Atlanta: Where unpredictable is predictable
The year 2017 will be known as the Year of Fires and Implosions in Atlanta. It started with the Falcons’ implosion in the Super Bowl and was soon followed by a sofa fire that collapsed a massive Interstate 85 bridge, shutting down a major interstate highway for weeks. Last month, a planned implosion of the Georgia Dome did not implode as thoroughly as the Falcons did in February. Finally, a small underground fire extinguished all power at the airport, creating a nightmare for passengers and disrupting flights. Unfortunately, 2017 is not over yet. Another attempt to implode the Georgia Dome is planned, and in Atlanta, where the unpredictable is predictable, anything could happen. Perhaps this implosion will shake open the unpredictable roof on Mercedes Benz Stadium!
SCOTT BUTLER, ATLANTA
Reed’s ‘apology’ is a non-apology
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed’s excuse for keeping airport travelers in the dark is that he didn’t want to communicate anything until he knew everything. And his conflicting statements that he apologized for keeping people uninformed but that he thinks it was the right thing to do is a textbook case of a non-apology apology.
He knew it would be at least many hours before power could be restored because he knew that Georgia Power workers couldn’t approach the failed equipment until the fire department could assure their safety. To travelers who had to make decisions about staying around or seeking shelter elsewhere, or to travelers heading to the airport for afternoon flights, this would have been useful to know. Being told exactly when power would be restored would be ideal, but being told that it is not going to be any time soon would have been better than thinking it might come on at any moment.
DANIEL MEEHAN, PEACHTREE CORNERS
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