Customs in Question

Regarding Karen L. Seal’s Jan. 10 letter on her treatment by officials and employees at LAX and the adverse effect of such treatment upon tourism: I am called upon to make several business trips a year to Europe, mostly the United Kingdom, where upon arrival the entry formalities are almost a pleasure. Having a U.K. passport, entry is gained with nothing more than an official glance at the photo and date of the document. When traveling with my family, who have U.S. passports, still little or no delay is encountered, processing being done by smiling individuals, always with a pleasantry to offer.

Arriving at LAX recently, we were treated--for over an hour--like cattle, by indifferent immigration and customs officials, while they performed their pointless rituals. Upon finally negotiating their maze, one was left with the feeling of having entered a police state, with a bureaucracy running rampant.

MICHAEL KIDBY

Burbank