You Can Now Face Jail Time in Las Vegas if You Stop Walking
The Las Vegas Strip attracts millions of visitors every year thanks to the glitz and glam of Sin City and the bright lights that make it a city that truly never sleeps. If you find yourself on the Strip, be sure to take it all in—but just don’t stop to take a picture.
A new county ordinance took effect Jan. 16 that bans “stopping, standing or engaging in an activity that causes another person to stop” on certain parts of the Strip. Tourists often stop on the pedestrian bridges to take photos of all the casino lights or to watch street performers, but that practice could soon land you behind bars. People who violate the new law could be charged with a misdemeanor and face up to six months in jail or a $1,000 fine for their actions.
Related: Las Vegas Sphere Reveals How Much Money It Has Made Since Opening
The new ordinance aims to crack down on people who stop in these newly designated “pedestrian flow zones,” which include the bridges and up to 20 feet surrounding the stairs or escalators connecting them to the ground. Critics of the law like Nevada ACLU executive director Athar Haseebullah believe that it “mak[es] criminals out of ordinary Nevadans stopping for a mere moment on the pedestrian bridges they fund as taxpayers.” Clark County, for its part, said in a statement to the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the law isn’t meant to stop people from moving entirely.
“This is not interpreted to mean that tourists and locals cannot take photos along the Boulevard while on a pedestrian bridge, but rather is intended to maintain the safe and continuous movement of pedestrians on the bridges to ensure pedestrian safety on the bridges,” the county said.
Next time you’re in Vegas, just snap all your photos from the street and take a mental picture of the views from the pedestrian bridges.
