Bob Levey (Barbara Tyroler)

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Levey Live: Speaking Freely
Washington Post Columnist
Friday, Sept. 28, 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.

Bob Levey: Good afternoon, fans of crisp fall weather (and who wouldn't count him- or herself in those ranks?).
Looks as if National Airport is building a constituency to reopen (thank you, Secretary Mineta).
Also as if the Redskins have problems that go far beyond Jeff George.
Anything left to say about Mr. M. Jordan? I suspect you loyalists will say it if so.
And what about Metro's struggles to stay afloat and to expand in time to meet the surging demand?
These and any other topics are fair game. Let's get cooking....

Annandale, Va.: Hi Bob,
It seems everyone and their uncle has an opinion on what should replace the World Trade Center. Why should I be any different? Here's my 2 cents worth:
Build 4 buildings which are about 50 stories each. Make sure the roofs aren't flat like the originals. At ground level in the center of the buildings place a memorial to the victims of September 11th. Off to the side of all this, build a very tall tower which would house an observation deck and a restaurant at the top, nothing else. This tower should look something like the Seattle's Space Needle or Toronto's tower, only it should be taller than the original WTC. This way, it's less of a "financial" target and shows the world that we will overcome our national tragedy with style and determination.

Bob Levey: I spoke a few days ago to a high school classmate who knows many NYC architects. The consensus (at the moment, anyway) is to do everything you suggest, but not the space needle. Medium-rise is the order of the day in the Big Apple, and probably will be the order of the day for many days.

Suggestion for coffee mug collection: For the soon-to-be retiree (from your column today) looking for suggestions on what to do with his coffee mug collection:

Check with the hostel (in downtown D.C.) and see if they can use them. The hostels I've stayed at always seem to need dishes for travellers to use in the kitchens. Or perhaps a rec center, community center or senior center would be able to use the mugs.

Good for that reader for trying to find a way to recycle those mugs instead of just throwing them out.

Bob Levey: Thanks so much for an excellent suggestion. By the way, I've received many good ones. Follow-up column coming soon (and it will contain a final answer, as the quiz shows would say--the guy who called me originally has decided what to do with them--what? you didn't think I'd tell, did you?).

Beltsville, Md.: While many of the ideas discussed in the Metro article today were interesting, they all seem to be of the burying-ones-head-in-the-sand phenomenon.

Adding a blue line link to Greenbelt isn't what's clogging the system. An over-populated system limited to one track in each direction is what will doom this, up to this point, fabulous transit system.

They need to find a way to run express trains and move large quantities of people to the end stations.

Bob Levey: I was very surprised to see no mention of a pedestrian tunnel linking the "Two Farraguts," or any more than two stations along the Dulles corridor.
Also, what about 24-hour service? Obviously, Washington will have to go to serious flextime in a very few years to avoid the crush on the roads (especially in Northern Virginia). How can you or I work from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. if the Metro ceases to run at midnight during the week?

Washington, D.C.: Bob -- submitting early. Something I've noticed in my apartment building is that the elevator licences (normally kept in the office, but in my building's elevators for some reason) have a typo -- and not in the part that gets customized, in the printed section -- it says "in case of accident or incident AFEECTING (sic, caps mine) life or limb..." didn't know who else to point this out to. I like my elevator inspectors to be detail people, myself... is this a city-wide problem? or do we have strange licenses? I'm not sure I've ever seen another D.C. elevator inspection certificate to check.

Bob Levey: I wish I could blame this on a computer glitch, but even the computers owned by the D.C. government have spell-check.
At least it didn't say "Effecting." Count your blessings.

State College, Pa.: Hi Bob. I wrote to you in January about starting a column for the student newspaper here. I just wanted to say thanks for your help and finally the powers that be have given me my own column that begins next week. Have a great weekend.

Bob Levey: TOTALLY gratifying to see that another typist will soon discover what a great racket this is.
Thanks for letting me know

Upper Marlboro, Md.: Hello Bob,
I know this sounds trivial with all the news thats been going on this week but have you watched any of these cartoons from Japan lately (Pokemon, etc.)? My kids love them. I don't get it. I can't sit through five minutes of it. Whats the attraction? My kids are hooked on them. What ever happened to Bugs and Porky Pig?

Bob Levey: Bugs and the Porker are their father's Oldsmobile. Sorry, but new is always exciting, even when new isn't really exciting.

