Some not-so-fond memories of Los Angeles’ smoggy past

April 1, 2026 5 AM PT 2 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X LinkedIn Threads Reddit WhatsApp Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . p]:text-cms-story-body-color-text clearfix mb-10 md:max-w-170 md:mx-auto" data-subscriber-content> To the editor : I lived through those horrible smog years and was struck by the accuracy of the photo with this article ( “The inspiring, infuriating, even comic tale of how we defeated L.A.’s smog and why we may have to again,” March 26). It clearly shows the cat’s cradle of overhead wires that darkened the view over every major street and intersection. They served the network of red cars, electric trams and buses that connected the city. And woe to anyone, like me, who had an early Volkswagen Beetle. The wheels were exactly the width of the red car lines. In the rain, you could not stop when you applied the brakes, but skidded along the tracks until you turned the wheel hard right or left. Usually those overhead lines are edited out of photos of the era. Thank you for your accuracy and some pretty bad memories. Advertisement Meg Quinn Coulter, Los Angeles .. To the editor : Extremely well-written article about the smog in the L.A. basin ( “Smoglandia: We haven’t always been smoggy, but we’re built that way,” March 26). I had to take a break while reading it because I remembered my childhood asthmatic responses too well. In particular, there was a day when the sky cleared and we could see mountains near the Altadena home of our grandmother. I asked, “What is that?” My mom declared, like I was a fool, “It’s the San Gabriel Mountains!” “You mean they’ve been here all along?” Thank you for the excellent historical background during these times when the safeguards to our health are being threatened. Janice McCormick, Ojai .. To the editor : Halfway through blithely reading the Sunday column, part...