Question of the Day 2023-05-18

I saw a YouTube video on the "mole people" living in tunnels under Las Vegas. I thought it was ironic that aboveground, Vegas is so garish and bright, while below ground is a whole other culture. Is it possible to visit the tunnels? Is it safe?

For those few readers who haven't heard about them, the "tunnels" of Las Vegas are the storm drains that run through and under much of the valley, including the Las Vegas Strip. In total, there are more than 200 miles of them. The tunnels, and the alternate universe found within them, were brought to light by Huntington Press author and friend Matt O'Brien.

When he was managing editor of alt Las Vegas weekly CityLife, O'Brien became intrigued by the story of a murderer who'd eluded police by vanishing into the city's subterranean flood-control system. Matt followed in the footsteps of the psycho-killer and found a host of people who reside in the storm drains underneath Las Vegas. He recorded his experiences in our internationally acclaimed best-seller, Beneath the Neon.

As suggested by the book's subtitle, Life and Death in the Tunnels of Las Vegas, this unlit un-air-conditioned labyrinth is not a safe place and certainly not somewhere we'd recommend anyone visiting, unless you're accompanied by an aficionado like Matt, who spent more hours than he cares to remember down there in the course of 10 or so years. (He also founded Shine A Light, a non-profit that provides water, food, clothes, blankets, drug counseling, and other services to the tunnel dwellers.)

Not only are the tunnels extremely dark, but they're subject to the dangerous flash-flooding that they were originally constructed to mitigate. A number of deaths have been recorded in recent years -- and those are the ones that are known.

Factor in that many of the people living down there, estimated to number as many as 700, are suffering from mental illness and/or drug problems and you'll understand why the storm drains are anything but some kind of visitor-friendly attraction with guided tours, like the Roman catacombs, and are in fact somewhere we'd strongly advise you to stay away from.

Plus, most of the people who do, for better or worse, currently call Las Vegas' underground flood-control system their home would prefer to have their privacy respected.

No part of this answer may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without the written permission of the publisher.

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Comments

CLIFFORD May-18-2023

FAKE QUESTION

MUST BE FROM LVA STAFF.  NO ONE IN HIS RIGHT MIND WOULD WANT TO TOUR A SEWER SYSTEM..SHAME ON LVA.

rokgpsman May-18-2023

Not so fast...

I'll bet that some weeks there aren't enough new questions submitted by readers that haven't already been answered in the archives. So the LVA staff might post one themselves on a subject that is informative and interesting. Nothing wrong with that, and who knows, this question might have come in from someone curious about the underground tunnels. There are plenty of youtube videos of ordinary people exploring down there, so some people have a weird interest that you or I might never have.

Wilbur Kookmeyer May-18-2023

Autonomous Zone

To me it would be a kin to the "Autonomous Zone" that was in Seattle during the left wing riots in 2020.  I've seen people go down in the tunnels by the Silver Sevens Casino and they aren't the type of people you want to hang around.  If something happens to you there no one is going to hear you scream.  Along with no witnesses.

Reno Faoro May-18-2023

vegas 8 , october

LOL ,  not for our group of OCTAGENARIANS , WE WILL STAY ABOVE GROUND.  TY,TYVM.

Wild Bill May-18-2023

Cliffturd

It's not a sewer system. It's a flood-control system. Read the answer -- and know the difference! -- before you start "shaming" LVA for answering a question.

gaattc2001 May-18-2023

YouTube has quite a number of posts on this subject under "Las Vegas Tunnels"....

along with some celebrity chefs and The Elon Musk Boring system.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Las+Vegas+Tunnels

Kevin Lewis May-18-2023

Backlog

If LVA stopping accepting QoD submissions today, it would still take them the better part of a decade to work their way through the ones they already have. So they don't need to make any up.

Ray May-18-2023

Wha-a-a-t?

I find it amazing that people could think that there are not enough questions you are asked.

[email protected] May-18-2023

Most Naive Ignorant Question Ever?

Had to be posed by someone under the age of about 25 that has never lived on their own in a big city. Las Vegas has plenty of "tourist" attractions but to somehow believe it might be entertaining to wander around a bunch of dark tunnels where homeless, jobless, and likely mentally challenged and criminally minded folks hang out is the epitome of DUMB.

Doozey May-18-2023

storm drain or sewer

While not technically a sewer 700+ homeless people leave a lot of sewage in the storm drains. Watch your step or watch the 
CSI episode from years ago.

Sandra Ritter May-21-2023

Responding

CLIFFORD, really? You can't honestly believe that. Well you use all caps so maybe you do. I agree with many here, eg, Wild Bill, Kevin, Ray.  I suggest that Wilbur drops meyer from his last name.

Question of the Day - 18 May 2023

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