Capitol Hill Phil: Howdy Bob:
What say yout about the possibility of extending Mayor Giuliani's term? I mean, the guy Has been phenomenal. Does New York really want to change horses mid-stream?

Bob Levey: I'm the biggest enemy of term limits you'll ever see. How can we flout the will of the people before we give them a chance to exert that will? I can't BELIEVE this is constitutional. Yet for a while there, term limits were threatening to blot out the sun.
I'd love to see Rudy run again. But I don't see how the NY election rules can be rewritten in time. Also how the inevitable court tests can be finished up in time.

DC: Seems like Dan Snyder is being as petty as ever. Fire anyone who prevents his team from winning winning winning. Sorry, but I think we have more important things to worry about than if Danny's team loses a game. Wonder if he still requires people to address him as "Mr. Snyder"? Glad Emily is OK. Have a good weekend.

Bob Levey: Snyder has been amazingly silent as a)Schottenheimer has stunk up the joint and b) Schottenheimer has shown the world how desperate he is.
Since Snyder's temperament usually resembles a tea kettle with a flame underneath it, watch for HUGE firestorms on Monday morning (Sunday night?) id the Skins get hammered on Sunday.
By the way, I agree that football has zero importance when laid beside the events of Sept. 11. But Snyder is so childish, so irritating, so off-putting, that I can't resist clobbering him in print.

wiredog: Bob,The Metro section needs to talk to the people from the Old Guard who've been pulling body parts out of the Pentagon for the past few weeks. Other than those of us who have friends in the unit, no one knows just what those guys are going through! They're having a rough time, some public recognition would be good.

Bob Levey: Good idea for a column. I'm on it. Thanks

Reston, 20190: Any chance we could get Rudy to move to DC? Not that Tony's bad, but put Rudy in charge of the statehood effort!

Bob Levey: He'd have to agree that it's worth fighting first. Sadly, neither he nor any other big-name Republicans do.

Alexandria, Va.: Bob - Reading today's Post article about the prayers of hijackers makes me more afraid for the safety of the many Muslims in our country. Can the Post print more about the beliefs of Islam to help people clearly see how twisted and un-Islamic the terrorists are? Also, how can ordinary citizens encourage other media to give increased coverage to this?

Bob Levey: Thanks for raising an issue that has been bugging me from the very first second.
Because Islam does not have a supreme religious authority like a Pope or a chief Rabbi, no super-cleric can claim to represent the accurate interpretation of the Koran. Yet isn't that what is at stake here?
These terrorists thought they were acting in the name of God--yet none of their co-religionists can tell them that they're wrong. Perhaps one imam will step forward and take these guys on. It would save a lot of lives.

Herndon, Va.: Mr. L: I'd like to quote something from Jeff Greenfield which I heard on the tube the other night - when asked about the fears so many people had right not, he quoted an "expert," who, when asked what were the most important things to do to be safe, said "wear the seat belt in the car, and stop smoking." It helps put things in perspective. It still is much, much safer to fly in a passenger airliner than drive a car on the beltway. Nothing more need be said about smoking.

Bob Levey: Special amens about the safety of flying. It always was safer than driving. And now that every red-blooded passenger is ready to tackle any would-be hijackers (assuming any get past stricter security), I'm betting on the airways. By the way, I just booked three flights, one in October, one in November, one in december. As the old song says, ain't nobody going to keep me down!

Silver Spring: On extending Guiliani's term - the NY Times makes the ironclad case against it today in their editorial. A better suggestion for Guiliani is appoint him to head up a NY reconstruction commission.

Bob Levey: That's probably what will happen. That or some role in the Bush White House

Woodley Park, D.C.: Hi Bob,
I'm a DC resident, and am growing very concerned about the proposed closure of more important streets in the city, and the continued closure of National Airport. Is this a free and open city, or an armed enclave for top government leaders only? I think the Secret Service is the main culprit here. They seem to have free rein to do anything they want if they just bring up the issue of security for the President. Someone needs to reduce the organization's seemingly omnipotent powers in our city. Is there any particular agency that oversees them? Can Congress trump the Secret Service? Where are the checks and balances??

Bob Levey: I raised this issue two weeks, when it was clear that Bush wanted to come back to D.C. right after the WTC crashes, but the Secret Service refused to let him.
Let him?
Isn't HE the president?
Like you, I'm very concerned (even though I believe totally in serious security--for instance, anyone who says reopen Pa. Ave. is out of his mind). I'd like to see Congress get more involved in this struggle. But it's a no-win when some opponent might say, "Congressman Schwartz supported WORSE security for the President. So elect me instead."

