Letters

Dangerous Travels for Let's Go Writers

I want to express my gratitude to Alex Ginsberg for bringing the riskiness of Let's Go assignments to the attention of the Harvard community (News, "Let's Go Security Policies Worry Writers," Sept. 25).

As a Let's Go researcher-writer in Switzerland last summer, I was sent on dangerous hikes alone several times, even though the book I was writing for warned readers never to hike these trails alone.

Had anything happened to me along the way, my editors would not have known for days, since I was only expected to check in with them once a week by phone.

It would be prudent for Let's Go to send its writers in pairs on dangerous assignments, even if that means an increased cost for the company. Perhaps a writer will have to be killed on the job before Let's Go will acknowledge how unsafe its current cost-cutting policy is.

Kristin E. Meyer '03

Sept. 26, 2000