Bob Levey (Barbara Tyroler)

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Levey Live: Speaking Freely
Washington Post Columnist
Friday, Sept. 7, 2001; 1 p.m. EDT

"Levey Live: Speaking Freely," hosted by Washington Post columnist Bob Levey, appears every Friday. It is a live, open-agenda discussion offering washingtonpost.com users around the world the opportunity to ask questions and discuss topics of their choice with Bob.

Fearless Bob takes your questions about virtually everything, from sports and politics (there's a difference?) to world events, Metro area traffic and issues raised in Bob's columns.

The transcript follows.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

Bethesda commuter: Can you explain why the traffic is so different this week than last? I know lots of people vacationed in late August, but the change is startling! I also know that schools have started, but there are no school buses on my route to work (Clara Barton Parkway and Canal Road). Do you think other cities experience this phenomenon? Does Metro get more crowded in September too?

Bob Levey: The phrase "sea change" is wildly overused, but it works for the phenomenon you're describing. The day after Labor Day, traffic oceans flow in different directions and in radically different amounts. It is caused mostly by back-to-school, but also by back-to-work. It's annual.

Farragut Square, D.C.: So is GW's decision a sign of things to come over the next three weeks? Will most, if not all, offices around the World Bank be shut down?

What I'm really asking -- can I plan my three-day weekend yet?

Bob Levey: I suspect that all of Foggy Bottom and downtown D.C. will take a large holiday from Sept. 27 until the protesters go home. I'm a little surprised at GW's decision, but not wildly so. As Megan Rooney, world's greatest producer, points out, GW students might well invite 10 protester-buddies to crash on the floors of the dorms--and some of those buddies might intend to become violent. It's easy to say better safe than sorry, but I think that applies here.
At the same time, my memory rushes back to the days of Vietnam protests on campuses. I hated and disdained the idea that universities could be closed by demonstrators. A university ought to be a shining light, open always, especially for discussions and classes. If a university is caught up in a larger political swirl, or made a pawn in one, you've got just another pressure point, not an institution of higher learning. This is why I'm surprised at GW's decision. The administration might be seen as kowtowing to protesters--and what happens next week, and the week after that, when there are more protests?

Bethesda, Md.: Bob,

You were way off in your column this morning. That store's policy wasn't a "blanket indictment of teenagers." It was merely a response to the fact that retail stores lose a lot of money to theft by employees. As they stated, it's very difficult to have a minor (16- or 17-year-old) arrested and prosecuted for stealing from the store.

Their reasoning wasn't that all 16-year-olds will inevitably steal, it was that some employees, of any age, will inevitably steal from the store, and they'd like to be able to seek prosecution for it.

Bob Levey: Sorry, but not all 16-year-olds are cut from the same cloth. By your reasoning, no store should ever hire a black person or an Asian because other blacks and Asians have stolen at some time in the past. That's profiling, that's racist, that's horrible.

Arlington, Va.: I'm submitting several days early so I don't forget.

I was at Giant last night and they had a large sign that if we wanted credit given to a specific school for computers again this new school year, we had to re-submit it.

I know you usually suggest a particularly deserving school. Have you do so yet, and if so, what is the school number and code?

It's such a painless way to help a school get credits for computers.

In case some chatters are reluctant to sign up for discount cards for Giant and Safeway because they are afraid they will get bombarded with unwanted mail, both applications have a check-off box where you can indicate you do NOT want any ads sent to you. Don't let that fear keep you from helping the kids.

Bob Levey: The school for Levey readers this year is Jefferson Junior High School, in Southwest Washington. Full details coming in my Sept. 12 column. In the meantime, you can sign up for the program--and sign Jefferson up as "your school"--at any Giant or Safeway store, or on-line.

Beltsville, Md.: I support GWU's decision to close down during the protests, but I also wonder about some of the students that simply have no where to go -- perhaps they're foreign students visiting for a semester, or they're just lower income folks who struggle for every penny of tuition. What will happen to those students?

Nevertheless, I do think it's a wise decision.

