Having a Ball

The article “Take Me Out to the Old Ballparks” (Sept. 2) really hit home. This has always been one of my favorite vacations. Ballparks remain one of the few places where you can be in a civilized setting and not be in an area dominated by the automobile.

As a matter of pure travel, however, your remarks about being charged twice the face value of tickets to the White Sox game did not surprise me. On a trip to Chicago a year or so ago, I happened to be in a hotel gift shop. A lady was purchasing a pack of cigarettes and expressed some shock as she realized that no change would be forthcoming: “I’ve never paid more than $2 for a pack of cigarettes!” The wizened counter clerk, not missing a beat, took the cigar out of his mouth and said matter of factly: “Welcome to Chicago.”

This is obviously not a town that cares about repeat business in the tourist trade.

DAVE TABER

Redlands