Letters to the Editor: One reader expresses little hope for a pre-Olympics LAX transformation

To the editor: Like many Angelenos, I avoid Los Angeles International Airport like the plague (“LAX has fallen in global airport rankings. Will a pre-Olympics transformation help?,” Sept. 25). Decades of mismanagement have turned what was once a convenient airport into an utter disaster. It was bad enough that the Green Line (now the C Line) never actually got there. The misbegotten LAX-it (who thought of that name?) might have worked if it had been deployed with adequate signage and curbside advisors to guide travelers, luggage help and a plan to make sure people could get into taxis and rideshares promptly. Instead, a single experience with that abomination is enough to make one swear off patronizing the entire airport.

I am confident that the much-delayed Automated People Mover (again, who named it?) will be an equal failure. If it’s ever completed, there is no way it will “whisk” travelers anywhere; instead, I find it more likely that it will run infrequently and at slow speeds, requiring multiple train changes and long walks to get anywhere useful.

The plans to decorate the terminals with surfing and street-culture pictures, or adding a Koreatown-inspired food court, are just putting lipstick on a really ugly pig. Nobody goes to LAX for artwork or overpriced food; they’re trying to get to or from a gate quickly and easily while dragging their luggage.

Yes, LAX needs fixing. But based on this story and past performance, I seriously doubt that the current management is up to the task.

Geoff Kuenning, Claremont