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Las Vegas Strip Life Continues

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Oct. 7, 2001 -- Fall Sundays in Las Vegas have their own distinct flavor, but the U.S. airstrikes against Afghanistan didn't seem to affect the ebb and flow of tourist traffic at McCarran International Airport or the city's biggest megaresorts.

Like most football Sundays, Strip sportsbooks were packed with fans.

Most people at McCarran Sunday were aware of the air strikes, but few were concerned about a terrorist backlash and how it could affect their own safety.

"We're not about to change our plans," said Corey Norris of Columbia, S.C. as he walked in a briskly moving line of tourists toward airport metal detectors.

Norris noted a group of national guardsmen clustered on the opposite side of the security checkpoint, each holding M-16 assault rifles.

"I'm not really concerned about the impact of the attacks, at least not here in Las Vegas," Norris said. "I think we're pretty safe now with all of these security precautions."

The 67 Nevada Army and Air Force National Guard troops stationed at McCarran were deployed Saturday afternoon.

The increased McCarran security precautions most affected passengers on the airport's biggest carriers, airport spokeswoman Debbie Millett said.

Lines at the ticket counters for Southwest Airlines, America West, National Airlines, Delta, United and American were all estimated to be an hour or longer, while many of the airlines with fewer Las Vegas flights had short lines or no lines at all.

After passengers checked baggage at the ticket counters, they then had to clear the security checkpoints leading to departure gates.

Those lines moved briskly, with a traveler entering a 50-yard-long line clearing the metal detectors, security personnel and the national guardsmen in less than 10 minutes.

Dallas resident Randy Newkirk said he stood outside the terminal for 45 minutes, winding his way through a Disneyland-like maze of barricades as he made his way toward the National Airlines ticket counter.

"If it keeps us safer I'm all for it," Newkirk said as he worked his way through the line with his wife Angie Newkirk. "I was hoping we'd be back home before these attacks on Afghanistan started, but I still feel safe. We had National Guardsmen visible in Dallas, and I'm glad they're here too."

A couple of hundred National Football League fans intently eyed the dozens of large television screens at the MGM Grand sportsbook early Sunday afternoon.

A few of the sports book patrons glanced at three screens tuned to CNN, but most watched the NFL games.

"We came in before the 10 a.m. games started, and they switched a lot of the monitors to the news reports," said Edward Guerra, a Las Vegas resident. "I come here almost every Sunday. Today I had the Steelers, and they covered, so I'm happy.

A group of Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans in town for a friend's bachelor party watched their team battle the Green Bay Packers.

"I'm a little concerned about being away from home when something like this war happens," said Todd Minichilli of Tampa, Fla.

Steve Olinger of Oldsmar, Fla., said Minichilli called him at 10 a.m. to wake him and advise him of the strikes.

"We had been up until 5 a.m., and I was surprised to hear the attacks started, but I'm not concerned," Olinger said. "I think we're safe. I'm more worried about how the Bucs will do in their big game against the Packers today."

The MGM's high-limit casino had about 40 big bettors playing baccarat, blackjack and roulette early Sunday afternoon, while two dozen people gambled in the craps pit in the main casino.

For tourists returning home via McCarran Airport, the long lines were grudgingly tolerated.

A group of strippers from Las Vegas' Cheetah's strip club standing in line at the Southwest Airlines ticket counter said they were returning to their home towns after working at the club all weekend.

The women declined to give their names, but said they had been up all night and planned to go to sleep as soon as they returned home, regardless of the war in Afghanistan.

Southwest ticketing agent Nadia Heeb said Sunday's lines leading to her airline's ticket counter were a lot shorter than than they were last weekend.

"These lines are averaging about one to one-and-a-half hours, compared with up to five hours last week," Heeb said. "Of course, these passengers will have additional lines at the security checkpoints and at the boarding gates."

Heeb attributed the improvement to better procedures and to passengers arriving earlier for flights.

"People are taking this pretty well, considering the lines," she said.

John and Irene DiNapoli of Las Vegas made their way through the airport Sunday, returning from a family funeral in New York.

They said they were surprised how long the lines were in Las Vegas compared with the Newark, N.J. airport they had departed several hours earlier on a Continental Airlines flight.

They were unaware of the U.S. strikes in Afghanistan, but said they weren't worried.

"I'd be more worried if people knew there was a plastic knife on every breakfast tray on our flight," Irene DiNapoli said with a smile. "Seriously, we're not worried. The safety's better now than it ever was before."

Her husband chimed in.

"We got our round-trip tickets for only $175, and that's for both of us," John DiNapoli said. "That's unheard of."

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