Letters: Your travel section? It’s pretty pathetic

Missing the boat

In the last several Sunday Travel sections of The Times, we have been treated to two full pages of bad travelers who overstayed their visas or didn’t check on proper exiting protocol and proceeded to whine about their silly predicaments [“No Way Out?”, Oct. 9]. Recently there was also an article [“Teach Teenagers About Borders,” On the Spot by Catharine Hamm, Aug. 14] about a minor traveling to Mexico without a passport and having trouble returning to the U.S. Really? My teenagers had a few laughs about that.

Then we get the special Hawaii issue on Oct. 16, which mentions Molokai but not one tidbit about the main reason most people visit: the former leper colony now turned national historical park, for which Belgian priest Father Damien is now recognized as a saint for his work there.

And then the Washington, D.C., issue [Oct. 23], which has nary a mention of the vibrant immigrant community and the variety of ethnic foods one may sample there. D.C. has the largest ex-pat community of Ethiopians outside of Ethiopia and a great wealth of cuisine and culture. In addition, the Afghan community has a renowned restaurant near the Pentagon called Kabob Palace, open 24 hours for the best kabobs around.

Come on guys, you need some new writers/travelers.This is one pathetic travel section.

Mary Kaye Ashkenaze

Laguna Niguel

A simple line to LAX

I was recently in Portland, Ore., for a weekend meeting.

I rolled my bag off the Southwest flight, through the concourse, down the escalator, out of the terminal and in a few steps I was at the Max light-rail station.

I bought a ticket and in less than 40 minutes was downtown, where I exited the train and walked two blocks to my destination.

On Saturday afternoon, I wheeled my bag three blocks up the street to one of the downtown stations, where I bought another ticket, boarded the train and was back at the airport in less than 35 minutes.

No muss, no fuss.

I still don’t understand why it’s said the Green Line can’t be run directly to LAX for security reasons.

In San Francisco, BART runs right to San Francisco Airport. In London, the Blue Line goes to Terminal 1 at London’s Heathrow, and there’s another rail line to Victoria Station.

In Geneva and Zurich, Switzerland, both light rail and the intercity lines go to a station directly under the airport.

Don’t the same security concerns apply in those cities?

My consumer behavior professor taught us: Make it easy for the consumer to buy or use your product or service and you will be successful.

Why haven’t the Metro planners learned that? I hope there is time for them to change their drawings and connect the Green Line directly to LAX.

Daniel Fink

Beverly Hills

Onboard olfactory assault

Thank you for the article titled “Passengers Have to Pass the Smell Test” [Elliott Hester, Oct. 30]. I was flying back from Europe and had a layover in Geneva, Switzerland.

While walking along the corridor, a horrible smell overcame me from a sharply dressed man in a suit. I had never smelled body odor like this. I prayed that he was not on my flight and was happy when he passed the gate.

To my horror, he returned and sat down at the gate. I spent the next two hours trying to figure out what to say to the flight attendant. I knew that if we were on the same flight he would be seated next to me.

Fortunately, he was not seated near me.

Maybe airports should screen these passengers at security and refer them to a shower room or bathroom so the pressure is not on the captain and the crew.

Beth Hyatt

Los Angeles