Rescued by a military man
Recently, my car's tyre burst and I soon found myself sitting on the hard shoulder of a highway. The incident resulted in damage to the vehicle, too. I did not know what to do or how to get home. Vehicles zoomed by and none stopped to help, when suddenly a car drew in flashing its hazard lights. A young man stepped out, clad in UAE military uniform. Within 20 minutes, the stranger called the vehicle recovery service and police patrol and directed them to the scene. My car was towed off to a garage in Musaffah, from where I managed to reach home. I would like to thank the individual for his help and commend the country for hiring such wonderful people.
From Mr Iain S. Stewart
Abu Dhabi
Generous step
The charitable drive to provide the "gift of sight" has made people sit up and think about their moral obligations towards the under-privileged ("Noor Dubai's visually impaired patients see snow for the first time", Gulf News, September 27). The launch of this project, especially during Ramadan, will ignite people's sense of social responsibility. It would further encourage them to come out of their shells and contribute to society.
From Mr Subhasis Mukherjee
Dubai
Breaking down all the time
I bought a new car and within nine months I have had to send it for repair innumerable times due to faulty parts. The fact is that I have been to three different workshops. A few days after they claim to have fixed the problem, my car breaks down again. It feels as if my new car was put together by some mechanics at a workshop. In the past one month, I have spent over Dh1,000 on taxi fare. On one of these trips, the taxi I was riding in was involved in an accident. I was injured and now have scars on my face. Desperate, I even had to rent a car on many occasions. Although the car is still under warranty and repair costs are covered, the car dealers will never be able to compensate me for the inconvenience caused.
From Ms Nado N. A. Khattar
Dubai
Not working
I purchased a front-loading washing machine from a retailer, recently. The machine's main cable was not long enough to connect to the electricity socket. An extension cord was then used. A day later, the extension cord burnt due to excess load. I called an engineer, who informed me that the only solution was to replace the extension cord. He suggested a specific kind, with particular specifications. After that incident, I have changed the cord five times, since all of them either burned or got fused!
From Mr Divyesh Goyal
Dubai
Proper attire
I believe it is necessary for people to respect a place of worship and dress appropriately. A few days ago, I went to a place of worship and noticed a woman in a Western outfit with a tiny piece of cloth covering her head. She could have worn proper attire, instead of struggling to keep the cloth on her head while she prayed. She had brought along her teenage daughter, too. I request people to at least dress properly in such places.
From Ms Radha
Dubai
Full name withheld by request
Inhumane acts
Each time I read reports on domestic abuse, I fail to understand how a man could physically abuse a powerless woman. I believe such acts are inhumane. These men should be severely punished by authorities. It does not matter what their relationship is, a man should never be allowed to raise his hand.
From Ms Mila Miranda
Dubai
Toll-free days
This is in reference to the report on free parking during Eid holidays ("Free parking in Dubai during Eid holidays", Gulf News, September 27). I think the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) should consider making the motorists' trips toll-free, too, during public holidays. It would be ideal for people travelling back and forth when visiting family and friends.
From Mr Mathew L.
Dubai
Frightening issue
The authorities concerned and residents should take pride in and protect the public beaches ("Sewage dumped illegally in drains", Gulf News, September 28). They are one of our few things that help us stay connected with nature. It is frightening to see the amount of refuse on beaches. I would not want to take my family to the beach any time soon. It is a simple pleasure, which I cannot afford due to health concerns. We hope that the authorities address this issue effectively.
From Mr Stuart Dunlop
Dubai
Misuse of space
The parking chaos in Sharjah is further aggravated by irregular and irresponsible motorists. Space is badly utilised, since cars are parked outside designated areas. The authorities should consider the issue and make parking spaces more prominent. Each allotted space should have a perimeter around it. Motorists should be encouraged to park in a civilised manner and failure to do so met with a hefty fine. From Mr Alex Eapen
Dubai
No access
There is a stretch of road, in the Al Quoz area, that has been under construction for almost a year. Contractors and authorities fail to understand that there are a lot of workshops, industries and warehouses in the area. It is important for trucks to access them to deliver goods. I request the authorities concerned to instruct contractors to speed up their work. It is causing great inconvenience to business houses within the area.
From Mr Mohsin Ahmad
UAE
Same situation
Although Salik has made a slight difference to the traffic situation in a few areas, it has dramatically increased congestion in key locations as well. I do not think the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has been successful in its mission to create a traffic-free Dubai. In fact, they have achieved the opposite, by causing great inconvenience to commuters who are trying to reach their destinations on time. Commuters end up paying a huge amount every month for little or no change on roads, or when trying to escape Salik, they end up stuck in busy exits. Either way, it is a lose-lose situation.
From Mr Hassan
Dubai
Full name withheld by request
Courteous actions
This is in response to Mr Sameed Shafi's letter suggesting that the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) should only reserve seats on their buses for the elderly (“No reservations'', Gulf News, September 14). I had originally requested the authorities to provide more reserved seats for ladies in public buses. Women are not supposed to stand in a moving bus, while men can. Have people forgotten the simple concept of courtesy?
