Summer Vacations

My wife and I recently returned from a 7-week trip to Europe and when we came through LAX were again reminded of a glaring item of inhospitality for any foreign guests, plus this time something worse has been added. As you know, people who want to use a luggage cart have to put $1 in a machine for the privilege of using one. In Europe you get to use a cart for free.

But now the airport is letting hustlers rip you off when get out to the area where you catch your ground transportation. There are people out there who are trying to grab the cart and take it to the machine that returns a quarter to you if you put the cart in the machine. In our case, a man tried to take our cart while my camera case was still on it. I would like to know why the airport director allows this sort of thing to go on.

Is there any reason why we have to charge for luggage carts when other countries furnish them for nothing? I must give credit where it is due, though. We have never come through the passport check and customs so fast; they were very efficient.

JACK MURCHISON

Montecito