Mailbag: If you don't like traffic, don't drive

Louis Leo says he didn't move here to get stuck in L.A.'s traffic congestion ("Laguna traffic now like L.A.'s," Jan. 28). He wants the canyon widened to four lanes for its entire length so he can drive unimpeded by all the other people in their cars.

So did he bring his car with him when he moved here? Doesn't he realize he's part of the problem? It's always someone else's fault. Why don't they do something?

Here are some things he can do: He could move to Aliso Viejo. They have no traffic congestion there. There are four- and six-lane roadways everywhere and plenty of parking.

Laguna is a village, which is why we live here. We don't want to live somewhere that is given over entirely to automobiles.

Sixty percent of car driving is discretionary. You don't have to do it. So he can cut back on his driving. Leave the car at home one day a week. Ride a bike. Rideshare with a neighbor. Take the bus, as I do. Walk more. If he is still working, then use the Internet to telecommute two or three days a week.

If everybody did these things, it would cut the traffic in the canyon way back.

I live quite comfortably in Laguna without a car at all. I can do everything I need to do on foot, by bike, by bus and train — if I go to L.A. My health is vastly improved, and I don't feel a bit deprived. Quite the contrary, I laugh at the drivers fuming in their cars stuck in traffic jams.

The solution is up to you, not them.

Charles Alban

Laguna Beach

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Skateboard fliers are littering city

I too had the "pleasure" of having the SNAG two-page propaganda taped to my mailbox — twice. I do not stand on either side of the issue, but I do stand against unsolicited material being stuck to my mailbox and littering my city. If you are too cheap to pay for postage, it is not a political message you are spreading but clearly a personal grudge.

Ann Marie McKay

Laguna Beach

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City, Angels improved Riddle Field

If you haven't seen it, you should. Riddle Field looks fantastic! Laguna Beach Little League is about to kick off its 59th baseball season but before it could start, Riddle Field got some much-needed improvements. With the help of Tom Toman at the city Parks and Recreation Department and Vic Hillstead and his crew at Public Works, the trees were pruned, sprinklers replaced, fences painted and the lights were re-lamped.