Monorail!

The report from Springfield - er, Las Vegas:

Falling debris closes system

A two-pound metal object fell from the Las Vegas Monorail Wednesday, closing the fledgling system for the second time this month.

Really. I'm, well, shocked.

Wednesday's incident was sparked by the failure of a vertical metal pipe called a "flange" that helps support the horizontal drive shaft on the trains.

The flange apparently snapped on Train No. 1, an unthemed southbound train which had just left the Bally's/Paris station. A 6-inch, disc-shaped piece of the flange fell away and struck an electrified rail alongside the monorail track, authorities said.

That 750-volt rail supplies power to the train. A small electrical explosion resulted from the live wire being struck by the piece, which then fell to the sidewalk 20 feet below, authorities said.

Thank goodness nobody was riding it.

Wait. Is that a good thing or not? That nobody was hurt is good. But you have to wonder why this savior of Las Vegas tourist transit was empty at 10am during one of our more lovely months.

Is it too late to implode it and build something else?