Silver Spring, Md.: Bob, have you been hearing stories of the airlines hard line on bookings out of Reagan National? We have tickets for the last weekend in October. US Airways wants $100 per ticket to rebook on US Airways out of BWI. It seems unlikely at the moment that National will reopen anytime soon, and in any event my wife is very worried about flying and especially out of National even if it reopens. Any suggestions?

Bob Levey: Our family is in precisely the same boat. Just be patient. US Airways tix are good for one year. One of two things will have happened by then: 1) National will have reopened and 2) US Airways will have waived that change fee.

Metro Media Relations: Please keep in mind, Bob and others, that today's story is based on just one workshop we held to explore possible solutions to how we can accommodate a doubling of ridership over the next 20 years. There are more ideas still to be put on the table in the weeks ahead. Unfortunately, the design of the Metro system (two tracks) will never permit us to operate 24 hours a day. But as we've seen with our current 5 a.m. opening in response to the DOD request, we can be more flexible as circumstances warrant.

Bob Levey: Thanks, you guys

Arlington, Va.: Wow, I want to fly now. Minimum wage screeners, rent a cops and weekend warriors to ensure my safety at the airport! What's wrong with this picture? No well paid professional, well trained, coordinated Federal security portection force at the airport. I think I will drive until gas hits $5 a gallon.

Bob Levey: Be my guest. Just don't curse me when you're sitting in dead-stopped traffic in the middle of Ohio at midnight (and you will be)

Chantilly, Va.: Bob: By all means continue clobbering Danny Snyder.

While he is not (yet) as dislikeable as Peter Angelos, Robert Irsay, or Jerry Jones, to name but three pro sports team owners, he is well on his way.

So far all he has done is run a proud yet struggling franchise all the way down to the ranks of laughingstocks.

Too bad Fred Drasner isn't in charge. He's th kind of gruff yet kooky old-timer it's much harder to hate.

Bob Levey: Snyder is Steinbrenner without ANY of his winsomeness. He's Al Davis without any of his kookiness. He's just a neurotic guy who hasn't figured anything out yet

Cleaning House: Your column this morning reminded me of the pile of boxes in my guest bedroom.

When I left for college, I packed up all my childhood/high school stuff and stuck it in the closet. It stayed there through college and a series of apartments until this year, when I bought a house. Mom joyfully dropped by about a month after I moved in with everything that was in the closet. I am finally unpacking all the boxes. There are a few things I want to keep for sentimental value, but most of the stuff just takes up room. I've outgrown it, in more ways than one. I would like to donate this stuff, but I am not sure where or how. I have clothes, stuffed animals, and toys. I already donated the books I didn't want to the library. Some are in almost-new shape, some are "well-loved". Do you know of anyone who would like about 4 Xerox boxes worth of stuffed animals and a Cabbage Patch Kid?

Bob Levey: Very tough to give used stuff away. Everyone wants new things. Best to try an after-school program like Martha's Table in Northwest Washington, or the Metropolitan Police Boys and Girls Clubs

D.C., again: Bob, my rant wasn't directed at you for mentioning Snyder. It was fully directed at Snyder himself. And, I agree, Snyder asks for it.

Bob Levey: My favorite Snyder story:
Last season, my son and I went to a game when I became a Hogette For a Day. We were hanging out in the parking lot right before the game. Probably 15 minutes to kickoff. Crowds still streaming in. Long, long lines in the parking lots.
Suddenly, from the west, here comes a helicopter.
It lands right beside the VIP entrance.
Snyder and his wife.
You have to be TOTALLY idiotic to do something like that. You look like you're Marie Antoinette telling them to eat cake.
But Danny Boy did it.

Washington, D.C.: I remember reading a spy novel or something similar in which the point was made that the Secret Service works for the Treasury Department, not the President, for whatever that's worth.

Bob Levey: You're right, but lately, that's a distinction that means little

Washington, D.C.: Hi Bob,
So, what exactly do the anti-war demonstrators hope to accomplish this weekend? According to the article in today's paper, they advocate in part "justice, not revenge" for the terrorist attacks. But, isn't that what we're doing already? if we just wanted bloody revenge, the U.S. would have already leveled Kabul with cruise missiles and bombs. We're taking a methodical, deliberate approach, giving civilians time to flee before striking back as bin Laden.
My thought is, most of these kids were coming here already, had made their travel plans to protest the IMF, so they decided to come anyway and protest something, anything. They should just admit to being professional protesters!

