Opinions | Letters
December 21, 2008
Letters to the Editor: December 21, 2008
- Gulf News
- Published: 22:40 December 20, 2008
Paying for inconvenience
Parking is already a nightmare in Abu Dhabi. Additionally, the residents' habit of leaving their mobile number on the dashboard of their cars and going about their personal business has started occurring in Abu Dhabi, too. Some people have permanent signs fixed on their cars, which display their mobile numbers and they expect others to call if there is any inconvenience caused due to their vehicles being wrongly parked. Why should I pay to call somebody who has blocked my car by parking his or her car incorrectly? Why do I have to face inconvenience due to somebody else's lazy behaviour? I think the authorities should fine people for such practices.
From Mr Shabir Zain Al Deen
Abu Dhabi
One sided
I feel Gulf News's recent poll on a reader's favourite moment with respect to US President George W. Bush was 100 per cent one-sided. The poll had only negative options and nothing neutral or in favour of George Bush. As a newspaper serving a multi-national community, I feel it should not be biased.
From Mr Chandy John P.
Dubai
Spur growth
I believe that the global financial crisis would probably take another six to nine months to stablilise, depending on how the US and its new administration handles the mortgage, auto and financial crises. With regards to the UAE, we have already seen corrections in the stock markets and realty sector. Prices will be more realistic now. However, since the UAE's policies are always positive and progressive, the authorities should continue to spend money on infrastructure and other committed projects. Banks should offer credit to quality borrowers on both corporate and individual basis to spur growth in all sectors.
From Mr Kumar K.
Dubai
Productive venture
It is clear that Dubai's growth trajectory is slowly moving towards the New Dubai area. I am sure that I will be speaking on behalf of all the residents of this new area when I say that there is a serious need of fuel stations within our vicinity. One of the oil companies should seriously look into such a venture - one that I am sure would be a very lucrative one.
From Mr Mohammad Islam
Dubai
Provoking behaviour
I whole-heartedly agree with the sentiments expressed by Mr Lalu Varghese about queue jumping on the roads at traffic signals ("A step further", Gulf News, December 16). Every motorist who chooses to jump the queue causes delay and could provoke even the calmest person. Lanes at all traffic signals should have a small barrier to discourage such practices. I have seen such barriers in Dubai, but not in Abu Dhabi.
From A Reader
Abu Dhabi
Name withheld by request
Careful manoeuvring
I commute between Dubai and Sharjah for work every day. I have read numerous letters in Gulf News regarding dangerous motorists and come across such motorists almost every alternate day. I have a suggestion for the disciplined and law-abiding drivers - change your lane immediately. However, before you do so, adjust your rear-view mirror to reflect the high-powered beams. This would give you enough time to reduce speed and move safely. Then carefully indicate, look into the side mirror and change the lane.
From Mr Avinash J.
Dubai
Simple solution
This is in reference to the report about the accident in Abu Dhabi, which caused the death of two people ("Two die in crash after driver jumps red light in Abu Dhabi", Gulf News, December 15). The incident highlights the importance of having a timer clock at all traffic lights, indicating the time left for the lights to change. This will go a long way in reducing the number of accidents. I wonder why such a simple solution is not being implemented.
From Mr S. Mani Babu
Abu Dhabi
Spinning around
I visited the Emirates Driving Institute in Al Qusais on November 4 to register my wife for driving classes. We were happy to see a separate section for women and expected the process to be quick. However, we had a bad experience. Initially, we were asked to go to the transport department, since it was a transfer case. After collecting the necessary papers, we went to the registration desk in the women's section. However, we were constantly referred to different departments. We managed to complete the formalities with great difficulty. They do not have a customer care section and we did not know whom to approach for guidance. Additionally, their staff seems to be totally confused. We have no idea what the driving experience will be like!
From Mr Mohammad Naseer
Dubai
The management at the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) replied: Thanks a lot for informing us about the situation that Mr Naseer has faced in the institute. We have transferred his complaint to the concerned department and they will do the needful. We have received a couple of complaints about the same issue and they are not our staff, but we will send them a letter, since they reflect a part of our job. Additionally, we should work on providing the best customer services to our society.
Out of control
The world is going out of control ("UN out of touch with reality", Gulf News, December 18). I think the so-called educated and peace-loving people are the main cause of violence. Their supremacy and excessive criticism has made this world a bad place to live in. The biggest question lies with anyone who talks about peace but keeps quiet when there is injustice happening around. The Gaza issue is serious and while we are all distraught about it, not much action is being taken. We need to stand up and defend our rights for our fellow citizens who cannot defend themselves.
From Mr S. Noor Al Deen A.
India
Website comment
After effects
Arranged marriage is the best way to go, as one could always hold one's parents responsible for the after effects ("I was forced to marry a stranger", Gulf News, Decemebr 18). Additionally, one can always have parental support in case any problems arise. Marriage is not just a relationship between two people but between two families. It is not always about love, there is a lot of responsibility. It is so beautiful to get to know one's partner first, before falling in love with him or her. But if you are in love already and get married then that love might fade away soon as expectations creep in.
