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Vegas Q&A: Is Vegas Terrorist Target?

UPDATED: 10:27 a.m. EDT May 24, 2004

Question: With everything that's going on in the world, I have been concerned that Vegas would be a good terrorist target. There are so many crowds and accesses to the casinos and resorts. How can the hotels and resorts be secure? We are reluctant to visit because of this.

Ed in Ames, Iowa

Answer: I'm not going to get into whether or not Las Vegas would make a good target. I'm not a terrorist and I can't possibly imagine what they think, but it would seem that anyplace where there is a high concentration of people and high-profile structures might be something that would get their attention.

But that's not just Las Vegas. Every major city, Disneyland, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Washington Monument, and about 1,000 other places fit the description.

And now we know that the threat even extends beyond those big targets. Just a couple of weeks ago, the malls in Los Angeles were emptied after someone phoned in a hoax terrorist threat. I don't know if the mall in Ames is high on the terrorist target list, but what the L.A. story means is that means is that you could be driving to the grocery store and become a victim of terrorism.

Heck, you could be driving to the grocery store and get broadsided by a bus. As a matter of fact, that is much more likely than you ever being involved in any kind of terrorist attack.

As far as what the hotels, casinos and the city in general are doing to thwart these kinds of plots ... well, let's just say things have been done, plans have been made, preparations are in place, and now it's pretty much left to whatever higher power you may believe in.

I can't make decisions for you or anyone else reading this column, but you have to understand that everything in life has some measure of risk. You have to decide how much of that risk you're willing to take. Some people think it's perfectly acceptable to jump out of an airplane with a little piece of nylon strapped to their backs, whereas I would not do that for any amount of money ever. I understand that parachuting is usually very safe, but I'm not willing to accept the risk that I may plummet to the earth in a big messy splatter.

I also believe that the risk of a terrorist attack in Vegas is relatively low and that the chances of me being injured or killed in one are infinitesimal. That's why I continue to visit the Strip, understanding that there is a risk but willing to accept it. Whether that's a risk you are willing to accept is up to you, but I hope it is. You're going to miss out on a lot of fun if it isn't.

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