Lloyd McNaughton’s abiding faith (Letters, March 9) in Washington State Highway Commission is touching but, unlike God, they have no control over geography.

Highway 20 was almost certainly designated by an even number when it ran from Anacortes to the Cascades before Deception Pass Bridge was built. Dorothy Neil is probably one of the few who really knows.

But no matter how I attempt to recalibrate my compass, I find that when I drive from Pass Lake to Oak Harbor the direction is mostly south. Heaven knows, the devil himself would find it a task to number SR 20 properly in its path from Oak Harbor to the Clinton ferry — it goes in every direction but up. However, I must draw the line at requiring that I refer to my trip from Pass Lake to Oak Harbor as traveling west — it’s a really wet place out there.

I can’t tell you how delighted I am that the world is in such a happy state that I can take the time and waste newspaper space discussing such a pressing topic. Thanks News-Times! You must have expected an inane reply like this when you published Lloyd’s quaint and charming thesis.

John Adams

Oak Harbor