| The Las Vegas Strip is one of the safest places in the country. I have routinely walked the Strip at 3 or 4 in the morning without so much as a panhandler approaching me. However, every city has it's criminal element and you should take steps to protect yourself from it. |
In addition, due to attraction of the large volume of tourists, the thieves can just as easily have come in from out of town on a "business trip", staying at a hotel, as local residents. This doesn't mean you should be afraid or limit your activities. Just follow the same simple common-sense steps you'd use when visiting any large city.
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A large crowd of tourists, money in their pockets, jammed together focused on the Bellagio Fountain Show or one of the other attractions, is enough to make a pick-pocket drool. ALWAYS be mindful of your purse or wallet. Keep your valuables well covered and don't drop your guard while checking out the attractions, gambling, shopping, at a buffet, at the pool, or even walking down the sidewalk. Shopping bags are nice but they're usually wide open at the top. You're better off with bags that you can fold the top over.
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Always use the additional dead-bolt lock when you're in your room. As fast as new key-cards and electronic locks are developed the thieves find a way to thwart them. Don't leave large amounts of cash or valuables in your room. The hotels will keep them in their safe as a free service. Moderate amounts of cash should be locked in your suitcase. The vast majority of maids and maintenance workers are honest, hard-working people trying to make a living. However, the only way the occasional "bad apple" can come to the hotel's attention is after guests have been victimized.
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When in a hotel/casino lobby or at the airport, always keep a hand on your luggage or set it in front of you. It only takes a second for a suitcase or bag to disappear. Thieves like busy places where people are rushing around. Hotel lobbies, casinos, and especially McCarran Airport, all fit this profile.
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Whatever you do, don't try to walk from the Strip to Fremont Street (or visa-versa). I can tell you from personal experience that it's no "leisurely stroll", and you pass through areas where there are not a lot of people, even during daylight hours.
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When you are walking, use the crosswalks. Jay-walking in Vegas carries a $95 fine. And when you're at the crosswalks, wait for the "Walk" light and don't step too far off the curb while you wait. The locals really fly down Sands, Flamingo, and the other streets that cross the Strip and the traffic lanes are close to the curbs. (The pedestrian bridges at Flamingo and Tropicana are helpful in this respect.) I've seen numerous posts in Las Vegas newsgroups which said that car/pedestrian accidents around the Strip happen a lot more often than the Convention and Visitors Bureau would like to admit. And often the people driving the car are themselves visitors with a rental who are sight-seeing while driving. Whether walking or driving, be extra careful around the Strip.
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You should always bring along a photo ID with your current address and something with your name and social security number on it. The IRS requires the casinos to get this information if you hit a jackpot at a machine or do extremely well at the tables. However, don't carry the document bearing your social security number around with you. If your name, address, and SSN fall into the wrong hands you could become the victim of "credit identity theft". (You shouldn't carry your Social Security card in your wallet or purse at all anymore because this applies everywhere, not just Las Vegas. Also check any health insurance cards or school IDs you may have in your wallet. They also often have your SSN on it.) Leave your SSN document in your room, locked in your suitcase. If you do hit it big, the casino will be glad to hold onto your winnings while you go back to your room to get the document.
