Showtime over as reality hits

When the hijacked aircraft hit New York, Herald business editor JIM EAGLES was 3500km away in Las Vegas watching as Americans tried to cope with one of the worst events in their history.

Even in Las Vegas, arguably the most materialistic and shallow place on the face of Earth, attention has been temporarily diverted from shows and slot machines to trying to grasp the enormity of the attack on New York and Washington and what might lie behind it.

We first heard of the attack while walking through the "New York, New York" casino, with its replicas of the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline.

A huge crowd had gathered to look at the bank of giant screens in the sports-betting area and, assuming that a football match might be under way, I wandered across to have a look.

But instead of race and sports channels, like every other screen in the nation from New York to Los Angeles the screens were all tuned to news programmes and the gamblers were watching the appalling events taking place in the real New York.

The attitude, as events unfolded, was one of opened-mouthed disbelief. "Is this a joke?" one woman asked. "No," she was told, "this is real. This is happening."

For some, the pictures showing planes actually crashing into the World Trade Center towers clearly remained too awful to be real.

For others, however, as the news sank in it became all too real and tears trickled down their faces as they watched.

In casinos right along the Las Vegas strip the usually frenetic pace of gambling slowed and eyes were glued to the drama unfolding on the television screens rather than cards, dice or fruit machines.

Early on, for a time it seemed like one of Las Vegas' incredible virtual reality adventures: Race for Atlantis, Star Trek Experience or, in this case Attack on America.

Eventually it sank in that not only was it really happening but we were, in a way, in the middle of it with no way to get out.

The watchers turned to complete strangers seeking explanations for "Why is this happening?" or "Who would do this?" It was not the time for an analysis of America's role in the tangled web of geopolitics in the Middle East but rather for shared expressions of shock and outrage.

Even though America is such a huge country there were still plenty of personal reasons for concern.

"I've got a son in the Army who works in the Pentagon," a middle-aged croupier from the Casino Royale told the lunchtime queue in a sandwich bar. "I don't know how to find if he's okay."

"My daughter works for Morgan and Banks and she sometimes goes to the WTC," sympathised the elderly man running the checkout. "My God I hope she didn't have to go there today."

Personal concerns quickly translated into wider fears for safety. Within hours of the news breaking, security guards were ostentatiously posted outside most of the casinos and staring hard at passersby - in some places they searched bags and purses.

Going into the Viva Las Vegas show that afternoon we were checked twice and even had torches shone into our shopping bags. Major landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower at the Paris casino and the high-rise Stratosphere casino, the tallest in Las Vegas, were closed.

The regular pirate battles fought outside the Treasure Island casino, the hourly volcanic eruption at the Mirage and the musical fountains at Bellagio were all cancelled.

Meanwhile anger and patriotism were starting to be added to shock and concern. By nightfall the giant video screens outside each casino had lost their messages of great blackjack odds or cheap meals and instead carried pictures of the Stars and Stripes at halfmast and the slogan "God Bless America".

Big John, one of the comedians in Viva Las Vegas, told the audience "I think it's time for the rest of the world to kiss our ass", and to judge from the roar of assent his sentiments struck a chord.

Outside Caesar's Place a giant screen previously used to promote a cancelled world championship boxing match instead proclaimed, "One Nation Under God". The adjacent statue of Caesar looked on with what seemed to be a slightly ironic smile.

Churches were thronged with folk wanting to pray, most held special services and some even installed giant TV screens to show the unfolding disaster. In Las Vegas, as elsewhere in the US, bloodbanks were crowded with people wanting to give blood to help the relief effort.

It all gave the self-proclaimed entertainment capital of the world a decidedly surreal atmosphere. But it didn't take too long for the Vegas spirit to come through, and by morning the touts were out on the streets with special offers aimed at attracting a declining band of punters.

With the skies closed across the country new punters were unable to fly in - though the coachloads continued to pour in - and the shock of it all meant a lot of empty slot machines and gambling tables.

On the other hand there was a bonus for the casinos in the form of people like us who were unable to leave - although most, to judge from their comments, had little left to spend on the unexpected extension to their vacation.

For two days it was impossible to get any information about air travel. Unable to fly, many flocked to the Greyhound bus station where the queue for tickets was four to five hours long. Las Vegas ran out of rental cars and many people banded together to hire stretch limousines to drive to Los Angeles.

Our American Airlines operator even asked, "Mr Eagles, have you and your wife hitchhiked recently?" Some people did head for the highways to try to thumb a ride. A local radio station ran an appeal for people willing to give lifts to stranded passengers and got dozens of responses.

For two days the airlines and the local McCarran airport could offer nothing beyond advice that all flights had been cancelled until further notice. And when flights were officially resumed the situation became even more confusing, with some airports open, some closed, some airlines flying and some still grounded. It was announced that no international flights were being allowed in.

After several hours on the phone - and after discovering that our hotel charged for freephone calls - we finally got through to American Airlines, which said it was overloaded and advised us to try Southwest Airlines. A further ordeal by telephone later and we had managed to book a flight to LA. But we will wait and see.

Others here faced far worse problems. "We're basically destitute on the streets," complained two young men behind me in the vast winding queue of people trying to book an extra night or two in the hotel.

"Our airline doesn't know when it can take us and has refused to give us any help. We don't have any money left. What are we supposed to do?"

There are plenty of other hard luck stories from people stranded in Los Vegas.

But somehow watching the omnipresent TV pictures of emergency workers sifting through the rubble of the WTC towers looking for bodies makes the disruption of travel plans seem totally insignificant.

With luck we'll be home just a few days late. If not, well, the wall-to-wall news coverage of the tragedy makes gripping, if horrifying, viewing.

And if that ever palls there's a few thousand fruit machines out there looking for patrons.

Full coverage: Terror in America

Pictures: Day 1 | Day 2

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