Driving Response

In his Nov. 19 letter to the editor (“Difficult Drive”), R.J. Warren cited difficult road conditions in the former East Germany.

Last summer, my wife and I took an extended trip through France, Germany and the Czech Republic. In the former German Democratic Republic, we visited Potsdam (as beautiful as Versailles), Berlin, Leipzig and Dresden--all historic cities with rich heritages that go back to the 12th century, all beautifully rebuilt.

There was a lot of road renovation throughout Germany, as well as in France and the Czech Republic, and we also found the same kind of traffic detours that exist here in California. All over Eastern Europe there were very few private autos, a situation that makes driving very pleasurable. The autobahn in the former East Germany and the Czech Republic were so good that I drove 90 miles an hour.

JEAN M. ALLEGRE

Huntington Beach

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After spending three months driving through Austria and Germany, including a major portion in the former East Germany, I beg to differ with Mr. Warren. I agree that the roads are not California freeways, but they are certainly not the disaster described in his letter. We have driven on roads in the United States that are far worse.

MARIA BAUER

Huntington Beach