Letters To The Editor

Cell-phone lot

is no picnic

When I first started driving to the airport every week, I thought that allowing cars to park on the shoulder ramps was the airport's very sensible and civilized solution to the problem of where to park while waiting to pick someone up ("The cell-phone lot labyrinth," Tuesday). There is plenty of space, and it takes just a minute to drive to the arrivals area. I soon learned that the police didn't approve.

After this newspaper published directions, I started using the cell-phone lot. It takes about seven minutes to drive from the lot to the arrivals area. On my last visit, the lot was almost full, yet there were many cars lined up on the shoulder ramps. I don't think the lot is large enough to handle all of the cars.

Perhaps shoulder-ramp parking would be feasible and safe if the left travel lane were used for through traffic while the right travel lane were used for access to and from the shoulder.

Ann Fuchs

Chadds Ford

State edging out

the wiseguys

The article "Tough times for wiseguys" (Tuesday) correctly attributes federal prosecution, betrayal, and family squabbles as reasons for organized crime's decline. A more disturbing factor, however, is competition from state and local governments.

The Pennsylvania lottery funds our dreams to the tune of $3 billion each year. This is dwarfed by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, which oversees annual wagers in excess of $22 billion. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board sells us nearly $2 billion worth of alcohol each year.

Prostitution is tolerated in the form of hundreds of massage parlors, "spas," and escort services. It is only a matter of time before sports betting is legalized.

With legal alternatives to the products and services provided by organized crime, the reported decline is not surprising.

John Bryer

Downingtown

Wrong concern

about cocaine

The fact that one-third of the cocaine coming out of Colombia is laced with a drug that may cause severe side effects is not something that should concern the general public ("Tainted cocaine kills three and sickens dozens," Tuesday).

What is more disturbing is that Colombia is still able to smuggle cocaine into this country. We are still unable to keep our people from getting hooked on illegal drugs, and still unable to stop the killing that results from trying to buy these drugs.

Gloria Gelman

Philadelphia

Electoral College

is worth keeping