Flying Sardines

We Californians are good at passing laws to prevent the inhuman treatment of animals. Why don’t we do something to prevent the inhuman treatment of humans?

After a couple of recent round-trip shuttle flights between LAX and Oakland, I can’t believe that we allow ourselves to be sardined into the cramped, torturous spaces that would be illegal if they were shipping animals!

Let’s have a proposition that requires a minimum-size, comfortable seat in planes flying in California airspace. I admit that I have a special problem: I’m 6 feet, 3 inches (I used to be 6 feet, 5 inches before I started flying), but I fold nicely. It doesn’t help.

If we don’t do something, I predict that in a few years they will have us all strapped to boards in a semi-standing position with iron masks over our faces to keep us quiet, a la Anthony Hopkins in “Silence of the Lambs.” Think how many of us they can squeeze in that way!

TOM RYAN

Malibu