is a basic service. Basic. Service.
09/08/2010 10:10am by Dustin
Gonna miss your reports about Vegas but I'll continue to follow you because I love your writing.
09/08/2010 8:11am by IBELVIS
The environment - Las Vegas is a desert city.
Kick back and think of all the great innovations, culture and academic progress that come from cities/ countries along the equator.
09/08/2010 6:38am by james h
as much as i like las vegas, you are mostly right...great place to visit, but would you really want to live there...i like to visit mexico, but wouldnt want to live there. las vegas is really unique, in that it is a one industry town, needing mostly uneducated workers and being somewhat isolated why would business want to relocate there..the vegas strip is fun and exciting, for about 4 days...rex, i guess you attempted to live the dream, that turned into a nightmare...i think you need to be young, goodlooking, and dumb to really enjoy all las vegas has to offer!
09/08/2010 6:22am by Ted Newkirk
Given that Anthony Curtis is preoccupied with fighting and R-J suit, let me be the member of the extremely low IQ "I love Vegas, Click Here to Buy A Room" fraternity to give a retort:
BTW, none of us in the commercial promotion of tourism field hate you (that I know of, anyway). We certainly are amused by you.
I personally am appreciative if you can even get one person to move away, and keep anybody else from moving here. This town was a great place at a million people. Let's get it back down there.
I'll tackle the points by number:
1) You are extremely inaccurate in promoting the "Las Vegas doesn't have what it takes to sustain life" myth. Ever heard of the Springs Preserve? Farming took place here in the early 1900's, natural springs existed, and groundwater supported the city throughout much of the 1900's.
If you had gone past Moapa and visited Overton and the Virgin River Valley (you should have taken your kids to the Clark County Fair while you lived here), you'd would have seen rural farming an hour from town. Hell, Pahrump has vineyards if you go an hour the other way!
The desert here can support plant life just like it does around El Centro, CA. You just need water. Which brings me to the other myth...
Just as many cities draw water from rivers in close proximity, we draw ours from a river in close proximity. If most of the Colorado River was not shipped hundreds of miles to California (the crops around El Centro are irrigated with Colorado River water), we'd be awash in locally drawn water. So it is OK for El Centro to use CR water to grow crops, but not we who live a stones throw from the CR?
I am 20 miles from the Colorado River. I grew up about 15 miles from the Willamette River in Oregon. So... it was OK for me to use water in proximity to me in Oregon, but not here in Nevada?
I've never had nosebleeds, dry eyes (even when wearing contacts and being around plenty of smoke), dry skin, and a general discomfort from the climate. I drink plenty of distilled water and stay hydrated from the inside out.
2) Talk to Doug Elfman about how easy it is to become a teacher here. His eminently qualified father couldn't get a teaching gig in Clark County.
Those who come with the "get rich quick" mentality are filtered back out of town. Remember... at the point where 5000 people were moving here monthly, 2000 people a month were leaving.
The most successful people I know here long-term are people who have been here 10+ years. Takes time to build a real network of friends and business partners.
3) You can get a job if you are good and you hustle. I know a couple who moved here 4 months ago from Tampa and both have full-time good jobs. Problem is the lack of good workers who work hard and hustle (so on that, you'll get no argument from me). My doctor needs a front desk person and is actually having trouble finding a good candidate. But in general, I agree. No employment here. Stay away.
4) Generally no argument there. I'm self-insured and can doctor shop on price and quality. I'd hate to be just another patient at a cattle-call doctor.
5) I didn't vote for Gillespie. The department has real issues right now. However, I've never had less than professional dealings with the law. Some of Rex's run-in's seem to stretch the imagination a bit.
6) Why do all you east coast people come here and expect us to have public transit? Most of the west is an automobile-driven society. We love our cars. If you want good mass transit, move to a city with good mass transit. I love the sunshine. I wouldn't move back to PDX and complain about lack of sun. PDX has limited sunshine. LAS has limited mass transit.
7) I have no kids. I'll let the rest of you fight that battle. No question those who can afford to here send their kids to private schools.
8) No argument. 2005 was a good year to sell a house, not to buy. However, if you plan on living here and have a steady income that isn't in jeopardy, good time to buy. I'm looking around.
9) You live in Rexville and spend your time walking between Rexville and The Strip... and you are shocked at the crime? Just pick your neighborhood better. I live in a vintage middle-class neighborhood just a few minutes from the North Strip and Downtown and the police blotter has shown one crime situation in 16 month. Nice, quiet, safe area.
If you choose to live in some areas closer to downtown, you need a garage to house your car and a good home alarm company. Thieves will pick easier targets. 17 years here and the only crime I was a victim of was getting my wallet lifted during New Years Eve (foolish me, forgot to bury it deep in front pocket). Which is pretty damn good considering that I've walked from The Plaza to The Western ($1 blackjack) after midnight more times than I can count. Long before they cleaned up Fremont East.
10) No argument there. I'm all for an Arizona-type law here. It would help pare down the population and ease unemployment.
Moral Of The Story:
Those who move to Las Vegas specifically for what it offers and come in with their eyes wide open enjoy it and tend to do OK. You are going to be driving a car, you are going to deal with very hot temps, and abundant sunshine. You'll have relatively low taxes and regulation and will go without some of the government services that higher-taxed cities offer.
We have very few bike lanes and we don't care. Etc. This is not the east coast, regardless of how many east coast residents have moved here. It never will be. You guys from the east are a fish out of water here.
Rex is one of hundreds of thousands (over the past couple of decades) who thought that he could bend Las Vegas to his whims and wishes. When you try to bend Las Vegas, it snaps back with extreme velocity, kicks you in the ass, and kicks your ass out of town.
To those thinking of moving here: Move here because you want to be a sun baked, car-driving, fun-loving Las Vegan. If that's not you, you'll simply be the next Rex.
Kudos to Rex on finally picking a place to live based on researching what is important to him. Rex, hope you got over to Ocean Shores, WA on your Aberdeen visit. Beautiful this time of year.
09/08/2010 6:06am by Scooby
REX FOR GOD IN 2012!
Don't let the door...
09/08/2010 5:06am by mike_ch
I'm always a little surprised someone as metropolitan as you bags on people for not speaking English. New York speaks numerous languages. Canada is a pretty great place with a few bad spots compared to the US, and they have two official languages (French is effectively the stand-in for Spanish) with Chinese actually beating French in immigrant heavy cities like Toronto.
The crime, again, is about your area. A couple years ago I accidentally left pretty important keys outside and someone, who could have gotten away with stealing them, slipped them into my mailbox. Although even out there in suburbia I consider myself lucky in that event.
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