‘The Lean’ Sends an Old Message

Phil Berardelli makes some interesting points in his article (“The Lean: It’s an Angry World Out There,” Aug. 9), but the driving posture he describes is at least 22 years old.

When I learned to drive in Ohio in 1972-’73, it was called the “Detroit Lean” and we saw it often. (In fact, Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders, herself an Ohio girl, refers to it in the hit “Brass in Pocket.”)

Berardelli is right about the message The Lean is sending: This is a driver who thinks he’s cool and who doesn’t care about anyone or anything in his way.

I haven’t seen it much lately--maybe because you can’t do it with a shoulder restraint buckled up, but I always wondered:

Do they adjust the mirrors so they can still see out from down there?

MARK RYAN, Sunland