Can Vendors Still Sell Water on the Pedestrian Overpasses?

Can vendors still sell needed water (at a reasonable price) on the pedestrian overpasses?

No. They can't.

Clark County's street-vendor ordinance went into effect on April 30 of this year. According to the new regs, vendors must stay at least 500 feet away from schools, parks, childcare facilities, malls, and recreational or community centers. They must remain 150 feet away from other vendors and food businesses and 15 feet away from intersections, crosswalks, bus stops, and public restrooms.

We're not sure if all the overpasses fall within the minimum-distance requirements for restaurants and intersections, but it's clear that the vendors aren't taking any chances. Since the penalties are a $500 fine and up to six months in jail, we haven't seen any vendors selling water or anything else on the overpasses. And we've been taking long walks on the Strip lately for various reasons.

The short bridge from the Cosmo to the Shops at Crystals used to have two or three water sellers with ice chests. Now none.

We recommended the long-time water seller on the bridge between Bellagio and Caesars in our review of No Pants, the food and beverage operation in the outdoor Green Fairy Garden outside the Absinthe tent near the bottom of the bridge on the Caesars side. The vendor charged $1 for a 16-ounce bottle of water; at No Pants, it's $8. Yow. He's gone.

None now on the bridge from the Fashion Show to the Wynn, which was also a popular place for vendors with ice chests.

We did see one lone cold-drink purveyor with an ice chest on one of our recent walks. He was mostly hidden under the short plywood tunnel hemming in the construction zone outside the Mirage. He was selling not only cold water, but cold beer, so obviously he was trying to fly real low under the radar. He certainly wasn't displaying his liquor license. But he was taking a big risk.

Meantime, performers are allowed. We saw an accordion player, guitarist, a rockin' electric violinist (professional caliber with a violin that looked like an electric guitar Gene Simmons might play), a drummer, even an electric harpist. Also several singers ... all on the bridges.

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Comments

Doug Miller Aug-07-2024

Just Thinking . . .

In my hometown there is a fairly recent regulation that anyone who sells food must have a health department certificate and liability insurance.  It applied even to bake sales so it nearly eliminated bake sales.  Some organizations got around this by preparing home baked goods at a stand and offering them for a free will donation.  They did not put a price on the goods and there was no suggested donation.  I’m not saying that this would work in Las Vegas but I wonder if the ordinance defines “sale”.

Kevin Lewis Aug-07-2024

The casinos are the law in Vegas

Obviously, this new regulation isn't about protecting the public from the scourge of people selling water (those foul blackguards!); rather, it's to ensure that you'll stagger into the casinos, parched from the heat, and pay $8 for that $1 bottle of water.

I live in Portland, where there are free water fountains everywhere. Somehow, our city has survived this radical socialist policy.

Tim Soldan Aug-07-2024

What happened to the ordinance

I thought an ordinance had been passed outlawing stopping on the pedestrian bridges. Did this apply only during F1? It seems to me that entertainers on the pedestrian bridge would violate that ordinance.

Donald P Jaspan Aug-07-2024

QOD

Deek: you must read the comments on QOD. Does someone in your office have time to respond to some of these comments? Don

Randall Ward Aug-07-2024

water

the beers by the fountains were life savers.

jay Aug-07-2024

Health and Safety

In both Mexico and Brazil its common to find vendors selling water. Many in used water bottles recovered from who knows where and filled from who knows where. In Brazil street vendors sell home made Juice sold in plastic baggies. Local versions of Kool-Aid powder added to water. 

Its far less likely that the bottles are sourced similarly but there is still a health and safety component as one puts their mouth on the bottle. Dirty hands, E.coli, Salmonella.. ? One of those folks selling the bottles with a cough..TB anyone ?

Hoppy Aug-07-2024

My thoughts exactly

Re: Randall Ward  they keep them cold

sunny78 Aug-07-2024

oh

Portland. It all makes sense now.

oh stop it fellow citizens. Laws and rules are for suckers these days. The key is enforcing laws, not making them, and there's the rub. That's reality.

[email protected] Aug-07-2024

Can we trade...

The ice cold water vendors for all of the clowns trying to get tips for their singing, playing, dancing, whatever?

Larry Stone Aug-07-2024

Don't drink the water

Some vendors would find empty bottles in the garbage and fill them with tap water. That's why they would open the bottle for you.  They weren't sealed to begin with.

Frank Nicosia Aug-08-2024

Keep the food and drink…..

…… lose the noise makers…. Supposedly musicians.  Place has too much noise already

Tim Clark Aug-11-2024

Tim

I was there in early July and they were everywhere selling their water bottles. Heck in front of Mirage there were 2 people selling beer on the sidewalk as the volcano show was going off. I asked a security guard were the police were and was told they are so short handed that there is no one around to stop this which was also evident as cars stopping to take last pictures of the volcano they had 2 driving  lanes blocked.

Question of the Day - 07 August 2024

Comments