Bob Levey: I don't see the point, either, unless it's to goad the D.C. cops into whacking a few heads. And even if that dominates the Sunday morning news shows, what will these people have accomplished?

Beltsville, Md.: I understand there's cause for much caution in the world right now, but I also think that we, as Americans, are going to have to start learning to live with the fact that we will never again feel 100% safe.

Closing Constitution and Independence are understandable knee-jerk reactions, but it's just not worth all that. We have to be able to function as normal as possible.

The same logic applies to the National Airport situation.

Everyone in Washington has, at one time or another, realized that they live in the national, if not the global, bulls' eye. It's just a fact of DC life.

It's time for us to realize that the world has changed and we cannot recapture what was lost.

Reopen National. Leave the major transportation arteries open. Go back to business.

Bob Levey: Soonest! Thanks for saying it so well

Washington, D.C.: The questioner with the boxes of childhood stuff should think about auctioning it off on eBay -- if he's feeling charitable, he can do it as an "Auction for America" and all the proceeds will go toward 9-11 relief efforts.

Bob Levey: I've never "done" eBay, but would someone pay actual, serious money for a used teddy bear? Hard to imagine when you could get a million of them for nothing, with minimal effort.

D.C.: Hey, Bob, about that woman who didn't want to take Metro anymore because it was unsafe. Did you point out to her that every extra $ she spends on gas is another chunk of money in bin Laden-and-followers' pockets?
Which is what really annoys me about those big gas-guzzling terrorist-feeding SUVs waving American flags - so very patriotic when it doesn't cost them anything...

Bob Levey: People get behind the wheel and leave their brains behind. Glad you still have yours.
It's even worse than you say. There hasn't been a peep out of the Bush White House about how keeping the gas supplies open has been affecting (and will continue to affect) our policy in Saudi Arabia and its neighbors. I'd hate to think we backed off from whatever needs doing in Afghanistan and Iraq because some woman feels its her God-given right to drive to a 7-Eleven in an SUV for a dozen eggs.

Seattle, Wash.: What ever happened to Chandra Levy?

Bob Levey: No change. Never been found.

Winston-Salem, N.C.: Howdy Bob!
I was just looking in our city recreation center guide and noticed there are bridge clubs and contract bridge clubs. What's the difference and what do you recommend for a potential beginner?

Bob Levey: Some bridge clubs are recreational. That means people play for mild amounts of money, or just for fun.
"Contract bridge clubs" usually hold tournaments, and only tournaments. These award master points and glory only. The caliber of play is far better and tougher at these.
I never play bridge for money. It warps the game. To play bridge in a tough field, for the sheer love of the toughness, is what it's all about for me.
Hope you try it, too. Don't be intimidated because you're a beginner. You'll be able to play a serviceable game within two weeks, a pretty good game within six months.

Washington, D.C. for life!: Bob,

Regarding national airport, what's the ratio of the following:

Buisness travel
Recreational travel
Federal/military travel

I'm wondering if National might first open for federal workers, military, and approved contractors.

As for the airport fully re-opening. I dunno, man. I'll bet you a nickel that the Pentagon and a couple other federal buildings are going to get some armament like the White House already does. How many folks are going to want to fly into an airport with big honking guns pointed at them?

Bob Levey: About 55-35-10, in that order, I believe.
Flaw in your reasoning: If National is going to reopen at all, why just for a select group? That wouldn't rejuvenate the economy, and it wouldn't entirely eliminate the security risk. All or nothing, sez I

Olney, Md.: Bob, I don't dislike Danny Snyder because he's neurotic. I dislike him because he's a penny-pinching idiot with no feel or apparent affection for the sport. I'd have been to at least a couple of games by now if he hadn't started charging for fans to attend practices. To go to a game while he's in charge feels like I'm giving my presents to the Grinch.

Hey, did you see the Hogettes star in a new Visa commercial? It starts with one of them clothes shopping, of course. How cool is that?

-MH

Bob Levey: The Hogettes are the coolest cucumbers around. Just love them, and love what they do for the community. It's enough to make me wish for 60 more pounds, so I'd look better in that dress they lent me.

