Leave Those Bus Stop Shelters Alone

* The Times’ story on removing bus stops in Laguna Hills (“Signs of Discontent,” Sept. 29) prompts me to hope that on the day when the Beamer and the Rolls are in the shop during a taxi strike, Councilwoman Melody Carruth will sing a not-so-melodious tune while, umbrella or no, she gets wet while waiting in the pouring rain for that once-hourly bus.

Of course, she might also suffer heatstroke should the temperature be in the 90s.

PAUL MAYER

Laguna Hills

* Should city officials be allowed to make the decision of what is right or wrong? Just because city officials are “tired of ads peddling cigarettes and alcohol and depicting scantily clad women,” doesn’t give them the right to decide if it is wrong for us. Freedom of speech gives us the right to decide if an ad offends us or not. These “officials” cannot make the decision for us. They feel that these ads don’t reflect the small-town spirit of Laguna Hills, so what! Officials say these ads are “nothing less than urban blight.” Well, someone must have thought they were a good idea to build at some point!

Where is the money coming from to remove these bus stop shelters? Taxpayers should have the choice on this issue if it is their money that is being used. Yes, many said they find some movie posters too explicit. But these same people aren’t willing to lose the shelter from the rain. The Constitution allows these companies to advertise what they think will sell their product. Officials cannot ban these ads because it is against the Constitution. The obvious reason for discontinuing advertising of any sort allows officials to circumvent the Constitution.

The article says that two out of the three vendors selling the advertising at the bus stops are going along with the city’s decision. Well, what I want to know is who allowed these vendors to sell their advertising in the first place, especially if it was found to be offensive. The vendors had to request the right to sell their ads in the city. If the board sold them the rights to the bus stops then, why do they have a problem now? These ads produce revenue. The more revenue the lower the taxes. I believe this was and still is good for the city.

WILLIAM FREEDMAN

Laguna Niguel

* The city of Laguna Hills should not be spending $40,000 to remove bus shelters just to install ad-free benches. It is true that some of the ads are suggesting sex but what in the world doesn’t? If the people think the ads are sleazy wait until they turn on the TV. We all know adolescents watch TV and if they are mature enough then they will understand what sex is. Adolescents have to learn about the birds and the bees sooner or later. But if the adolescents are not mature enough then they wouldn’t even know what the ad is implying.

The city of Laguna Hills is ignorant to tear down the bus shelters when all we have to do is change the type of ads. Why do we have to use our tax money for this easily solved problem? When they do tear down our bus shelters, we will have nothing to protect us from the rain. Why suffer and pay $40,000 to get less than what we already have?

JIMMY SU

Laguna Niguel