Bob Levey: GW says it will find alternative housing for them, if necessary. But it has said it hopes most or all will simply go home.

Arlington, Va.: I'm still spitting mad about Dubya's 11 p.m. fireworks. It kept us up an extra half hour (we could hear it even with earplugs in -- and we live near Seven Corners!). Aren't there noise ordinances? Shouldn't they notify the public? I thought D.C. was blowing up. Although it sounded like fireworks, I was sure that fireworks at that time of night wouldn't be allowed.

Dubya is acting more like a king in his realm than a folksy man of the people.

Bob Levey: I have a hunch that Bush and his assistants didn't even consider the consequences of boom-boom-ba-boom on a school and work night. That isn't an excuse. No excuse is possible. But I doubt very much if they sat around and said, "The heck with those Democrat-leaning Washington residents; let's blast them out of their bedclothes!"

Washington, D.C.: Okay, I've learned to take a philosophical (read: resigned) view of the fact that one or more escalators at my Metro stop (Van Ness) seem to be broken every single day. I've decided that Metro is really just a public works program and the more the equipment breaks, the more jobs are created. I keep this in mind while I am trudging up the stairs on my aging legs.

Bob Levey: Well, that's one way to look at it. The way I look at it:
Metro put itself behind a very large 8-ball when it bought escalators from a company that soon went out of business. Parts are very difficult to come by (no one makes them). And skilled repairpersons who have worked on this particular model are just as hard to come by. Add to that that escalator repair is always tricky and time-consuming, and you have those perpetually busted machines at Van Ness (and at many other stations).

Alexandria, Va.: The same day The Reliable Source noted that Larry King's USA Today column is being cancelled... a few pages away there's Levey doing his own Larry King-style column! Auditioning for a new job perhaps?

Bob Levey: I have way, way, way too many jobs already. It was a pure coincidence.

Laurel, Md.: You mentioned about how gas prices are so expensive in the Capitol Hill area and so cheap in Lewes, DE? You don't have to go all the way to Delaware for cheap gas. Along Route 1 in Laurel, the prices are about $1.35 to $1.38. Come up here and get a tankful!

Bob Levey: On my way. Thanks

Bethesda, Md.: Greetings, Bob, on this spectacular summer day!

My Friday would have been perfect if it hadn't been for a lone Metropolitan Police officer who was attempting to direct traffic this morning in front of the vice president's residence. He had traffic backed up past Ward Circle and on Wisconsin Avenue.

What could they have been thinking? My commute took nearly 30 minutes longer thanks to this poor example of policing. Thing is, the traffic light was working fine. I had 30 minutes to sit in traffic and watch it change.

And no, you could not pay me to take Metro into town. Not even on a 125 degree day, 100 percent humidity and no air conditioning.

Bob Levey: I don't have to pay you to take Metro into town. You'd be paying yourself. It saves you time, money, hair follicles, stomach lining. That isn't some wishful slogan. I can prove it with a pencil and paper.
As for the cop outside Cheneyland, I suspect they were trying to part the seas for the Veep. For security reasons, that often means they inconvenience hundreds for the sake of one. Doesn't sound very democratic, I grant you. Yet they do it for all sorts of officials around D.C. (and not just American ones--ambassadors get this treatment, too).

Atlanta, Ga.: If the law is such that blacks or Asians cannot be prosecuted for stealing, then the store shouldn't hire them, either. But the law doesn't state that. The store was just indicating that they cannot prosecute those under 18 effectively, so they don't want to hire them.

Bob Levey: I'm not at all persuaded that a store couldn't prosecute a thief who happens to be less than 18. I'm not aware of any law that says those younger get a free pass. Sure, it's much less likely that a juvenile will go to jail in a theft case. But a store could still press charges, still get restitution, couldn't it?

Washington, D.C.: Bob,
Per your column this morning... then I guess the same store won't hire 60 year olds because they might be slow, doddering, and forgetful. Sheesh! Ageism anywhere on the spectrum is wrong. I started working in a department store when I was 16. Yes, it was the lowest of the low positions, folding and re-hanging the clothes women left in dressing rooms, but I was treated the same as all of the other workers, and learned to work hard, be responsible, etc. I wasn't any more tempted to steal anything then as a 16 year old than I am now as a 46 year old.