Rockville, Md.: Bob, It's not just that Islam has no chief religious leader to say that suicide is against its beliefs (niether does Judaism), the problem is that until September 11, almost all Islamic leaders in the US and especially around the world were very silent on this issue when suicide bombers were attacking the Cole and killing Israels. In Israel, the preaching of the religious merit of suicide for the glory of god and as a sure pathway to paradise goes on unabated, even in Sesame Street-like programming, fostered by Islamic leaders.
I would like to hear some US Islamic leaders denouncing Ben Laden's latest program against the US and Jews. Talk about profiling!

Bob Levey: Excellent point, especially about Islamic leaders in the U.S. if these people want to protect their flocks from some of the racism that's been cropping up, I can't think of a better way to do it.

Need charity recommendation: Bob,
Speaking of getting rid of old things, I have a wedding gown left over from a near-miss mistake from college (never worn, obviously)

It has always been my intention to donate it to a local theatre group. One of those things I need to get round 'to. So do you have a recommendation for the best one to give it to? Preferably a non-profit or even school based theatre.

Bob Levey: www.suitedforchange.org does most of its good work in collecting business clothes for women who are entering (or re-entering) the world of work (usually they've been homeless, or in jail, or both). Prhaps the gang there would know of a place. I used to work with one, in Reston, but they've gone to that big place in the sky.

McLean, Va.: Hi Bob--

I just got the word that my wife is expecting our second child. I told my first child in his first hours that I would never let him down. I recall that you said the same thing to Allie(sp?)?

Though this could be the subject of an entire book, what has changed? What do you think life is going to be like for this little person?

The most we can do is provide him or her what his brother is getting/going to get, i.e., a safe, secure, and loving environment.

More advice, please!

Bob Levey: I told our oldest, Emily, in her first minute of life that I'd never let her down. Thanks so much for remembering that! I never forget it.
I'm a total believer in Mom-and-Dad. If they hang in there, and work hard, and believe in their kids, all things are possible. You are already heading solidly down the right track with your comment about a secure and loving environment.
I often look at my kids (now nearly 20 and just 15) and worry about the world they'll see when they're grizzled like their Dad. I suspect they'll have to scale back their expectations a good bit (hard to imagine them with a 5-acre spread in the suburbs--hard to imagine ANY 5-acre spreads in the suburbs). The key for them will be the ability to find and connect with community. It may be a lonely world--if we let it be.

Re: the typo in the elevator: My father-in-law told me that during the war (WWII) military IDs included an intentional misspelling, assuming that anyone trying to create a fake would spell the word correctly. Ditto mapmakers who 'plant' intentional flaws (e.g. a phony street) so they'll know if another mfr's map is a ripoff. Perhaps the license printer included an intentional error so it couldn't be faked.

Bob Levey: You don't know the DC government, my friend. I do.

Alexandria, Va.: Hi, Bob,
A question that resurfaces to ask but never at the right time: Metro is going to be adding cars, making 4-car trains into 6-car ones. The new cars have a few bugs that are delaying this change. Why hasn't anyone talked about making 4-car trains into 5-car ones to ease the congestion (and spread the wealth of space) and go to 6-cars when more are ready? I've never heard this option raised.

Bob Levey: I'm not going to get this exactly right, but it has something to do with the way cars hook together. Trains have to be composed of even numbers of cars so that everything works. Semi-untelligible, I know, but it's something like this....

Arlington, Va.: Well Mineta said National would open as early as next week, but Fleisher has now said that's not true - they still have no decision on National and don't know when they will have one. I am all for re-opening National as I have not heard any really good reason for keeping it closed - but I just wish someone would make a final decision one way or another. The uncertainty is the real problem. No one can make any plans based on "indefinitely" or "sometime".

Bob Levey: The pressure is on Bush, and it's hard to see how he can keep National closed. If Mineta spoke out of school, or too soon, I'd be surprised. He's a very savvy washington "hand," and he knows how bad it looks to appear out of step with The Big Boss. Maybe this is a misunderstanding. In any case, Fleischer may just be giving Bush a little more time to cook some sort of compromise on the Hill.

Arlington, Va.: Bob,
Hi. I'm a computer programmer who is feeling some patriotic stirrings after the 9-11 attacks. I'm not really soldier material, but I'd love to help my country with my programming/hacking talents. What agencies/jobs should I look at? Right now I'm in private sector, never worked a public job. Any tips? Thanks

Bob Levey: FBI. CIA

Chantilly, Va.: Bob: Far be it from me to hold myself out as an authority on Jewish law, but there is no such thing as a Chief Rabbi remotely equivalent to the Pope, either.

