Deep beneath Vegas’s glittering lights lies a sinister labyrinth inhabited by poisonous spiders and a man nicknamed The Troll who wields an iron bar.
November 6, 2010 11:56 PM   Subscribe

The tunnel people of Las Vegas: "They lost their home when they became addicted to drugs after the death of their son Brady at four months old." [warning: Daily Mail]
posted by rodgerd (24 comments total) 12 users marked this as a favorite
 
More here. Wait a minute it's the same photographs, but from 2009.
posted by humanfont at 12:13 AM on November 7, 2010


Previously.
posted by birdherder at 12:19 AM on November 7, 2010


What's the story with this "Troll" character? Reminds me of The Lizard.
posted by corey le fou at 12:27 AM on November 7, 2010


When I look at those pictures I instantly start scanning for duct tape, scrap metal, scrap electronics, wonderglue, and wrenches.
posted by Ritchie at 12:29 AM on November 7, 2010 [10 favorites]


What happens if it rains?
posted by bardic at 12:50 AM on November 7, 2010 [1 favorite]


thank you for the warning about the daily mail.
wow, and with pictures.
This could be compared to the economic conditions of 1930s America.

"Consequently, a marine narcotic force, consisting of 250 motor boats, was established to combat the smuggling of drugs and alcohol from abroad.

Nevertheless, crime rates continued to increase, and towards the end of the 1930s crime was estimated to cost the U.S. approximately $15 billion annually."

a similar economic situation with the right statistics could drive more people into tunnels.

New Zealand ranks second only to the United States in a scientific survey of illegal cocaine and cannabis use in 17 countries.

yeah, the troll?, he some tom bombadil? because i missed that part of the movie.

What happens if it rains?

you have the tunnel silly
posted by clavdivs at 12:57 AM on November 7, 2010


This is like something out of Neverwhere. Sad but fascinating.
posted by Xany at 1:28 AM on November 7, 2010 [1 favorite]


One of the entrances the tunnel people use to get down there is in the wash a couple hundred meters from my house.
posted by Jacqueline at 2:43 AM on November 7, 2010


I read in some local publication (can't remember which or find the link now) that a couple of the tunnel people drown every year when the abrupt, heavy downpours we occasionally have here fill the washes and flood tunnels.
posted by Jacqueline at 2:49 AM on November 7, 2010


Anyhow, if anyone ever wants to have a Meetup to investigate the tunnels, let me know. I'm curious but too scared to go without company and personal protection.
posted by Jacqueline at 2:51 AM on November 7, 2010


After reading the comments here indicating this is legit, I felt a lot better when I thought this was a Daily Mail fantasy beat up.
posted by bystander at 3:48 AM on November 7, 2010


The LA Times had a story of one man's life in the tunnels.
posted by humanfont at 4:58 AM on November 7, 2010


"Many are war veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress."

Funny how this line crops up so often in articles about poverty and hardship in the U.S.
posted by spoobnooble at 5:01 AM on November 7, 2010 [2 favorites]


Yeah, and it's been raining a bit here lately.....
posted by nemspyda at 5:02 AM on November 7, 2010


Why hello there, dystopia.
posted by Avenger at 6:23 AM on November 7, 2010 [2 favorites]


Beneath the Neon, the site for the book and photographer. Sometimes, the Daily Mail link may not be the only option.
posted by Nelson at 6:42 AM on November 7, 2010


This is hardly unique to this part of the country, check out the totally depressing doc Dark Days.
posted by dbiedny at 6:52 AM on November 7, 2010


I'm sure it's for real, but why do they quote a USian as saying his bed came from a "skip"? In the U.S., you'd say "dump" or "landfill". Maybe the pix are real but the quotes are made up?
posted by toodleydoodley at 7:47 AM on November 7, 2010


Toodley: skip is another word for dumpster, in the US.
posted by Goofyy at 7:57 AM on November 7, 2010


I lived in Las Vegas for a couple of years and it is a depressing hellhole with little to no social services for the indignant. It is the epitome of capitalism, only caring for those who have money to spend and throwing those who have none in the trash. Only 2 and a half miles from the luxurious strip I could show you a city block where the homeless camp out on the sidewalk every night in lean to tents constructed out of whatever they can find. From 50 to 100 a night camp out there. Men, women, pregnant women and children - all there. The cops know they are there - they don't care as long as it's away from the tourists.

Las Vegas is what the United States is so quickly becoming.
posted by Poet_Lariat at 10:24 AM on November 7, 2010 [2 favorites]


I assume that he said "dumpster" and the Mail translated the en_US into en_UK as "skip" for local readers.
posted by octothorpe at 2:15 PM on November 7, 2010


with little to no social services for the indignant

Because the greedy indigent are using them all up?
posted by scratch at 6:48 PM on November 7, 2010


It is the epitome of capitalism, only caring for those who have money to spend and throwing those who have none in the trash.

Like pretty much every other tourist place in the world.
posted by smackfu at 5:55 AM on November 8, 2010


Toodley: skip is another word for dumpster, in the US.
posted by Goofyy at 10:57 AM on November 7 [+] [!] No other comments.


whereat? is it a strict regionalism like pop or cabinet?
posted by toodleydoodley at 4:08 PM on November 16, 2010


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