Bob Levey: Beautifully put! When a store sees only a kid's 16-ness, and not her worth as a person and as an employee, then we are looking at things upside down.

Columbus, Ohio: Regarding your position on the firing of the 16 year old due to age, I am in 100% disagreement. Your perception that the policy casts a bad onus on those less than 18 years old appears without substance. We are talking legalities here that the store has every right to protect itself under. What 16 year old has established much of a track record as to dependability yet? Why should the store open itself to litigation when for some reason they do not hire the next 16 year old that applies for a position? And they are correct in that they almost have no recourse to prosecute those under the age of legal consent. Ripping off a burger while working at McDonald's is a different context than the substantive value that could be involved at other businesses. Get off your liberal kick and realize that for businesses to succeed, they have to have the ability to protect themselves. What law has the business broken other than the somewhat skewed moral one in your head? You want to get doors opened for younger people? Then justify it through getting legislation passed mandating it. Other than that, congratulations to a wise business policy enforced equally for all.

Bob Levey: The store in the case I wrote about is ALREADY open to litigation for firing an employee who didn't do anything wrong. I have nothing against a business succeeding.But it can do that by hiring the right people of any age, not by laying down a blanket policy that bars 16-year-olds.
By the way, thanks for the slur, but this has nothing to do with being "liberal." I belong to the Common Sense Party. Come on in. The water's fine.

12th Floor Metro Center: Greetings, El-Bobster!

A co-worker and I broke down yesterday and decided to buy those new SmartCard's that Metro started last year. Bob, Bob, Bob, why didn't I do this when they started this last year ... i absolutely LOVE it! ... oh, it's the little things in life, i know.

Bob Levey: SmarTrip cards are the coolest, smartest, most useful thingamabobs I have ever seen. Glad you're so happy with them.

Washington, D.C.: Bob -- You're well-known as a hockey skeptic. What do you think of football versus soccer as youth sports?

Bob Levey: You know how to hurt a guy.
Call me dewy-eyed, but every September, I miss playing football more than I can tell you.
I totally adored playing in high school. My knees didn't share my opinion, of course, but for pure male bonding, and pure athletic challenge, football reigns supreme.
We football players used to stand beside the fence and look at the guys playing on the high school soccer team. We'd yell out to them that they were wimps and sissies. We believed it.
I no longer believe it, not after watching my son's team go all the way to the national championship this past summer. There are serious athletes on the soccer field, and they have serious collisions. I also see just as large a bonding opportunity among soccer players as among football players nowadays.

Ballston, Va: As for the fireworks. I have enough trouble sleeping at night worrying about the economy and all, and how driling will destroy wildlife preserves. The last thing I expected Jalapeno Jorge to do was set off explosives to keep me from sleeping.

Bob Levey: Thank you for a new coinage. I was sick of Dubya. Now he's Dubba-J.

Takoma Park, Md.: Just got off the discussion with GW President. It was a very hard decision to close down the campus. They met with the Metro police where they went over all the scenarios (fencing up around perimeter of campus and closing of foggy bottom metro) and the police finally did ask them in the end to close the campus. GW asked for a letter in writing, got it in a few days, had meetings with parent groups, heads of student unions, etc.

As for foreign students, GW President stated they will be taken care of.

I think it is a very wise move.

Bob Levey: It is a prudent move, for sure. Yet I am very worried that GW will pay a steep price in the years ahead.
It doesn't take much to keep a kid (and especially the kid's parents) from applying to other schools if the word is out that a) GW is in a scary neighborhood, b) it will shut down at a moment's notice and c) it won't give refunds for time lost.
I'm very active in recruiting for my blessed alma mater, The University of Chicago. I know the problems of "buzz" that great inner-city unverisities face. GW should do nothing but benefit from its inner-city location. But I know better, and so does President Trachtenberg. I'll bet you right now that GW's application rate is down 10 percent this coming year.