Members of Hasidic groups listen only to their own Rebbe, while members of the more mainstream branches don't listen to those guys at all.

So that sounds more like the squabbling Muslim clerics than it does the Pope..doesn't it?

Bob Levey: But at least there is a chorus of learned voices within Judaism, even if they don't agree exactly. Where's the chorus from Islam?

New York: Have you and your readers ever thought that maybe not all SUV drivers are elitist, spoiled, selfish, inconsiderate morons? Is it really ok to make snap judgments about people you don't know based on what car they drive? Stop generalizing about people - it serves no good.

Bob Levey: Fair point. Yet you have to concede that it makes zero sense to drive a vehicle that gets horrible gas mileage, handles dangerously, doesn't hold any more cargo than a station wagon and costs more than any other vehicle. Especially if you live in the burbs and make mostly (or only) short trips. Especially if you know you're polluting rhe air. Especially if you might NEVER use the 4-w-d- feature. Face it: SUVs are "party cars." They're for show and for sport. Their owners may not all be morons, but they sure haven't thought through their "choice of cars" very carefully.

Racial Profiling: While I do not condone the personal attacks on Arabs and Muslims, I find it interesting that Black Americans have been racially profiled for centuries, and nobody has said ANYTHING about that. They say it is wrong to harass someone who appears to be Middle Eastern, but Blacks get pulled over by the cops far more often, and are more likely to be arrested (esp. in PG County)

Bob Levey: Since when has no one said anything about racial profiling of blacks? That's the race (and the horrible treatment) that put the phrase in the language over the last ten years.

Washington, D.C.: Okay, Bob, I need your insight. Every evening, between 5:15 and 5:45, when I'm driving home through the streets of DC, an enormous backup occurs on 21st St. between L and K, where cars have parked in the right lane (which is no parking during rush hour). There's a day care center right there, and apparently parents picking up their kids just park in the right lane with their hazards on while they go in to get their kids. This takes a whole lane out of commission and causes traffic to back up for several blocks. Why won't the police ticket these cars? And shouldn't the day care center step in to provide an alternate system?

Bob Levey: Hard to see what alternative there might be in cramped, crowded downtown D.C. But the cops should surely step in, if only to make the kid-picker-uppers get going faster. One system that works outside other schools is a "pre-pickup system." You pull into line and tell a spotter which kid you're there to pick up. They shout out the kid's name. He's ready the second you reach the front of the line. You're gone far faster than you would be under any other system.

Re: National Airport: Maybe a compromise:

Close the old terminal and do something productive with it (shopping, short term offices for travelers, etc)

Open the new terminal to smaller planes and prop planes flying shuttles to/from major airports (Atlanta, NY/NJ, Boston, Charlotte....) I would think smaller slower planes would be (or at least appear to be) less of a security risk.

Personally I would open the whole thing up again, but I might not have access to all the information that those who make decisions do.

Bob Levey: The "smaller/slower" is being seriously considered, I hear. It would get National back to the destiny that planners foresaw for it when Dulles opened in 1960: Let National do the short hops, let Dulles (and now BWI) do the big hops.

12th Floor Metro Center: Bob,
I'm just curious. Have you seen any statistics on crime on the date of September 11th and then, since then?

I can't imagine anyone even thinking of mugging or robbing somebody on that day.

Bob Levey: Street crime was down 30 percent. Even the junkies laid off, I'm told.

patriotic computer programmer: and don't forget NSA if you don't mind commuting or moving

Bob Levey: Thanks. Good suggestion.

Former Georgetowner: Bob-

As a former Georgetowner, DCA was always (and still is) my favorite airport in the country. Considering that the planes that hit DC, NY and PA on 9/11 were all from other airports, why don't they simply make all of the Washington Metro area a no-fly zone, with stinger missiles ready to take down violators?

Obviously, I'm being facetious here -- and the great tragedy is that thousands of people are losing their jobs, because of this, not just at the airports but in all the hotels, restaurants, etc in the area.

Plus, DC cabbies (like the one I remember you interviewing once) can't be happy with this, since travellers to National are so often here's-a-20-keep-the-change business types. (That was always my M.O. when I was hopping the shuttle).

Bob Levey: Thanks for pointing out that closing National will have a vast impact on thousands of people--not all of whom are $500-an-hour lawyers rushing to catch that hour's shuttle.

