Photograph by Matthew Suárez

A one-way ticket. I’m moving to San Diego.

Get thee to a church

I’ve been in print and it’s hard. But what was that story? Seriously, why are you providing people with a go-to guide of everything that is destructive in the world (“San Diego’s illegal marketplaces,” Cover Stories, February 20)? Guns, drugs, prostitution. It won’t make you happy. And then the full-page ad about the clergy sex. They are individuals not representative of the whole. How do we fix that? Shift your focus, completely. Reach out. When you telemarket say that. We are in trouble as a business and we need your help shifting our business to make it profitable to make it positive.

I believe in print, television, billboards. The Reader is everywhere. It is aggressive advertising. You get people in the attention phase. You still are the king when it comes to events. The marijuana thing was your downfall. Get contributing editors from industry leaders. Given your content. I really hope that I am not putting myself in danger. But people do care. God bless you. Go to church. Get that paper the last issue off the shelves.

• Jennifer Davey

Commercial Street, between 17th and 14th streets

Photograph by Thomas K. Arnold

The lassitude latitude

After reading Derek Pike’s account of his struggles to move to San Diego I found myself asking how the Reader could ever submit such a mind-numbing read from someone who is obviously just another trust fund hipster who has never had to struggle for anything in his life (“Pennies for palm trees, Cover Stories, February 26”). We the common folk don’t have the privilege of closing bars down during the work week or family to help us in every way. So sorry they didn’t have your Blue Label.

The fact he lamented over paying for a drunk woman’s Uber ride home was just another example of a young man who has no clue as to what being a gentlemen is all about! Venmo me my 16 bucks back ? Really Derek? I am sorry you got your sister-in-law’s Camaro towed because you felt the need to park in a designated parking spot. Another example of total disconnect from the real world or what people who have to actually work for a living have to be aware of every day in our actions and what can be dire financial consequences that may result. I am cutting this article out and sending it to my kids as an example of a mindset that they should strive to never have, and proof that there truly is a huge disconnect from those who have never had to do anything for themselves and those who actually have to work for a living and face the financial consequences of their actions.

The Reader would have served its followers far better by actually having an article written by someone who has had to face the real struggles of what it costs to move to this wonderful area. I came here from Boise, Idaho and was able to secure a full-time job my first day because I had to. Work or starve... Also, like so many other hard-working people, was unable to secure housing and had no one to help or provide me a place to stay rent free. I lived in my car for the first month, showering at the gym and getting up at 5 am every day. It was only by working my tail off and saving every penny that i was able to finally secure a safe place to live as soon as possible. Alas, no weekday trips to Lancers for gin and tonics and a game of pool.

Most of us in San Diego live in the real world with real struggles and hardships that we work hard to overcome and sacrifice every day in order to live here . The Reader would be far more in tune with us “common folk” if it understood this and hopefully Derek will one day understand that life isn’t all about gin and tonics and playing Smash Bros, But most importantly a gentlemen always makes sure a women gets home safe without strings attached......

• Stephen White
• South O

A 50-serving bag of white rice and five cans of black beans cost less than 20 bucks, and gives you that veggie-protein bonus to combat poverty-induced muscle atrophy.

Photograph by Matthew Suárez