Virginia: I don't get the reasoning behind the age limit either - exactly what legal recourse do they expect to take with an 18 year old as opposed to a 16 year old? NEITHER are likely to get jail time, BOTH would still receive a punishment (fine/probation/community service in all likelihood), so what exactly are they hoping for? The death penalty? It seems ludicrous. I got my first job as a busgirl/dishwasher at 14, by the way. What I hated about it was they made me wear a dress. That gives away my age, I know - thank goodness THOSE days are over...

Bob Levey: Apparently the logic is: If they can hang hard jail time on an 18-year-old thief, that's somehow better than hanging probation or a stiff warning on a 16-year-old thief. Ity "sends a message." But both are thieves, so I don't see why one age group should be hired and the other shouldn't.

Washington, D.C.:
Bob,

GWU decision is a cowardly one that gives into essentially thugs who vandalize, destroy and assualt cops. That GW president is about as tough as a marshmallow. Why should we run from those who threaten us with violence? The real story here that hasn't been reported is the significant number of rich, coddled sympathetic GWU students who would be an embarrassment to GWU if violence errupts. That's the truth behind the PR here.

Bob Levey: Any university president has to be concerned about violence and safety. Trachtenberg the Marshmallow in fact acted like Trachtenberg the Thoughtful. He moved only after the D.C. cops asked him to. Presumably, he was given the benefit of D.C. police intelligence reports.

20004: Just looking for a bit of a pep talk -

I saw a tourist and his buddy taking a picture of a homeless person outside the FBI Building on my walk from the Archives Metro stop to my office. I was really disgusted by it - I cannot think of one good reason to take a picture of a homeless man sleeping on a steam grate. I feel really bad that I didn't say anything to then to make them realize that the homeless in this (and any other) city are a tragedy and not scenery. Is this really what things are coming down to?

Bob Levey: You can just bet that when the roll is developed, and this dude and his buddies are sitting around the rec room in Hoboken, they'll say: "Man, Washington, D.C., has sure gone to the dogs! They even had homeless guys in front of the FBI!"
It's such an insult to these poor people, who didn't choose or plan to be homeless. So what if they're in front of the FBI? Did the FBI put them there? Homeless people are in every city in every country in the world. Yet Washington is always held to a different standard.

Reston, Va.: Presumably GWU know the price they could pay for closing. I wonder what sort of iside info they're getting from the protestors that's scaring them so much. I think I'll avoid the city that weekend. Could be a little rough.

Btw, I wonder if the protestors are aware that, unlike in Genoa, many locals are both armed and veterans. Maybe that's what's got the U so scared?

Bob Levey: Very likely. I suspect that this is precisely what the cops have in their intelligence portfolios.

Not a perfect analogy, but . . . : To me, refusing to hire a 16-year-old because IF she steals, it will be hard to prosecute is comparable to refusing to hire a young woman because IF she gets pregnant, she will be hard to replace. The employer is, however indirectly, acting to prevent a hypothetical situation without knowing whether it's likely to happen at all.

Bob Levey: No, I think it IS a perfect analogy.
Any time you broad-brush an entire class of people, you are making a mistake and inviting a huge lawsuit.
This is what the racial profiling debate is all about. If a cop busts a black man for the sin of being black, he is not just violating common sense. He's violating the law. Ditto with a 16-year-old.

Adams Morgan: So I went into the Bank of America to get a roll of quarters, and they told me they only give change to people with accounts. Have you ever heard of this? I never have problems anywhere else. I need to park!

Bob Levey: Every bank does this. Reasoning: it cuts down on fraud, and it keeps the bank out of the business of being a change supplier. Believe it or not, it costs a considerable piece of change to assemble those rolls of coins.

Arlington, Va.: So what is your take on the fireworks flap? I for one think that is fair to hold conservatives to a higher standard when it comes to seemingly frivolous use of taxpayer money. Can you imagine the fallout if Bill Clinton had tried to pull a stunt like this? Dan Burton would probably have spearheaded a congressional inquiry the next day.

