The first real maglev train in the United States – a modest proposal that has been in the works for years – is still facing stiff competition from the typical bureaucratic blockades.
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As a former California resident, I’m keenly aware that some kind of mass-transit method from California to Vegas has dotted the editorial pages of Californian papers for the better part of a decade. The trip across the desert to Vegas has long been romanticized by authors like Hunter S. Thompson, and my only objection to a “monorail” of sorts to America’s Playground is that it will really take the “Gonzo” out of taking too many drugs, drinking too much, and gambling your life away at a craps table.
There are benefits though! Having cheap, quick access to legal prostitution, gambling, and overpriced liquor, maybe Los Angeles will have less (illegal versions) of all of the above. While the train will cost hundreds of millions of dollars to Nevada and California tax payers, I’m sure residents of both states will rejoice; knowing that for the price of a train ticket, Californians will enjoy Circus Circus with their families, or Vegas-ians (Vegans?) can adversely go and enjoy California’s many polluted beaches.
Until the train becomes reality Californians will have to keep making the trip across the desert by car. Remember to look for hotel discounts in Las Vegas before leaving. It will give you more money to lose at the tables once you get there.