Washington, D.C. : Bob,

If they close Constitution Avs. and Independence Ave., that means there's no east-west route between Mass. Ave to the north and D St. to the South, neither of which was designed to hold thousands of cars.

Why don't they just close down the entire "federal enclave" to automobile traffic instead? Might make things easier all around.

Bob Levey: And hand the terrorists that satisfaction? Come on. We should reopen every street as soon as we can.

D.C.: One thing I don't understand about our system is why a train only comes once every five minutes during rush hour? Can't it handle more capacity than that? When I lived in Moscow I used their metro everyday, and it was only about 30-45 seconds between trains during rush hour. The longest wait you had was about 5 minutes, and that was at 1am! Why can't DC trains run closer together?

Bob Levey: Because in Moscow, they used money that might have built superhighways and used it to build subway capacity instead. Also, no one in Russia owns a car (well, almost no one). In the US, so many people want to build-build-build more roads that public transit feeds last at the trough

Lincoln Square: What do you think about WJLA pulling "Politically Incorrect" off the air? I only saw the show a few times when it first appeared on broadcast TV. I never watched it again, because I didn't think Bill Maher was funny, I didn't think the show was entertaining, and I didn't care what anyone on the show thought about anything. So, I'm certainly not a fan of the show or its star, but I'm troubled that WJLA would pull it off the air because someone made an unpopular statement. To me, this means that WJLA is not to be trusted to provide us with unbiased news or any not-completely-orthodox viewpoints. What's your view?

Bob Levey: I've got to be a little cynical here. I'm sure WJLA thought not just about what might be politically correct, but also about what would be best for the station as a business. That means they judged this show to be a time bomb that might affect the ratings of its other shows. So I'm not at lal surprised that they dumped the show.

A reader from Maryland: In a previous chat you mentioned that you were looking into how to direct sympathy cards and condolence letters to the families of victims of the Sept. 11 attack. Any word on how to do this?

Or, in cases where news articles or obits have referenced a church/synagogue or funeral home where services were held for victims, would it be best to direct cards/letters there? Or is that an added burden for the church/funeral home? Some families' addresses can be found through the phone book or an online search, but I'm worried that it may be disconcerting for them to receive mail -- even a condolence note -- from a stranger at their home.

Anyone who has lost a family member at any time knows that a note of sympathy can mean a lot. Many of these stories have really touched me and I'd like to reach out to these families. Looking for your advice on the best way to do that. Thanks.

Bob Levey: Cards can be directed to families via the Red Cross

Reston, Va.: Is there any concept of hell in the Islam religion? The media has reported that the terrorists apparently believed that they would go to an infinite paradise as a result of their actions on September 11. I wonder if there is an alternate and theologically sound interpretation of Islam that would have those terrorists burning in hell for all of eternity (or something comparable).

Bob Levey: No hell in Islam, to my knowledge

Navy Yard: Bob,
Submitting way early because of travel. On Wednesday The Post properly condemned censorship efforts directed toward the Politically Incorrect show and the VOA. But The Post has failed to similarly condemn death threats directed at the AP and others by Arafat's government for ACCURATELY reporting on celebrations by some (not all) Palestinians over the bombings. Why the double standard? Even my second favorite columnist, Howard Kurtz, commented that the media for the most part were strangely silent on this outrageous behavior.

Bob Levey: I think this outrage got "lost in the sauce." It shouldn't have.

Chantilly VA: Bob: so much good stuff today!

How could anyone think that typo in the elevator was intentional? Does that person not remember the infamous bus ad a few months ago?

For a long time there was a big VDOT sign on the Westmoreland street exit off I-66 that pointed to "West Moreland Street." Jeff George could throw a football from that sign to the VDOT yard at the end of the off-ramp, by the way.

Bob Levey: If Jeff didn't throw an interception first.....

Protecting Their Flocks from Racism?: Bob, what magic words do you expect Islamic leaders to say to stop idiots from committing hate crimes and spewing hateful words? Sounds like you're blaming the victims.

Bob Levey: Not at all. But a true Islamic leader would recognize that he might be able to stop the cycle of hate. So he might try to re-lure some wayward believers to the zero-violence strain of Islam.

Arlington, Va.: Mr Levey,

I've read your column for years and have a point of interest that I thought I'd pose to you and see what the response from you and your readers might be. I am in the National Guard, and currently we are preparaing to mobilize to fulfill President Bush's tasking of providing additional security at the airports in the region -- a mission we are extremely proud to undertake and are ready to do right now.