Bob Levey: You're heading for big trouble if you think this was a partisan decision by the Bushies. As I said earlier, I think it was a case of not thinking a plan through. Both parties are capable of being dunces in this way.

Chantilly, Va.: Don't know if you can help me or not.

A neighbor has taken to harboring "wild" skunks. She had one living under her house, and did scare it away because it "is so cute." It has now mated and I believe there are three little ones (there were four, but a stray cat killed one in our backyard).

I can't stand having them around! Every time I open my windows (the weather at night is perfect sleeping temperature), the skunk ends up spraying and I have to close the window due to the smell!

The county won't do anything, because they do not have rabies (yet)!

Mind you, we live in a large subdivision not far from Route 50 and 66 -- not like we live in the boonies.

What are you thoughts on getting rid of them?

Bob Levey: Toughie. You might want to consult your local animal shelter for advice. Based on long and smelly experience, I cna tell you that skunks go where skunks want to go--and they tend to resent it if you come close to them, even for innocent reasons.

I don't want to be paranoid, but: I just read the transcript of the GW president's chat and an employee of the GW hospital said that last year, the Metro stopped running, there was teargas.

That's the line I ride into work -- should I maybe use an alternate form of transportation? I do NOT want to be stuck underground, I'll freak out. Not wild about teargas, either.

Bob Levey: I wouldn't come downtown on IMF weekend unless I absolutely had to--not because I think I'd be in any danger, or because I anticipate an emergency aboard the subway. I'm just worried about mass delays.

Agree in Md.: Good call on the age-ism Bob. You can't bemoan kids that don't know responsibility and the value of hard work if no one gives them the chance to prove themselves.

I think that "rule" was just to ease the managers' of their own responsibily to interview and research their employees.

What rubbish.

Bob Levey: It's especially rubbish-y given that the kid had already been hired, despite the fact that she was only 16.

University Park, Md.: Did someone mention University of Chicago? Got any pull with the admissions folks? I know a very deserving HS junior (my son, oddly enough) who'd do well there, I think...

Bob Levey: Send the kid my way! My vitals: 202-334-7276, leveyb@washpost.com. I'll be glad to talk Chicago till I'm maroon in the face (three guesses what the school color is)...

Washington, D.C.: Do you happen to know what agency regulates taxis? If I have a complaint, I would file it with the taxi company...but what is the "next level"?

Bob Levey: D.C. Taxicab Commission. HQ on Martin Luther King Ave. SE. Listed in the D.C. government section of the phone book.

Annandale, Va.: Bob,

Can you explain something about stopping for school buses? If a bus is slowing down to a stop, but hasn't fully stopped yet (the swinging stop signs haven't come out) and you are in the adjacent lane and next to the bus, should you stop or keep going? I came into this situation this morning. If I had been well behind the bus, I would have stopped. I was, however, even with the bus in the parallel lane and the swinging stop signs were not used. I was able to pass the bus before it actually stopped. Still, I think I should have stopped anyway just to be on the safe side. I really want to do the right thing, so any insight would be appreciated.

Bob Levey: You should stop as soon as you see the sign begin to swing out. I'm not going to tell you that you couldn't sneak past the stopping bus before it actually screeches to a halt. But it's amazing how quickly a child can hit the deck running once the wheels start turning. For this reason, the system tries to build in a little extra cushion.

Hell's Kitchen, New York City (formerly of Falls Church): Just thought I'd share with you:

The other day I was at an audition on the NYU campus, and I was in an elevator with a bunch of female students who were clearly performers, and I wanted to turn around and ask, "Are any of you Emily Levey?" It's been gorgeous up here all week, by the way. You should come up and visit--I love it when you write about the city. (THE city--'cause there's only one----I'm such a New Yorker!)

Bob Levey: You know how to make a fat old Dad smile!
Thanks so much for being aware of World's Greatest Daughter. I look forward to many NYC visits with her. But I don't have to go up there any time soon, because tonight, she returns to D.C.
"Pirates of Penzance" finishes its run at the Folger Theater his weekend (two shows on Saturday, one on Sunday afternoon). Em has appeared in this show all summer (as Bertha, one of the wackola sisters). She returns for the final three performances. Then she heads back up your way, to be a college student again.

