Letters: A G-rated solution to films on planes

A G-rated solution to films on planes

Regarding Catharine Hamm’s On the Spot column [“G for Gee Whiz,” April 11]: Delta screwed up by incorrectly categorizing “Weeds”; however, she appears to be overreacting with the suggestion that we should “leave ... serial killers on the ground.” Does this include “The Sopranos,” “Fargo” or the excellent “In Bruges”?

Perhaps airlines could set up the system so that parents could set their kids’ viewer to allow only kids’ entertainment.

Adults stuck on a plane for 10 to 16 hours have a right to “age appropriate” material too.

-- Chris Taber, Palm Springs

Ticketing snafu? Next time, use a travel agent

Catharine Hamm should have mentioned in her response [“Doubled Over,” On the Spot, April 4] to the passenger caught between the airlines and her credit card company that the dilemma could have been avoided had the passenger used a professional travel agent to purchase her airline tickets. Yes, processing two tickets would have included a $20 to $40 transaction fee per ticket, but approved travel agencies can void and reissue airline tickets within a 24-hour period. Most travel agents I know do not charge a fee for this particular service.

The initial ticketing transaction fee seems miniscule compared to the frustration that the passenger endured at the hands of the carrier and her credit card company. The general public has forgotten (as has Hamm) that a travel agent is a passenger’s best advocate when it comes to travel. It is a shame that online suppliers have spent millions of dollars to fool the traveling public into believing that booking online is the best and least expensive source. Only in rare instances is this the case.

-- Marianne Scarbo, Sunrise Travel-Vacation Designed by Marianne, Mission Viejo

Cali comparison? It’s all Greek to her

In Sally Horchow’s article about her road trip [“You, Me and Hwy 1,” April 4], I was a bit dismayed at her comment that “ Greece’s got nothin’ on Cali.” Comparing the history and antiquities of Greece to a relatively new and not-so-long-ago uncivilized state is like comparing England to Wyoming. The climates are similar, but that’s where it ends. People do not travel to Greece, generally, to see forests, rugged ocean scenery, huge granite canyons and gigantic trees. California, as a whole, is incomparable to any other place.

-- Andrea Ashley, Hidden Hills

I was pleased to see mention of El Pahuma Orchid Reserve in Ecuador in your April 4 story, “An Eden in the Clouds.” This is a project the Ceiba Foundation, a tropical conservation organization based in the U.S. but operating in Ecuador since 1997, has long supported. We helped the Lima family establish the El Pahuma reserve, obtained grants and donations to construct all the trails and infrastructure there, attracted collaborators from the Quito Orchid Society to design and install the botanical garden and provide extensive training to the landowners. In 2000 we signed South America’s first-ever true conservation easement with the Lima family to establish legal protection for the reserve.

Ceiba’s primary goal is to leave land in private hands, and provide training and other support so that pristine habitat can be protected while still generating income, employment and opportunities for research and education. In El Pahuma’s case, the success of the reserve as an ecotourism destination, thanks largely to the dedication and hard work of the Lima family, has spawned several similar operations in the region.

More information about El Pahuma as a project can be found at https://www.ceiba.org/elpahuma.htm

-- Joe E. Meisel, Ph.D., Vice President, Ceiba Foundation for Tropical Conservation, Madison, Wisc.