There Have Never Been Better Reasons to Visit Other Cultures

I really appreciated Susan Spano’s Sept. 23 column (“Staying Home Means Missing Chances to Help Mend a Hate-Torn World,” Her World).

My husband and I were in Ephesus, Turkey, when the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks took place. We were approached by dozens of Muslims who expressed deep sympathy and outrage at the attacks.

This reminded us that the attacks were the actions of a few radical extremists and did not reflect the values of the majority. That evening, several of our tour group’s members stood by the Aegean Sea and sang “God Bless America” as the sun set.

We believe that travel is the best and most realistic form of education. We have taken our goddaughter to Italy and China and are planning her trip to Egypt with us for next fall. What Spano stated about the benefits of travel perfectly reflects the value we put on our sojourns. We will never allow fear to direct our footsteps.

If I had been nice and safe at home, I would never have had the opportunity to witness a special call to prayer Sept. 14 requesting that all Turks pray for Americans and their families. Thanks for your eloquence.

MELISSA MARAK

Burbank

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As a 33-year-old single woman who loves to travel alone, I look forward to Spano’s column every Sunday. As a world traveler, I, like Susan, was not as surprised as many Americans at the concept of hatred toward America.

I traveled alone to Egypt last April despite the warnings and gasps from friends and family: “Isn’t that dangerous for a woman?” and “This isn’t a very good time to go” (because of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict).

Little did they realize that Cairo is rated among the safest cities in the world. I wonder where Los Angeles would stand on that list. I was glad I took the risk and experienced such a different and wonderful culture.

I think it is important to point out that although there are many people in the world who disagree with American foreign policy to the point of hatred, not all Arabs in the Middle East hate Americans. The Egyptians I met on my three-week trip were warm and welcoming. I never experienced any anti-American vibes. On the contrary, many Egyptians expressed their love of Americans.

Now I, unlike many Americans, will not blindly project my hurt and sorrow as hatred toward an entire ethnicity, religion or region.

Spano is right. Travel does provide the knowledge and experiences necessary to understand cultures different from our own, and it helps break down the misunderstandings that breed hatred.

ROBIN HARRINGTON

Silver Lake

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After I graduated from college, I went with a friend on one of the best vacations of my life. We traveled through Europe for seven weeks, staying in hostels and traveling by train. In those days, 1970, we lived well on $5 per day.

On Sept. 23, my youngest daughter, Erica, who just graduated from college, left with a friend for a trip to Europe similar to mine. (Sadly, $5 a day is now $50 a day.) We had decided now is probably one of the safest times to fly. She knows to be careful. Her experience at Los Angeles International Airport was pleasant. The shuttle buses were prompt. The lines moved smoothly. The flight, she told me, was wonderful.

My husband, two friends and I are leaving for a European cruise in a few weeks. Our plans call for a weekend in New York City on the way home to visit family. We will not change those plans.

I hope other people will continue with their vacation and travel plans. So many jobs are affected by the decisions each of us makes. I am not heartless. I mourn for the loss of life in our country. But I believe that to heal we should go on and do the things that bring us joy. Who knows how long we have left?

PHYLLIS METZGER

Long Beach

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I’m so mad. In preparation for my daughter’s first flight alone since the Sept. 11 attacks, we talked about increased security at the airport. Unfortunately, there was none.

The officer stationed at the parking lot at Orange County’s John Wayne Airport was supposed to check each car as it was preparing to enter the lot, because it is within 300 feet of the terminals. This officer asked to look in my trunk, which was filled with beach towels and blankets, but he didn’t touch a single item and simply went through the motion of opening the trunk.

Next we went through security with X-ray machines. I was unticketed, escorting my daughter, and because she is too young to drive, I was the only one with identification. I got out my billfold, which displays a “pet driver’s license” (with two pictures of my yellow Labrador on it, bought as a gag by my husband), and the guard waved me through before I could pull out my own driver’s license.

The security personnel didn’t want to take the paperwork authorizing me to go to the gate as my daughter’s guardian and tried to return it to me. It took a sheriff to explain to them what needed to happen.

I believe that two weeks after the Sept. 11 tragedy was more than enough time to have additional security measures in place. If we are this lax after just two weeks, what will security look like at our airports in two months?

LISA ZIMMERMAN

San Clemente

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Here was my experience while going through security screening Sept. 21 at Oakland International Airport:

I was traveling with my husband on a flight to LAX. While I understand the need for heightened security, the treatment we received at Oakland was unacceptable. We were instructed to place our glasses, watches, jewelry etc. on flimsy plastic plates, which were then passed through the X-ray machine. By the time these plates reached the other side, they were smashed between articles of carry-on luggage and their contents strewn about the exit slide.

Security screeners made no effort to help us search for our belongings. We were able to locate everything except some change, thanks to the assistance of fellow passengers.

What would have happened if my husband’s eyeglasses were damaged? He cannot see without them.

A simple solution would be to use plastic bags that zip instead of plates to securely transport these items through the X-ray process.

The security screeners were also extremely rude.

We had had quite the opposite experience at LAX just two days before. The security screeners proved that they could be thorough while maintaining their civility.

Oakland used to be our favorite Bay Area airport. However, after this incident, we will not be flying through Oakland any time in the near future.

PATTY Y. CHANG

West Covina

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My wife and I had planned a trip commencing Sept. 12. We had no problems with the cancellation of that trip. The people at United Airlines couldn’t have been more helpful. The car rental agency (National) and the hotels we had booked (Hilton and Best Western affiliates) were perfectly understanding and cooperative.

We are in the process of rescheduling our trip and hope that others are engaged in doing the same. We’re of the opinion that people are delaying travel less because of fear of terrorism than fear of the falling stock market.

JOHN STEVENS

Huntington Beach

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Celebrity Cruises really came through for us on the Sept. 7 Alaska cruise of the Mercury. When the Sept. 11 attacks disrupted air travel, the company put us up on the beautiful Infinity ship, fed us, entertained us and sailed to Seattle to get us home. Many happy passengers will sail aboard Celebrity again.

CELIA KNIGHT

Los Angeles