Dear Editor:I love In-N-Out burgers but I've often denied my taste buds when there are dozens of cars waiting at the drive-thru while throngs of burger zombie patrons wait for their obnoxious number to be called inside the red, white and yellow burger place. Until recently, I hadn't felt as disgusted as I do with people burning $5 gas for 45 minutes while they lurch along as the 35th car in a blockage of cars on Lakewood and Firestone boulevards on any given Friday, Saturday or Sunday. As far as addictions go, these people need counseling. As for city government, Downey needs to do something about this in spite of any outlandish assertions premised on a constitutional right to assemble in public for burgers. This is a serious public safety risk as non-patron cars are left to dangerously maneuver around insane and hungry drivers who are so convinced that their pilgrimage-parade to the drive thru window is normal behavior, exempt from compliance with traffic laws. Pedestrians are also at the mercy of hungry drivers who are unwilling to respect the sidewalk and crosswalk space for fear of losing their place to a daring intruder in another vehicle. The risk should have been reasonably foreseeable to the city when the planning commission gave the burger magnet the go-ahead to serve its soft-bun burger blessings on the corner of Firestone and Lakewood. The solution is simple. City crossing guards - the kind commonly seen around our schools - should be stationed outside the two entrances, along the sidewalk and at the corner to make the often-heated situation more manageable. These guards should be given radio communication with police. At some point, the city should decide on whether to forward the costs to the franchise. Dan Chantre Downey

********** Published: February 28, 2013 - Volume 11 - Issue 46