Opinions | Letters
August 23, 2008
Letters to the Editor.
- Gulf News
- Published: 23:51 August 22, 2008
Sprinting to success
While Usain Bolt achieved a mind boggling 9.69 seconds record in the 2008 Olympic 100 metres final, a couple of questions sprinted to mind ("Bolt re-writes the rules of sprinting," Gulf News, August 18). The tracks were set on fire by the likes of Carl Lewis, Linford Christie, Ben Johnson and others who routinely clocked 10 seconds and above in a 100 metres dash. Before you knew it 10 seconds was out of business and runners started touching the nines. Having been a sprinter myself, in the 1970s, in India, and representing my state with a modest time of 12.2 seconds, I've always wondered how much a human body can be stretched and tested. Can this be done without the use of performance enhancers? I do not intend to take away from the super sprinters of today, but would really like to know how far a human being can go in terms of speed. It won't be surprising if a world record of seven seconds is set soon.
From Mr Altaf H. Ladiwala
Mumbai, India
Lonely twilight
Society today often forgets the needs of our elders, when moving towards new ideas and values ("Old men left lonely in an aging society", Gulf News, August 18). In my case, I was in a quandary when my mother-in-law became a widow. Eventually, I had to live abroad with my husband, leaving her alone in a home wherein she had to depend on kind neighbours to ward off fear, which she would develop specifically at night. Nowadays, our children are always looking for opportunities to move further away from home, in order to counter increasing expenses and for a better future. Such experiences have taught me to prepare for a lonely life, too, once I am old.
From Ms Shemeem Shafik
Dubai
Bribe with rides
I have a brilliant idea for companies in Dubai that offer promotions. Instead of offering bumper prizes and discounts, if they were to offer free transport for a specific period for all winners, the sales would go up tremendously. People who have had bad experiences of waiting long hours for taxis or buses would surely buy their products!
From Mr Naseer
Dubai
Full name withheld by request
Do your bit
While driving along Shaikh Zayed road on a recent weekend, I couldn't help but notice the lights from the building that seemed to outshine the setting sun. While the beauty of the long stretch was simply stunning, a lot of precious energy was being wasted, too. Many buildings were fully illuminated through the night, despite minimal occupancy. Companies must realise that the overhead expenses can be reduced, if they request the management to turn off the cooling system, lights and elevators - in buildings that have less than five storeys - for a few hours during weekends. This will reduce carbon emissions and contribute towards a greener environment.
From Mr Anup Mathew
Dubai
Learn manners
Sheer frustration has compelled me to point out an annoying trait, which many residents of Abu Dhabi seem to possess. With the decline in the number of taxis, waiting for one, in the sweltering heat and for a long time, is the norm. However, having someone arrive just when a taxi appears and get into it before others can has become a norm, too! How can people be so inconsiderate? I've had one such experience, when a woman whisked past me with a shrug, as I made my outrage known, recently. I would like to tell such people to stop being selfish and learn some manners.
From Ms Sarah Barreto
Abu Dhabi
Precious life
It is a "hobby" of sorts for most reckless motorists to endanger the lives of others. A few days ago, while on my way back from work, I drove past an accident scene in Ghusais. I was shocked to see that the car had been completely damaged. A lot of people might be able to afford a new car, but can anyone get an innocent life back?
From Ms Litty Mathew
Dubai
Stick to one
Motorists who cannot park their vehicles inside an allocated parking space should be fined, too. There is already a scarcity of parking lots, and it is most irritating to find a parked vehicle that occupies two parking spaces.
From Mr Nasser Usmani
Dubai
Reduce it, please
It is very simple to control errant taxi drivers. Warn them a couple of times and if they continue making the same mistakes, confiscate their taxis. If proper steps were taken, drivers would no longer undermine authority and would work as expected. Additionally, authorities should reconsider the taxi fare and reduce it in the interest of the general public.
From Mr Nanjundanathan Manoharan
Dubai
Economists needed
We all know that we have no control over crude oil prices that affect prices of products and services in which petroleum is used. Still, we can certainly make a list and allocate desired financial resources for specific segments. We have to plan and adopt segment-based monetary and fiscal policies to optimally use our financial resources to grow. This task requires economists to regulate the economy, instead of experts in the financial sector.
From Mr Syed Zahid Ahmad
UAE
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