From Ms Ponnie Ajikumar
Sharjah
Website comment
Fake personality
Both arranged and love marriages are likely to fail. The most successful marriage is in choosing a partner - not necessarily through love - after enquiring about his or her background and knowing whether the individual can handle the pressure of family life. Love marriages may fail due to partners trying to be of a role model, and in turn being a fake in personality.
From Mr Ahmad
Abu Dhabi
Website comment
Facilities please
It was great to read Gulf News's report about parks offering residents wireless internet access ("Surf the internet for free while you smell the roses in Abu Dhabi", Gulf News, November 9). Still, parks should be equipped with toilets, as the lack of such facilities causes a lot of inconvenience to children.
From Mr P. Govindrajan Iyengar
Abu Dhabi
Living legends
As the saying, 'fortune favours the brave' ("A never-say-die spirit walks into the sunset, Gulf News, November 10)! It is only the fittest who survive in this mad, competitive and jealous world and Sourav Ganguly, the Indian cricketer, is a fine example. A question mark kept following him right throughout his career. People even questioned why he should play for India. Whatever the reasons may be, Ganguly proved that he would not be bothered by distractions.
After he revealed his plans of resigning, the same people that criticised him are now praising him for his contributions to Indian cricket. When he was given captaincy, the cricketing world, especially the Indian cricket team, was engulfed in match-fixing controversies. However, his legacy was to build a team from scratch and instill in them a winning habit.
Additionally, he did not only help them win in India, but in other countries as well and this has made him the most successful cricketing captain in India's history. It was not an easy job. Indian cricket reached great heights during his career. As Ganguly rightly said, the team is in the right hands and Indian cricket can only move forward from hereon. It remains to be seen how the newcomers fill into the shoes of their seniors and carry on the good work done in the past.
From Mr Ganesh Devrajan
Dubai
Audacity to hope
In 1963, from the steps of Lincoln Memorial, American civil rights movement leader Martin Luther King Jr. gave his most popular speech — 'I have a dream' ("Barack Obama's historic victory met by jubilation", Gulf News, November 10). Delayed but not denied, it took 45 years for the young Illinois senator, Barack Obama, to transform King's dream into a reality.
The path consciously taken by Rosa Parks and treaded by Martin King, finally reached its pinnacle with Obama being elected to the highest office of the United States of America. When one of my colleagues pronounced that Obama had won the presidential race, the entire staff erupted into raptures in the cosmopolitan environment of my organisation. It was unprecedented and so is his candidacy, with whom the globe traversed for the past two years.
The crescendo of his victory impacted those who supported him from the bitter fight for his democratic ticket right up to his articulate speech at Grant Park, Chicago, where he became President-Elect. Jesse Jackson, the sole custodian, was not the only one struggling to fight back tears, but almost the entire population had to shed their inhibitions by allowing a free flow of emotions. The experience was not a mirage but a reality — globally celebrated and acknowledged.
Unable to comprehend why I am euphoric about his victory — as I am not an African-American. Moreover, his faith is distinct from mine. After my pursuit of a justifiable reason, the umbilical cord that gave me the connectivity is the mere fact that he gave us the 'audacity to hope'. The 'hope' that Obama instilled in his supporters gave America the possibility of a varied echelon of society, standing up to dream for a starry firmament.
At the zeitgeist, the US was caught in a whirlpool of eroding consciousness and struggled to revive its tainted image after the hegemony it demonstrated across the Atlantic. Warmongers legalised invasions, economic meltdown added millions to the list of starving individuals and the failure to sign the Kyoto Protocol for reduction of carbon emissions caused unwelcome cyclones and unreceptive droughts. The imperative of the hour was a 'call for change' and the Americans responded.
The road leading to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is Obama's litmus test, as the promises made in the election need to be fulfilled. For the moment, let us rejoice that we have been part of history, as the next president of the US was not judged by the color of skin, but by the content of the character — just as King Jr. once dreamed.
From Ms Yasmin Banu
Abu Dhabi
Better reason
The general impression that one gets from the various articles in newspapers and websites is that the people of America have voted in Barack Obama as the next president because he is an African-American ("Barack Obama's historic victory met by jubilation", Gulf News, November 10). This — supposedly — shows that they are ready for change. I hope that is not true. If they have considered both the candidates as Americans and regardless of their colour or background, elected Obama because they liked his views and ideas better — only then do they truly deserve the world's admiration.
From Ms Smitha Roche
Dubai
A true president
It was a historic moment for both the US and the rest of the world. Congratulations to President-Elect Barack Obama, for being the first African-American US president ("Barack Obama's historic victory met by jubilation", Gulf News, November 10). It was an electrifying moment. I think Obama radiates sincerity in his words. Through his 21 months of hard campaigning, he has touched the hearts of millions. The promises he has made might not actually materialise but he seems to want it for the people and means every word he said.
From Ms Anu
UAE
Tackle this issue
The cause of the serve-in-car problem is the lack of attention that has been paid to the traumatic parking issues ("Sharjah puts an end to serve-in-car habit", Gulf News, November 12). Therefore, I appeal to the authorities to solve this problem urgently and concretely.
From Ms Jacky Berchem
Sharjah
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