Anger Over Car Thefts

I have just read Ilona Kovary’s letter to the subhumans that stole her car. My anger is equally strong. I too have worked hard, not only to educate myself and earn a master’s degree by the age of 25, but also to save some money to buy my own car and eventually a house.

Just before Christmas my beautiful ’67 Mustang was stolen outside my apartment. Two weeks later, the car I bought to replace the Mustang was stolen from the same place.

Seven hours after I bought it.

Neither car was comprehensively insured because of the prohibitive cost. The police have been of no help when they weren’t being rude.

Now, I spend my time much like Ilona, begging rides and borrowing cars, or worse, doing nothing because I am immobile. It is difficult to go grocery shopping, or take care of other errands, much less find another car this way. What’s worse is that now I hardly sleep at night because with every sound I am looking out the window. Just last night I scared off three thieves that had started working on a car nearby.

My most disturbing impression of these events is the vulnerability of people with marginal means. How easy it might be to end up on the street.

Even with a master’s degree, I earn only $19,200 a year before taxes; others are still worse off. After the IRS and the basics are paid for, there’s not much left to save. Take away my car, and getting to work downtown becomes a problem.

As a consequence I could lose my job, and it may not be long before I can’t pay the rent. You can see the snowball effect.

My hatred for these people is not far above the contempt I feel for a government more willing to spend billions of our tax dollars in dozens of foreign countries, rather than invest it in American education and protection for the hard-working people who sent the money to Washington in the first place.

JOHN R. JANAVS

Studio City