happenstance

I was looking for something tonight and found an article about the underbelly of Las Vegas.  Well, one of them.

Below the glittery and lavish excess that is a large part of Las Vegas there are perhaps hundreds of people who live in the flood tunnels beneath the city.  Disenfranchised, jobless, homeless, either without other resources such as family, friends or social services, or they are ill-suited or disinclined to ask for or seek help.

Gathering what they can find from dumpsters and other places of disposal, they have created a home in the tunnels, where there are clusters of inhabitants in the miles of underground space.  Residents gather neglected or abandoned money from slot machines and some other stuff which I have already forgotten.

There are dangers here.  Water collects on the floors and possessions are elevated on salvages pallets and crates.  Poisonous spiders are among the danger from predators of all kinds.  Most residents carry weapons.  No surprise there.  Apparently, as long as the residents hold it together and manage things the authorities and police sort of ignore them.  Wintertime brings the greatest threat of flooding, which is why the tunnels were constructed in the first place.  The dry desert cannot absorb the excess of water and the tunnels flood, often at a rate of a foot per minute.  Possessions are destroyed.  Lives are lost.

The first reference was a slide show, and one of the last images is of a wall where someone has written.  I have copied it here, not changing anything.

Dieing is easy
Living is hard

1. I started out with nothing and still got most of it.
2. We are born wet, naked and hungry.  Then things get worse.
3. If at first you dont succeed, destoy the evidence that you tried.
4. Consciousness:  That annoying time between naps.
5. I used to have a open mind but my brains kept falling out.
6. The more people I meet.  The more I like my dog.
7. Eat right.  Stay fit.  Die anyway!
8. I just let my mind wander and it didnt come back.
9. I've only been wrong once and that's when I thought I was wrong.
10. I can handle pain until it hurts.

I need more information about this.  I need to know if there are similar living circumstances here, where I live.  I know about the shelters and I am involved in finding and offering and facilitating services to the people with whom I work.  All of us doing this work are working as hard as we can, knowing that there are countless others who cannot, will not, are unable or unwilling to seek us or other services and resources.  Out of all the work we do, this aspect is among the most distressing.

My first information came from Environmental Graffiti: 
 http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/sin-city-underground-tunnels/18773

Matthew O'Brien is mentioned in the above link and has written a book, Beneath The Neon.  His web site is: http://www.beneaththeneon.com/bio.asp