My letter to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

I would be interested in anyone's opinion to my reaction to this day in Atlanta, as well as whether I used an appropriate tone of voice, etc.

I would like to thank the residents of Atlanta for their recent hospitality to me and my family. While doing some Christmas traveling, we faced a five-hour layover at the airport, and decided to spend the afternoon at the Atlanta Underground. We dined at Johnny Rockets, where the service was fantastic, and patronized a few stores. Up to this point, everything was wonderful.

Sadly, we were unfortunate enough to return at the wrong time of day. The MARTA was full of passengers. All of us were exhausted, and I held on my shoulder a sleeping six-month old. My wife comes from a country where people regularly stand to allow parents carrying infants to sit, and she was stunned that not a single passenger rose to offer a seat to a tired parent carrying a heavy, sleeping infant. I myself was taken somewhat aback that not a single gentleman could demonstrate some southern hospitality. As a southerner myself, I have gladly surrendered my seat on many such occasions, and have seen Russians, Italians, residents of D.C., and even New Yorkers stand to give comfort to an old woman, a pregnant lady, or someone carrying an infant. We remained standing until College Park, where all but a handful of the riders detrained.

Back at the airport, we took the shuttle to our concourse. The moment we boarded, a true gentleman rose to make space for us on the back bench. God bless him for showing a little Christmas spirit.