Dr Pepper, Planned Parenthood and Air Conditioning

Dr. Fill
Worth the drive: While it may be possible to get bootleg bottles of Dublin Dr Pepper all over the state, anyone from Hico to Weatherford will tell you the best way to enjoy it is from a fountain in a cup full of ice from the local Chicken Express ["Bootlegging Dr Pepper," by Robb Walsh, June 5]. I have no idea how they do it, but together they are the yin and yang of a soda experience that's worth driving four hours to get.

Michael Bell
Houston

Michelle's Trauma
Planned Parenthood responds: Rape survivor "Michelle" experienced a sexual assault, only to encounter further trauma when seeking appropriate care after the assault ["PEP Rally," by Todd Spivak, June 5].

Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas's mission is to protect the health of all women; that includes referring them to a safe place equipped to serve their specific needs when we are not outfitted to do so. We provide reproductive health services and STD testing to women, men and teens, but we are not equipped for the very specific needs of a sexual assault survivor. Our protocol involves referring rape survivors to the closest emergency room so they can receive the prompt, appropriate care they need. As a standard practice (and as required by state law), emergency rooms must be fully prepared to provide survivors of rape with post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases and collect evidence for possible legal action.

Our spokesperson, Laura Leon, confirmed to the author, Todd Spivak, that Planned Parenthood does not provide HIV PEP and is not a rape intake center, and that our protocol is to refer such calls to appropriate providers. In accordance with our mission of protecting women's health, Planned Parenthood supports increased awareness of this valuable medication and is committed to ensuring that our health centers are aware of its availability and benefits.

Peter J. Durkin
President & CEO
Planned Parenthood of Houston and
Southeast Texas, Inc.

That's Hot
Online readers respond to "Hot Time, Summer in the City, Minute Maid Park Sure Is," on Houstoned Ballz, by John Royal, June 17.

Amen, brother: I've never understood the need to gouge fans at the concession stand when they've already bought an overpriced ticket for a bad baseball team and paid through the nose for parking. If I can go to a nearby convenience store and buy a bottled drink for $1.50, why does it cost me $4-plus at the ball park, where I had to pay to get in? I've been a diehard fan for a long time, but the continued ticket price hikes and the extreme cost of concessions have left me little choice but to cheer the team on from the comfort of my couch in glorious HD.

Mark

BYOB: I thought it was bad to raise prices for those two teams visiting, but making a conscious effort to make people buy extra drinks to keep cool is shameful. With 40,000 people paying 20 to 40 percent more per ticket, you figure the a/c is one luxury he could afford to give to the fans. This is one reason why I do not feel bad taking my own liquor to the games instead of dropping $19 for two beers.

daniel

Disgruntled fan: I'm an upper-deck season ticket holder, and I can confirm it was miserably hot on Saturday (I was on the shady side). We were dressed to go out after the game (I was in long sleeves and pants), but by the fifth inning I was sweaty and hanging out on the concourse in search of circulating air.

I wouldn't mind the concession prices if the food was actually edible. The crap that Aramark serves is just disgusting, and the employees could not be less interested. Why should fans have to miss an entire inning minimum for a hotdog on the weekends when it would be so easy to have vendors selling them in the seats like they do at most big-league parks? And $7.25 for a Budweiser is insulting.

Oh yeah, the team on the field is pretty lousy, too, and the manager is not pushing the right buttons.

Fred

Earning interest: I am a lifelong Astros fan. However, being an Astros fan does not always mean I am a fan of Uncle Drayton. I tend to agree with Billy Wagner in that Drayton isn't really interested in winning, only in making money.

Death by Sexy

Wrong Address
In the Crime Story column "Paranoid Reality" (June 6, by Randall Patterson), an incorrect address was given for David Earl Brown. The correct address is 1322 West Pierce.

The Houston Press regrets the error.