Crowded Hippodrome seating

Hooray for reader Linda Hark's letter complaining about the uncomfortable seating at the Hippodrome Theatre ("Hippodrome seating is just atrocious," Aug. 11).

I'm one of those 5-foot-7-inch men whose knees banged against the seat in front of me. After just two performances the year it opened, I vowed never to return to the Hippodrome again.

My business went instead to Washington's Kennedy Center for comfort and convenient parking.

There's one thing Linda forgot to mention: The crowded seating at the Hippodrome could be a hazard in the event of an emergency or fire. What will it take for the Hippodrome's financial wizards to understand why their subscriptions are down?

Paul Budny, Baltimore