Letter to LA Times from Gary Stevens...

[mark2061mn]

Originally Posted by timmgirvan

Well deserved mail at that! Don't know what your requisites are for the "cesspool" remark are, but we're not flooding,freezing,getting snowed in or having tornadoes,or suffering the hurricanes like most folks are,or sinking into the Gulf as New Orleans is. I hate ending a sentence with a preposition, but don't want to appear wordy!

i lived there most of my life. it has it's advantages, true.
it also has insufferable traffic. 2-3 hours to go 10-15 miles sometimes. you can keep that.
overpopulation
pollution
rude people (second to maybe nyc only!) that are completely unfriendly and distrustful. i was warned people in new england were worse, but i've found that people here in maine and new hampshire are very friendly and go out of their way to be helpful.
overpriced living expenses. what i paid for my house and 2 acres here in southern maine, i couldn't have bought half of my ex gf's closet in her condo.

when i fly into LAX, as i pass over the greater LA, which now sprawls in every direction (minus the ocean), i feel like i'm flying into a borg planet. all metal and concrete everywhere, with not a hint of green to be seen from the air. except, of course, one of the thousands of high school football fields.