From Ms Rebecca Mathews
Dubai
Sponsored trips
This is in response to Mr K. C. U. Unni's letter, wherein he appreciates the new tollgates (“Current worth'', Gulf News, September 16). Currently, the travel expenses are borne by his company. Not all companies sponsor their employees' trips. I believe that Salik has added to our misery. The real reason for traffic congestions is the increasing house rents in Dubai, which have forced people to move to other emirates. When all these people commute to their offices, it increases traffic on the main roads. However, when the rents used to be reasonable, people did live in Dubai. The traffic situation was definitely better back then.
From Mr Amanullah Memon
Sharjah
Rare luxury
This is in reference to Mr K. C. U. Unni's letter, wherein he said he believed that introducing the new tollgate was a good idea (“Current worth'', Gulf News, September 16). It is great that his employer reimburses the amount spent on toll. Some of us do not have the luxury, and have to pay at least Dh500 a month to cross the tollgates, in order to get to work. I am one of the people who cross two tollgates, twice everyday. It is a huge chunk of my salary, which could be easily used for other important resources.
From Mr Fahad Ali
Dubai
Diverting traffic
The new tollgate at Al Maktoum Bridge is indeed a burden for daily commuters. Only a certain number of vehicles cross the creek everyday, and this number has not increased, recently. A Salik tollgate at one bridge will obviously increase the congestion at other crossings, like Shindagha Tunnel. People will try to avoid paying the toll, and use alternate routes without realising the commotion they are creating.
From Mr Tarwala S. M.
Dubai
Better facilities
I believe the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) should also install tollgates on areas such as the Al Khail road. Such areas are facing heavy traffic congestions on a daily basis. Salik dodgers are adding to the traffic issues. It is actually a pleasure driving on the roads where tollgates have already been installed. People are always willing to pay more for better facilities. Traffic-free roads are a facility that everyone would appreciate. We have come to Dubai for a better life, and if paying a small amount of money makes life simpler, then why not?
From Mr Parminder Singh
UAE
Experience matters
I would like to congratulate the Indian cricket team for winning its first ever one-day international (ODI) series in Sri Lanka (“India beat Sri Lanka, clinch series'', Gulf News, August 27). The Sri Lankan ‘lions' are a handful at home and to beat them in their own backyard — with a game to spare — is a huge achievement. However, it has to be pointed out that the younger players who replaced experienced seniors like Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar in this series, have looked woefully out of sorts, in terms of both technique and temperament.
The fielding of these youngsters, which was touted as the main reason for their selection over the seasoned cricketers, also left much to be desired, as they dropped many balls with alarming regularity. It was only due to their captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's exceptional performance that India managed to clinch the series against Sri Lanka. Additionally, he was well supported with the amazing bowling skills of Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar and Harbhajan Singh. One must remember that although youth has its advantages, there is no substitute for experience and class.
From Mr Amitabh Saxena
Dubai
Better suggestion
The Roads and Transport Authority's (RTA) effort to implement strict controls in order to minimise the risk to pupils is much appreciated (“New safety regulations for school buses'', Gulf News, August 27). When one looks into past incidents, a majority of the accidents occurred due to lack of safety precautions. School buses are meeting the requirements of parents, up to a certain extent. However, bus drivers are the actual concern.
The alterations in these buses will be very expensive to put into operation and someone has to bear the cost. The drivers, parents and school management should have formal safety training and ensure everyone follows the rules. Additionally, training bus drivers could be done with minimal costs, and it would be less expensive than modifying buses.
From Mr Faisal Esmail
Abu Dhabi
Delighted fan
This is in reference to the very interesting report on Sir Don Bradman (“Australia remembers 'The Don''', Gulf News, August 28). I am a keen follower of this vibrant personality, especially as his records are impossible to break. Out of the listed records, flamboyant Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag and West Indian cricketer Brian Lara have equalled only one. Lara was very much in the same league as Sir Don. His record for the highest number of runs will be difficult to break. However, Sri Lankan batsman Mahela Jayawardene did manage to get very close. Additionally, I see glimpses of greatness in Sehwag. He scores the most when he takes risky shots.
Sir Don, a genius par excellence, has performed against the best bowlers and often in the most trying and dangerous circumstances. It is astonishing that he has scored 12 double centuries in 52 test matches. To top it off with a triple century a day is just mind-boggling. Sir Don's sportsmanship was unparalleled and it seemed as if he was born playing cricket. Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar did show his prowess and temperament in his younger days but could not reach the same level of greatness.
A lot of players were great, but they all faded out towards the twilight of their respective careers. Ricky Ponting is definitely the greatest player produced by Australia after Sir Don. My generation only heard of Sir Don and saw him in videos, but when I started playing cricket at the age of five in 1956, and Sir Don was my idol. His greatness can also be measured by his action of naming Tendulkar as his successor.
From Mr Bhushan Drona
Dubai
Skyrocketing rents
Rents have skyrocketed in Dubai over the past two years and every expatriate living in the city is feeling the pinch. Over 40 per cent of our salary has to be marked off for rent these days. This could be higher for people living with families. To add to their woes, the policy of one family per villa has also come into vogue. Many expatriates have either sent their families back home or have opted to leave the country entirely.
Dubai has a vision of the future and could one day become the best city in the world. However, the issue of increasing rents, which needs to be curtailed, has not been addressed effectively. If the middlemen are stopped from operating and the subletting of premises is banned, the issue could be resolved. Additionally, a cap could be fixed on rents, based on certain localities.
From Mr Syed Abdul Qader
Dubai
