Vegas: It's All Fake, Including The Grass
Scene from my hotel sans chain-smoking degenerate gamblers. 
(In Vegas for a newspaper conference.)
AMY ALKON, APPLIED BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE AUTHOR, SPEAKER, NATIONALLY SYNDICATED COLUMNIST
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4.37
You could probably find grass in Vegas if you asked around a bit.
Steve Daniels at February 26, 2012 12:01 AM
Nice pic!
Little Shiva at February 26, 2012 2:01 AM
You flew from L.A. to Vegas? That's a five hour car trip.
Besides if you want real grass you can just go to any cannabis club in L.A. ;-)
Jim P. at February 26, 2012 4:28 AM
Five hours in an Insight? Makes my butt hurt just to think of it. On the other hand, it would allow one to skip the testicle grab/titty grope.
Hummm. Sort of a toss up there.
Steve Daniels at February 26, 2012 8:51 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2012/02/26/vegas_its_all_f.html#comment-3003716">comment from Steve DanielsIt's enormously inefficient to drive. I have a radio show tonight. I can't be at the conference, drive five hours, and then be on the radio. I also am not that comfortable driving on the freeway or driving long distances. A close friend who now lives in Arkansas wanted me to drive down to San Diego to see him when he was at the American Psychological Association conference last August. I explained to him, "I don't drive to Hollywood, let alone San Diego."
Amy Alkon
at February 26, 2012 9:14 AM
I live in L.A. and have family in Las Vegas. I ALWAYS drove (average 4 1/2 hrs one way) but last year my wife and I were invited to a wedding; the entire wedding party and many of the guests flew together out of LAX.
The drive to the airport from Santa Clarita was an hour. We arrived close to 2 hours early to get through the airport "tease and squeeze", check the bags, etc. The flight was delayed an hour (by this time I could have driven through Baker and into Nevada). By the time we arrived at the hotel, we were conservatively 2 hours behind what a car trip would have been as well as harried and stressed as only air travel can do.
Factoring in the costs of airfare, taxis, etc and the inconvenience of the airport rigamarole, I will NEVER fly less than 1000 miles again. Ever. Even at 1000 miles I would think about driving if time allowed...
Savant-Idiot at February 26, 2012 11:50 AM
I'm with the Idiot on this one.
My drive to see my sister is over 500 miles and about 10 hours. I wouldn't think of flying.
Anaheim to Vegas is shown as 259 mi and 4 hours 15 mins by Google maps.
You have x number of minutes to get to LAX, 1.5 to get through security and the crap, a 1 hr 10 minute flight, then deplaning and getting the rental will be at least 30 minutes (if you don't have checked luggage). Even without a rental, the deplaning and taxi to the hotel will be at least 30 minutes. So you are already at a minimum of three hours ten minutes. That would be living on the LAX perimeter. Call it closer to 4 from your place to the hotel.
How much more would have it cost to spend an extra night and load the equipment in the car?
My 68? year old stepmother can drive a 42ft RV with a 20ft trailer on the interstate. The "local" vehicle is a Geo Tracker. You can't move a 12 ft long Insight down the highway?
Please give me another excuse.
Jim P. at February 26, 2012 1:07 PM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2012/02/26/vegas_its_all_f.html#comment-3004392">comment from Jim P.I never rent a car -- too much cognitive load/newness to deal with, and besides, when I go to a conference, it could be in a hotel in Anaheim for all I care. I am only there for one reason -- whatever the conference is about. Couldn't care less about the city it's held in.
When we're in Paris or when I'm out with friends being social, that's when I soak it all in.
I also think it's very important to challenge the TSA, and I'm one of the few who will do that. I just got through at McCarran - no tittie gropey, etc., either. But, the crazy thing is, here I am, a nerdy newspaper columnist who has never had a beer, doesn't smoke pot (hate it) or do drugs, and who actually comes to a stop at stop signs...and I texted Gregg when I was about to go through security and sent him Marc J. Randazza's contact info. Told him to call Randazza if I didn't get in touch within an hour and say I was through and not arrested or anything.
(Randazza is my wonderful First Amendment lawyer who I actually got to have breakfast with this morning. We wanted to hang out longer but I had to go back to the conference.)
I need to be back tonight to do my radio show, and I'm on deadline tomorrow, but I dropped a copy of my op-ed on the TSA supervisor's table. I hope they pass it around, the fucks. You earn a living shredding the Constitution, you should feel shame to your core, and I'm going to do my best to see that happens.
Sorry, rambling a bit, but the point is, how nuts that there's a chance that I could be arrested at an airport. Think back to 1999 and think how you'd react if some man employed by the government said he had to grab your balls or you couldn't fly. Now react the same way next time you get to the airport. I do.
Amy Alkon
at February 26, 2012 1:29 PM
If only there was a high speed train....
The Former Banker at February 27, 2012 8:29 PM
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