The stars are no longer free

Am I the only one upset by the Griffith Observatory’s new entrance fee [“The Heavens Open Up to L.A. Again,” Nov. 2]?

The city has taken a free Los Angeles institution for the last 70 years and through gimmickry has found a way to extract money from its citizens. Shuttle charges for a family of four are $24 (depending on the children’s ages). This stinks.

Few things are free nowadays, but by promoting the observatory as free in accordance with the spirit of Mr. Griffith’s wishes is wrong. It’s only free if you are physically fit, without children and it’s not raining (unless you don’t mind hiking in the rain).

If the shuttle’s only purpose is to not overwhelm the modest observatory parking lot due to the crowds, then the shuttles should be free.

At $8 a head, someone is making a nice profit, considering the MTA only charges $3 for a round trip between the beach and downtown.

I still plan on taking my family to the observatory, at least once.

But at $24 a trip, gone are the days when my parents took us up to that gleaming citadel on the hill three to four times a year, to explore inside, hike in the hills behind or just look at the city’s lights below.

JOHN LOUIS PETERS II

South Pasadena