Auto Focus

The wheel world: Regarding David Martin’s Kansas City Strip, “A Real Gas” (May 4): I lived and worked as a bartender in Westport for two years without a car. Kansas City does not care about residents who do not have vehicles.

The ‘burbs want to separate themselves from urban residents. Service-industry people who get off work late at night do not want a hassle just to go home. Cabs are expensive and unreliable. The buses do not run late at night or on Sunday (as reported). It strikes me as odd that the people most likely to ride the bus are also very likely to have to work on a Sunday.

Thankfully, I am in Chicago now — partly because I love mass transit. I never worry about getting to work (the trains are great when it snows), drinking and driving, or if my car will start. The trains are still running when I’m done with work (at 3:30 a.m.). Eventually, KC will need mass transit; why not just do it now instead of later? Stupid suburban sprawl!

Sam Wurth
Chicago

Legends of the fall: I really liked this article! I, too, was wondering how workers are supposed to get out to Legends. How do urban people take a job in a place that their bus line doesn’t run late enough at night? How do rural Kansas workers find a bus to that place at all?

I really hope this article gives some perspective to KC’s car-loving residents. Good work!

Nikki Powell
Kansas City, Missouri

Pixel Dust

Screen savers: A Million Little Pixels” (May 4) was an outstanding read. It’s nice to know that the consummate salesperson has a chance against those without any integrity, due to the in-depth scope of critics like you. Ironic that the moneymen of Kansas City I know aren’t likely to pick up a Pitch.

Chris Shaw
Kansas City, Missouri

The mouse that roared: First off, I want to thank David Martin for the story he wrote on John Flowers.

For a short period, I worked for Kozoru, as have many people. I was employed there for just shy of a year. I’m glad someone has exposed a side of John that may not be as pretty as he’d have us all believe. It felt good to read something that questioned his stories rather than bought into them.

Tyler Mace
Via the Internet

Party Lines

Motor voter: I am a 35-year-old man living in the Westport area and, sad to say, have not been politically active in city elections in the past. During the last mayoral election, my friends and I spoke of how we thought Kay Barnes was handling the growth and image of this city, locally and nationally, and were of the consensus that her performance was sorely lacking.

When Stan Glazer threw his hat into the ring, I thought that it was a joke because of the controversial image his name has been given in this city. A friend of mine, who worked for the family in the restaurant, convinced me to go see him speak at his downtown rally, and what I saw was a man with a genuine love for this city and a passion to make it everything it has the potential to be, nationally and locally.

Nadia Pflaum’s “Six-Gun Stan” (April 20) revealed more of his personality to me. I find myself liking him more and thinking he is the best choice.

We have a chance to get someone who isn’t an insider and won’t have his fingers in every pie that keeps this city from growing and becoming what it should be. My vote is going to help him get there, and my friends who are undecided or are just going to let others vote in this election are going to get an earful from me — and a free trip in my car to wherever ol’ “Six-Gun” is speaking (won’t even charge ’em for gas).

Jason Gray
Kansas City, Missouri

Clay Pit

My Aiken heart: I guess if Charles Ferruzza wants to make sure his column is read, he just tosses in Clay Aiken’s name and connects it with a current slime story (“Lucky Strike,” May 11). Why in hell would anybody read him otherwise?

Did he say Clay can’t survive? Well, just watch him. He’s only just begun!

Shirley Romano
Westminster, California

Singled out: Regarding Ferruzza’s comment about “cherubic Clay Aiken trolling the Internet for what he hoped would be anonymous sex”: Please — this is a bunch of lies that were published in the tabloids. He wasn’t even in the state when this tryst supposedly took place. Did you really need to add it to your article? What enhancement did it add except to try to draw the Claynation to it because Clay was mentioned? More hits for your site? I don’t think so.

It is already all over the Clay boards NOT to go to this article to give it hits. Ruben Stoddard is a big guy who likes to eat; why don’t you add a mention of him in your next article? At least it would be a true statement.

Frances Lind
Mountain View, California