Blog Post 6

            One thing that stuck out to me while reading Burke’s “Sucked Beneath the Tunnels of Las Vegas” was the idea that there is a whole other side to Las Vegas that no one knows about. When people go to Las Vegas, they focus on the towering buildings, vibrant neon lights, happening nightclubs, and monstrous casinos. No one focuses on the “hidden matrix of tunnels beneath the strip, the storm drains.” I personally do not think of the storms drain of a city, and I don’t imagine that very many people do. As Burke talks about the individuals who live in these storm drains, it becomes very apparent that these unknown people have their reasons for being down there. Whether it is a drug addiction, like Steven, Burke’s new acquaintance from the storm drains, or not having enough money to properly maintain, each person down there has their own story and reason for living in the storm drains. A thing that stuck out to me was Burke’s description of the blankets and “teddy bear” that he saw during one of his trips to the storm drains. I did not think there were any people living in the storm drains of Las Vegas, much less a child living down there too. People are so distracted by all the bustling buildings and action on the streets that they forget about the less fortunate people in the city. I think it would be very hard to ignore all of the attractions of Las Vegas and focus on the people living in the storm drains, especially since most people go to Las Vegas for a vacation or to party. When Burke talked about the possibility of having tours in the Las Vegas storm drains, it made me think of how many people would actually go on these tours. Would people go to Las Vegas because of its notation as sin city or would they go to meet the hidden population of the storm drains that had been kept out of the public’s eye?