Travel letters

Great ideas for a trip downtown

I really enjoyed reading “At Play in L.A.” by Christopher Reynolds [Jan. 30], because he agreed with me on many of the interesting downtown spots I take my out-of-town guests. But he had some great ideas even I didn’t know about. I can’t wait to read the next in his series of neighborhood guides. Our region has so much to offer beyond the tourist spots that all the neophytes want to see. It will be fun to see if the reporters know all the fun spots I frequent.

Mary E. Barton, Long Beach

Magical time to visit Venice

I enjoyed reading Nancy Hoyt Belcher’s article “A Picture-Perfect Carnival in Venice” [Jan. 26]. I had no idea Carnival was in progress when I landed in Venice last year with my new camera. It was simply magical.

Sherri Pollock, Bainbridge Island, Wash.

The realities of airport security

In Catharine Hamm’s “Dreading a Pat-Down” [On the Spot, Jan. 30], she asked, “Was the bombing of the Moscow airport on Monday yet another reminder of the vulnerability of airports and airplanes?” and went on to state, “We cannot answer those questions in a 600-word column.”

I beg to differ, at least with respect to airports. The Moscow airport bombing is another reminder of their vulnerability. So, the answer is simply “Yes.”

Furthermore, I suspect a similar bombing could have taken place at any number of airports around the world, including in the U.S., where Transportation Security Administration screening procedures are designed to keep passengers from boarding a plane with weapons, not to keep arrival areas secure.

If the goal is to secure not just airplanes, but also airports, move the security perimeter to outside the airport and screen everyone trying to enter the airport, even nonpassengers.

We should immediately return to the pre-9/11 security procedures.

John Marcou, Jakarta, Indonesia

Buffalo gal loves her hometown

As a native Buffalonian who now resides in Southern California, I always jump at the opportunity to share the many redeeming qualities about life in western New York with those who think it’s all about blizzards, chicken wings and mediocre (well, OK, bad) sports teams. So you can imagine my delight when I opened the Travel section and found Karl Zimmermann’s article on the Erie Canal [“The Erie Canal — in Slo-Mo,” Jan. 23]. In my humble opinion, there is no better place to take in the simple joys of small-town life than in western New York. Thanks for writing a piece that highlighted one of our great treasures. It means a lot to this Buffalo girl. And one more thing. I’m sorry he didn’t get to have that beef on weck. He really missed out.

Ethnea Porter, Newport Beach