Story on Hot Rods Took Wrong Road

Is there no truth in newspapers reporting? I keep saying I can’t believe the paper would do something like that, but here it is again.

One night while attending a car cruise at the All-America Burger in Westwood, a young man approached me and said he was from the L. A. Times and was doing a story on today’s hot rods and cruising. He asked if he could interview me and I was very happy to give him an interview, which consisted of my years with cars and building them; also the fact that most of the “street rodders” today are middle-aged men who still like to link with the past through their old cars; the fact that among the group attending that night consisted of a well-known artist, a well-known engine builder, police officers, retired police officers, a musician who has his own band, a school teacher, businessman and many many more. These are not kids raising hell, drinking, revving their motors and disturbing the neighborhood. It was a quiet get-together of men talking about their cars.

Much to my dismay when the article hits the paper (Times, Sept. 10), there is no interview, no background of people. Just pictures of our nice street rods with a heading of “Revved Up and Riled Up.” Then the article tells about the neighbors complaining of the noise from the motorcycles. Why didn’t your reporters go there on motorcycle night and take pictures of motorcycles and interview them?

I feel your article was a total injustice and was nothing but pure yellow journalism, as they did not report the facts that went with the pictures.

DUKE HINGLEY

El Segundo