The problem is with the pay. Now I know Army pay is nothing anyone could ever call generous -- but the problem is -- National Guardsmen who are called to service by their state are only paid approximately 50 dollars a day. We are not entitled to the same pay benefits that our active duty bethren are, and this mission could last anywhere from two to six months. The other problem is that Guardsmen called to state active duty are not covered by the Soldier's and Sailor's Act which helps service members who have financial problems due to deployments.

Mr. Levey, my unit has been desperate to provide support and security to our communities and this city since Sept 11, but those Guardsmen who will be securing the local airports will be doing so at a risk to their homes, and financial security. I don't want to present this as a gripe and that Guardsmen do not want to do the mission, but I want to raise the issue so that maybe your readers can call our lawmakers (both state & federal) and raise the issue with them. [edited for space]

Bob Levey: Congress is already preparing to supplement National Guard salaries, I was told just this morning. Don't take my conversation to the bank. But do recognize that no one expects just a few thousand people to risk total economic ruin, while the rest of us live pretty much as we always have.

Arlington, Va.: Friends in Boston all spent sleepless nights worrying about the rumors of a likely terrorist attack last weekend (evidently started by Ashcroft?) Other friends lie awake in fear of bio or chemical attacks. Gas masks have sold out - people are trying to desert the cities in droves. Have the terrorists won? Can we have some rational discussions about the likelihood of some of these attacks and what could and could not happen?

Bob Levey: Fear has to run its course first, I'm afraid. It hasn't yet

Washington, D.C.: Someone very close to me recently became a victim of the newfangled anti-arab racial profiling -- he had gone overseas to visit his family prior to Sept. 11, and when he tried to come back home to Washington using his very-legitimate U.S. passport, he was harassed, delayed, ARRESTED, and forced to prove he was who he said he was (simply because he had an arabic name, as far as we can tell -- he did nothing wrong or out of the ordinary). This guy is honest as the day is long, a naturalized American citizen, and currently wondering if he made the right choice to come here way back when. I understand that nerves are frayed, and security is going to be tighter (he was prepared for lengthy questioning, and possibly even a strip search, but never to be arrested!), but have we really come to this? I was embarrassed for my country at that moment.

Bob Levey: Get used to this. It will happen thousands of times, over many years.

Re: boxes of used toys, etc.: I might also suggest that she call her local government. Underpriviledged children, abused children, etc spend lots of time in waiting rooms at the states attorney's office, protective services, various shelters, etc. I wonder if those places wouldn't mind at least a call to find out if used is acceptable.

Bob Levey: A good idea in general. But be prepared to be disappointed. Many such organizations already have more used stuff than they can use. Their problem is the same as yours: No place to store the stuff.

WDC: Just to be nit picky, Treasury is part of the Executive Branch, which means their boss is the President.

Bob Levey: Technically, yes. But in an everyday way, Treasury is king.

Alexandria, Va.: The Franconia-Springfield Metro station plays Muzak on their platforms and interferes with me listening to my walkman. It is the only Metro station that I know of that plays Muzak. What would it take to get the station to give up its 1001 Strings and Enoch Light Orchestra?

Bob Levey: Several other terminus stations play Muzak, too. Not my favorite, either.

Temple Hills, Md.: Bob, I'd like to know where the new Metro cars are? I ride the Green Line from the Suitland Station and have seen a new car once(on Sept. 10th). There seems to be 2 or 3 four car trains running for every 6 car train. Those 4 car trains are packed by the time they reach Suitland (2nd station on the line). This has to change!

Bob Levey: And it will, the Metroids keep saying. And keep saying. Again, the issue is delivery of cars that actually work the way they're supposed to. Glitches have been preventing the original delivery schedule from being fulfilled.

Japanime: Bobster,
Some of the cartoons that come out of Japan are REALLY good. Along the lines of (my personal favorite cartoon and TV show)Dragoball Z, Outlaw Starr, the Gundam series, etc. These shows aren't for younger viewers, necessarily, but they really do have a lot more of the character development and strength of plot that some of the American shows lack.

If Pokemon leads kids to watching better quality TV shows as they grow up, I say let 'em. It's better than putting up with another spate of sitcoms and reality shows.

Bob Levey: Just imagine Regis Philbin asking some Japanese cartoon character if that's his final answer.......

Bob Levey: Thanks, gang, for a very spirited hour. We'll do it again in one week, same time.

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