Olney, Md.: In football, you have plays that last for seconds followed by most or more than a minute of time standing around deciding what to do next. Soccer they are constantly moving with very few and very short breaks (on free throws in they don't want the other team enough time to get all their players in proper position), and almost no protection in collisions.

...rugby players just call American football a game for woosies.

Bob Levey: I sse your point, but I can tell you that football REALLY takes it out of you, despite what appears to be big rests.

GW Grad: Hi Bob,

I graduated from DC in '99 and was around for the protests in 2000. I can honestly say that parts of campus were not the safest places in the world. I saw dumpsters overturned, parked cars smashed and a few unfortunate people stuck driving near the demarcation zone got surrounded by violent people who insisted on rocking the cars and slashing a few tires. They're expecting 3 times as many people this time around and while I know it's a pain to send all the students away and shut the campus, better to be safe than sorry. Just my .02

Bob Levey: I'm tempted to say that GW could have said, "We'll stay open, but we urge extreme caution." However, if even one student got beaned, bloodied or killed, can you imagine the uproar?

Maryland: Alright Bob. Love the column. Love the chats. What else ya got?? Any books published? Where else can I tune in for more of you?

Bob Levey: Gosh, I'm damn near UNAVOIDABLE!
My wife and I published a book last year called "Washington Album: A Pictorial History of the Nation's Capital." It was published by Washington Post Books. Available at Politics and Prose in Northwest Washington, any Olsson's, a few Barnes and Nobles, on amazon.com (but with a LONG delay), at the Post's main HQ (1150 15th St. NW) or at the Post's kiosk at the Fashion Mall at Pentagon City.
I do radio commentaries each Tuesday and Thursday at 7:51 a.m. on WTOP (1500 AM, 820 AM and 107.7 FM).
Three times a week, I co-host "News Talk" on Newschannel8. This is a general-interest talk show. I'm usually on MWF, but this sometimes shifts. The show airs from 4-5 p.m.
Then I do this chat each Friday, and another each Tuesday from noon to 1 p.m. Eastern.
All this on top of five columns a week.
I even sleep sometimes.....
s nas an

washingtonpost.com: To read more about the recent decision to shut down George Washington University, check out:
href="http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/zforum/01/school_trachtenberg090701.htm">GWU
President Stephen Trachtenberg Q&A, ((Live Online, Sept. 7)

Bob Levey: in case you wondered....

Alexandria: Are there any particularly good used book stores in the area? One in Virginia would be easiest, but I'd happily go into the city for a good one.

Bob Levey: Second Story Books in Betehsda is the best one I know

MCI Center: MJ -- Yes or No?

When will the announcement come?

Bob Levey: Mid-September.
My latest betting: He ain't coming back.
Not because he couldn't or wouldn't be great again. Because he has had enough time to think about how HORRIBLE it would be to be in a hotel room in Milwaukee on a Tuesday (again).

washingtonpost.com: Here's the full link: GWU President Stephen Trachtenberg Q&A, ((Live Online, Sept. 7)

Chantilly, Va.: Bob: The store might have handled this situation quite poorly, but please don't think they are open to litigation for canning her.

Firing someone for a reason that is not illegal or no reason at all is quite within the law in Virginia, a right-to-work state.

Any lawyer who files a suit on behalf of this kid is a disgrace to the legal profession.

Please don't encourage needless litigation. The kid got another job immediately. What are her damages, anyway?

Bob Levey: I'm not encouraging litigation, and I have no reason to think the family is going to try to "tee up" San Francisco Music Box Company. But I believe the family would have a strong case. By the way, Virginia's right to work laws have nothing to do with this case. RTW applies to unionization, not to the right to hire and fire.

