Blackout on Las Vegas Strip

We discussed the Luxor's off-set design. That is, it has no exact center. Some folks are quite sensitive to it 'off-centered-ness.' A few are so sensitive, they have approached the registration desk, only to cancel their reservation and stay elsewhere. They can't shake the sensation of feeling as if they just stepped off an out of control carousel. Their equilibrium is off. The whole time they are in the Luxor Hotel, they feel as if they are walking sideways and off-balance the whole time they are inside the structure.

Suddenly, In the middle of this off-centered conversation, all went black in Luxor's food court! Nearby, the magic carpet ride film went silent. Within a minute, auxiliary lighting came on, but the food court, rides, and shops remained dark to customers. There was just enough residual light for employees to clean and secure their areas.

Eerily, the casino gaming areas powered back up and the games commenced, as if nothing happened. The rest of Luxor remained oddly dark, while gambling and drinking continued at the computerized screens, slots and gaming tables.

We nervously joked that the pyramid's 'off-centered-ness' caused the power outage. Then, we slipped through the casino, holding our breath through the clouds of cigarette and cigar smoke enveloping us. The gambling machines had backup electricity, but apparently the ventilation system did not.

Few people joined us outside. It felt as if we were in an episode of the Twilight Zone. Were we the only pair who realized the power was out? Why did everyone just keep playing, as if nothing was happening? Were people stuck in the 'inclinators' and elevators? Without ventilation, it took only a couple minutes for the air to be a thick from cigarettes, so why didn't the staff at least ban smoking during the power outage?

About a half hour into the darkness, fire trucks arrived. A few more non-gambling types joined us on the sidewalk in front of the hotel. We guessed the emergency vehicles came to rescue those trapped in the inclinators and elevators. It appeared this power outage was going to last awhile. We called loved ones to let them know we were fine, and to ask if the television news reported anything yet.

Our first night in Las Vegas had become an adventure, indeed. When the fifth fire engine and third ambulance arrived, we decided to hoof it up Las Vegas Boulevard and kill some time. We soon discovered the Luxor was one of several south strip hotels affected by the power outage. The others were the Excalibur, Mandalay Bay, and the Four Seasons. The free inter-resort shuttle had stopped too.

We laughed, "Are we in a movie set, like Ocean's Eleven?" But if anyone had ideas of robbing the Luxor in this blackout, they miscalculated the auxiliary casino generators! The casino section held business as usual, while non-gamblers hoping to spend the evening at shows were out of luck hanging around the Luxor. Unable to reach our rooms, the folks gathered near the fire engines ventured out into the Las
About a half hour into the darkness, fire trucks arrived. A few more non-gambling types joined us on the sidewalk in front of the hotel. We guessed the emergency vehicles came to rescue those trapped in the inclinators and elevators. It appeared this power outage was going to last awhile. We called loved ones to let them know we were fine, and to ask if the television news reported anything yet.

The rest of Vegas purred like a contented cat, and the golden MGM Lion glistened in the city lights. My friend and I paused for photographs.

The traffic light at Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue went dark. Watching vehicles dare to maneuver through the tangle of cars was as if watching an old Keystone Cops reel to reel! Crowds gathered with us, and the entertainment value of the power outage for us non-gamblers jumped from a 2 to an 8! We cringed; we laughed, pointed, waved, and we yelled, "Look out!" as if drivers could hear us above all those car horns!

A couple hours later, we wandered back to the Luxor, when we noticed some illumination resumed at both the Luxor and Excalibur. The Mandalay Bay stayed dark a few hours longer.

Upon entering our hotel lobby, all appeared normal, so we got out our key cards and headed toward the inclinators. An inclinator is like an elevator, except that it goes up at a diagonal, instead of straight up. To access rooms in the Luxor, one must enter an inclinator and insert the key card in the panel.

Four other people entered the inclinator with us. Understandably, everyone was a bit jumpy. The key cards didn't work correctly from the get-go, but the inclinator shot over and up, and yep - the power went out again! We were stuck in a pitch black inclinator! A young woman in the group immediately started to panic, but her friend held it together pretty well, asking her to open her cell phone so it could be used as a flashlight, which seemed to calm her down temporarily. The friend pushed the emergency bell button, opening the doors at the twenty-third floor. We all bailed-out even though the power appeared to be restored once again. My friend and I were only two floors away from our room, so we hit the stairwell and explored the inner workings and structure of the Luxor pyramid.

Las Vegas local news, reported on AM radio KXNT the next morning, revealed a transformer blew near the south end hotel resorts, causing the power outage. Luckily no one was hurt, but emergency services rescued folks stranded in the dark and stuffy elevators and inclinators, while the gambling carried on without skipping a beat. The Vegas strip has its priorities all figured out, indeed! Not even a power outage halts gambling in "Sin City!"