I completely agree with Shredder that downtown SLO has a unique “culture” (“‘Culture’,” April 11). During daylight and evening hours, that seven-by-four-block area is truly dedicated to commerce and related portrayals of our “happy city.”

However, after 10 p.m., when most of the displaced people have found a squat for the night, these 28 square blocks become something out of Logan’s Run. Not that those older than 25 need to fear for their lives, but there are eerie similarities.

As a supporter of local music for the last 20 years, I have been required to venture into this area with some frequency. One pattern has been consistent for these two decades. If you are in downtown SLO after 10 p.m., and older than 40 years old, not wearing a suit or merlot-stained designer shirt, it is assumed that you are a panhandler.

This would be insulting, or embarrassing, had the extra cash not come in handy.