A sunny arrival at Union Station

I thoroughly enjoyed the piece on Union Station [“A Set for Past and Future,” by Christopher Reynolds, Nov. 24] and wonderful pics by Mark Boster. It brought back long-ago memories of when my family came to California by train in 1965.

My dad was offered a management position in his company if he moved from Chicago to L.A. He loaded up his three sons and one daughter, and for three days and two chilly nights we rode toward the West.

We finally landed in downtown Los Angeles at beautiful Union Station. Stepping outside for the first time I still remember the fragrance of orange blossoms and the tall, swaying palm trees with a backdrop of a sunny blue sky. Wow, California.

John R. Owens

Desert Hot Springs

Another PreCheck snarl

Regarding “TSA’s Holiday ‘Gift’ May Be Security Jams,” by Catharine Hamm, Nov. 24]: We flew to Philadelphia from LAX last week on Virgin America, whose gates are in Terminal 3. As a result of the recent tragedy in that terminal, we were informed that PreCheck passengers, which we are, would have to use the regular security lines, as PreCheck was temporarily suspended. As we filed past the (suspended) PreCheck line, we found that it was open, but not to PreCheck passengers, only to those with first-class tickets

Now how does that make any sense? Are all first-class passengers assumed to be good guys, while the rest us, even with PreCheck clearance on our boarding passes, are to be less trusted?

Ed Jaffe

Los Angeles

Common-sense plane exiting

I clipped the Oct. 27 Letters column with a letter titled “A Timely Exit” that explained how to deplane more quickly and took it on my United flights last month. The staff did exactly what was suggested by letter writer Linda Gorman as we deplaned in Chicago. I showed them the clipping and congratulated them. Hooray for common sense.

Eleanor Van Natta

Rancho Dominguez