Mt. Rainier, Md.: Speaking of pregnancy: Surely you have noticed the flap about D.C.'s Fire Department and Police both requiring pregnancy tests of applicants? Aside from the ethics and legality of all this, what about sheer futility? What's to keep the woman from getting pregnant the next DAY if she's a mind to? (I figure she wouldn't be a mind to if she wanted one of those jobs, but I generally assume people will act in their best interest)

Bob Levey: Very well said. Officials who try to supervise a woman's reproductive organs are always backing a losing horse

Re: used book stores: But the parking for 2nd story in Bethesda is TERRIBLE... better to take the metro to the Dupont Circle store on P street.

Bob Levey: I stand corrected. Thanks

Washington, D.C.: Hole in the Wall Books on Route 7 in Falls Church is my favorite used store in Virginia. Bonifant Books in the funky sector of Wheaton is also good.

Bob Levey: More votes from the hustings.... Thanks

Chevy Chase, Md.: I live in Southern Maryland (about 20 min. drive to the beltway) and wonder about options for Metro out where I am. I know there is a new station (Branch Ave.) but am wondering how long it would take to get from there to, say, medical center. It would probably take about a half hour to reach the Branch Ave. station. Any help or suggestions you could provide would be appreciated.

Bob Levey: Branch Avenue to Medical Center would take about 50 minutes, I'd guess. Only you can determine whether a total trip time of 70 minutes one way is "out of bounds." Even if it's 20 minutes longer than it might usually take by car, don't forget that you can read, work, cogitate aboard Metro in a way that you can't hope to duplicate in rush-hour traffic.

Reston, Va.: Best used book store: Sam Wellers in Salt Lake City. On the web at www.samwellers.com

Great selection, stop by if you're in SLC for the Olympics.

Bob Levey: And more..... Thanks

McLean, Va.: If you are a member of the Music Box store club, I would recommend writing/calling and telling them you are cancelling your club membership and the reason is unfair hiring practices. If stores know we won't put up with this kind of thing, they will stop.

Bob Levey: You have my blessing, for what it's worth

Hell's Kitchen, New York City: Well, since I'm about to make my producing and directing debut here in the city this fall, I may well actually meet the World's Greatest Daughter in the flesh at an audition. Does she do straight plays at all or only musicals? Any film?

She really picked the right city in which to pursue her career--DC has a great up-and-coming theater and film scene, but there are so many opportunities up here, and a wonderful support system. You just feel inspired every time you walk out the door. Hope I get the chance to work with her soon.

Bob Levey: She wants musical theater only and Broadway only. That may change some day, but I doubt it seriously.
Em often recites the mantra of the musical theater program of the Tisch School of the Arts: "Anyone can act. We can sing and dance, too." Hey, it only SOUNDS smug. I've seen these kids. They are really, really talented.
I'll be sure she sees today's chat. Thanks!

Capitol Hill: Doesn't (or didn't) Larry McMurtry own a used-bookstore in DC? Might you know which one?

Bob Levey: He used to work at one in Georgetown. Don't believe he ever owned it, but I could be wrong. He left the area about 20 years ago.

Washington, D.C.: Hi Bob - apologies if you get this twice (got an error msg) but this is a rather outdated question. What is the deal with those 'don't block the box' signs at various DC intersections. What box?? (if they mean the 'box' created by the crosswalks, as in don't block the intersection, the signs don't seem to have had any impact on THAT extremely annoying habit)

Bob Levey: That's what "box" means. I agree that the phrase could be clearer. How about "Don't block the intersection?"

Arlington, Va: Orange line-was as crowded as the 4th of July this past Wednesday. Some character had an "urgent" call to make. So he calls -shouts] b/w Far. West and Fog. Bottom to whomever he was speaking to. Everyone on the metro was looking at eachother like "who is this guy and doesn't he have a clue". He couldn't figure out why the phone kept breaking up and shouted louder to the person "Its breaking up, I can't hear you". Thats because you were UNDERNEATH A CITY you fool! [edited for space]

Bob Levey: Cell phoners really knock me out. The world revolves around them! I'm almost glad that the connection didn't work. Maybe this selfish idiot will see his selfish idiocy and think twice next time.

Bob Levey: Thanks, gang, for a very energetic discussion. Please join us next Friday for another, at 1 p.m. Eastern, per usual.

washingtonpost.com:

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