Car rental and security.

[Abstinence]

Hello all, this year I will be attending Defcon for the first time and I was wondering if you guys could give me some advise, mostly on car rental and Las Vegas security.
I will arrive to Vegas a couple of days before Defcon, so I thought it was a good idea to rent a car, maybe for one or two days, just to go around and check the city, any experiences or recommendations? Whatever you know about prices, places and deals will help me, and security wise, is there anything I should know to avoid getting mugged?

Thanks in advance.

[TheCotMan]

Re: Car rental and security.

Hello all, this year I will be attending Defcon for the first time and I was wondering if you guys could give me some advise, mostly on car rental and Las Vegas security.

If you are under 22/24 years of age, you will likely have a difficult time finding a rental car place that will rent to you, and when you do, they will probably charge a lot more than other places that rent to people that are 24 or 25 years old or older.

If you do not have car insurance, you should probably pay for car insurance when you rent a car. Nevada DMV says insurance is required for drivers. Also, just because you have car insurance from your own provider does not mean it meets the requirements of Nevada for Rental Cars, or minimum requirements of insurance for drivers in Nevada. Check with your insurance provider.

Try to park your cars at locations tourists frequent, which are also monitored by security cameras. Best locations include parking structures, as these provide shade for your car so it is not too hot, and this is also where the greatest density of video cameras (and cars, and both car and human traffic) can be found. It is in the interest of Hotel/Casinos to keep trouble away from their customers.

I will arrive to Vegas a couple of days before Defcon, so I thought it was a good idea to rent a car, maybe for one or two days, just to go around and check the city, any experiences or recommendations?

* Things to do in Vegas when you're bored (2003)
* Other things to do in Vegas besides DC? (2003)
* Places to eat in Las Vegas... (2007)
* Urban Survival Training (2007)
* Other Events During Defcon (2011)

Also consider pre-con events:
* [forum=643]*UNOFFICIAL* Pre-Defcon Party[/forum] At the Alexis Park: http://predefcon.org/
* [forum=628]*UNOFFICIAL* Toxic BBQ[/forum] at a park: http://www.toxicbbq.com/
* [forum=622]*UNOFFICIAL* Defcon Shoot[/forum] site: http://www.deviating.net/firearms/defcon_shoot
* [forum=637]Defcon Cycle_OverRide (was: Defcon Bike)[/forum] site: http://cycleoverride.org/?p=511
* [forum=664]The Summit EFF Fund Raiser[/forum] site: http://www.vegassummit.org/

Other places mentioned elsewhere on the forums:
* American Shooters or The Gun Store. (I prefer American Shooters, because they seem to trust people to handle their own weapons more.)
* Red Rock Canyon for hiking. They have a gift shop and a loop you can drive your car to look at Red Rock Canyon, and stop at different places wth your car to get out and hike.
* Atomic Testing Museum
* Pinball Hall of Fame
* Neon Museum
* Stratosphere Hotel "rides" : Did not find them entertaining, but some people say they liked it. Call ahead, as some can be closed due to high winds.
* Freemont Street Experience Imagine an arc-shaped "projection screen" over part of downtown Las Vegas Freemont street, with images projected onto it. Though, I think they use embedded lights to create an effect like that which would be produced with a projector, but without a projector.
* Fox Spy Outlet is mostly overpriced trinkets. They have sold lockpicks, but often several times more expensive than what you could get if you shopped online, or elsewhere.
* Shows: Penn & Teller, and many others.
* $400 to play with Bulldozers in a sandbox
* Ride/Drive a NASCAR vehicle: different packages offered : details for Las vegas offers: http://www.drivepetty.com/race-track...motor-speedway

Google provided other places:
* Nerd’s Eye View – A Geek’s Guide to Las Vegas
* Las Vegas Attractions
* Las Vegas Attractions Activities, Tours and Adventures
* Google Search: "Las Vegas" nevada skydiving

Whatever you know about prices, places and deals will help me, and security wise, is there anything I should know to avoid getting mugged?

Lock your car every time you leave it.

Don't wave about expensive items like a newest smart phone, cash, jewels, necklaces, rings, etc.

Be aware of your surroundings.

Don't leave anything you care about in your car. If you do leave anything of value in your car, make sure it is not visible. If you can leave your car looking like it has nothing inside, that is better than even leaving closed containers or luggage visible. Use the trunk to hide anything/everything.

If you carry a purse, consider switching to a wallet, and put it in your front pocket.

Travel with a group.

Stick to touristy locations like "The Strip" as Las Vegas Police and Casino security have a strong interest in keeping the walking money (tourists) safe.

The above includes items to be cautious while in Las Vegas. I've never been mugged in Las Vegas, and I've been to some of the less nice places while there, even when travelling alone. Las Vegas is a lot like any other large, tourist destination.

[xor]

Re: Car rental and security.

Hertz has an office at the Rio(limited hours of operation). Enables you to quickly shuttle to the hotel after landing, and not have to land, shuttle to rental office, then drive to hotel. Or leave the con in the middle to drop off at airport, then shuttle or cab back. If you are staying at another hotel they may have a car rental office right there. Mix and match as suits your mood.

xor

[kallahar]

Re: Car rental and security.

If you just want to check out in-city stuff you're probably better just getting cabs and walking. All the major hotels are on the strip, and it's a good (a bit long) walk to just walk all the way down one side, then all the way back the other. If you want to go to the stratosphere or fremont street (avoid fremont 1am-6pm, it's thug/homeless land) then grab a cab.

But if you do rent a car, definitely head out to Hoover Dam and take the dam tour.

You could also drive a few hours north to visit the road to Area 51, or get a sandwich in Rachel.

Kallahar

[Abstinence]

Re: Car rental and security.

Thanks guys! I think I'll probably try to rent a car, at least for a couple of days.

[veruus]

Re: Car rental and security.

While you still have your car, grab some food from Von's or Walmart or something to keep in your room. You should be able to ask for a fridge from the front desk, but check that out first before you buy things that can spoil on you. This will save you many $$$ which you can then spend on booze.

[bluknight]

Re: Car rental and security.

While you still have your car, grab some food from Von's or Walmart or something to keep in your room. You should be able to ask for a fridge from the front desk, but check that out first before you buy things that can spoil on you. This will save you many $$$ which you can then spend on booze.

This.

If you have an aversion to local tap water (Vegas isn't the best, but I've tasted much worse) you'll want to stop and pick up a case of water (seriously) for every 2 days you're in Vegas. The risks of dehydration at con are covered elsewhere in the forums, and can't be overstated.

[Abstinence]

Re: Car rental and security.

^ Totally, I need the car to shop for some stuff, a laptop and clothes mostly, so I also thought on using it to stock up on Red Bull, water, snacks and stuff. At first I kind of underestimated the heat issue, but I'm reading the word dehydration in every thread so, I guess it happened before.