News By Readers
A Photographer's Dream Becomes a Daycare Nightmare
Closed sidewalks and lack of access proves Las Vegas to be unfriendsly to disabled.
By Janelle Twyford-Silvis
Published: Friday, November 2, 2012 3:10 PM CDT
It is time for the media to visit Las Vegas. After buying into all the family friendly branding, Las Vegas is now full of strollers in and out of the casinos.
As a casino patron, I repeatedly stepped over strollers in the middle of the slot machines. At one casino, there was a young child sitting at the blackjack table. In another casino, a mother handed her child the money to put into the slot machine. Wherever you road, children are running wild as if unattended, bumping into people they know, then crying as if the stranger did something wrong.
Sidewalks that were built to aid pedestrians cross busy streets rarely work. Most often the up escalators worked but very rarely did the down escalators work. We could not help but wonder if Las Vegas was implementing an energy austerity program. At one corner, patrons are forced into a casino with a long walk through the building before reaching access to the outside. Is this an marketing ploy?
There is rare and occasionally no access for the disabled. Isn’t there a law against this? At one corner, there was no way to access the tram without being able to go up steps. There was an elevator; however, it was roped off with an out of order sign.
Amidst all the beautiful lights and the excitement offered by the strip in Las Vegas, there are frustrated patrons trying to figure out how to cross, where to cross and if they can cross the streets.
Casino food is outrageously expensive. The prime rib dinners that once invited people from all over the world, have been replaced by gluttonous buffets with so-so food at unreasonable prices. Twenty five dollars gets you chicken breast at one restaurant but not one thing else… no bread, no salad and no pasta.
The once affordable weekend getaway is now an expensive vacation for people who are young and healthy and who enjoy being around a day care environment. Sad, but true.
For additional information, contact Janelle Twyford-Silvis at 972-679-5742 or jt7446@yahoo.com.