Opinion | Letters
October 7, 2008
Letters to the Editor: October 7, 2008
- Gulf News
- Published: 00:43 October 7, 2008
Consider special cases
Evicting families from their homes only spawns negativity as many tenants have genuine financial issues and cannot afford new accommodation. Some people are forced to send their families back to their home countries. Children are often the hardest-hit; they have to sit out an academic year. One of my relatives works in a hospital in Dubai and had to care for a pregnant patient recently. The particular lady was given an eviction notice the very day she gave birth to a healthy baby. She already had three children, one of them only a year old. The hospital authorities allowed the patient to stay for a few extra days, while her husband looked for another apartment. I request the concerned authorities to sympathetically consider such cases and give people time to make alternative arrangements.
From Mr Abin Sushaman
UAE
Unpleasant experience
While on an Emirates flight to Mumbai, I requested a regular meal for my five-year-old son but was handed a package that would supposedly suffice for a child. I ended up giving the hungry child my meal as well. The authorities concerned should look into this matter and make sure those travelling with children don't face a similar situation. The cabin crew seemed least bothered but one of the flight attendants more than made up for the insensitivity of the others and apologised for the matter. I wished there were more down-to-earth people in the airline industry.
From Ms Nafisa D. Raj
Dubai
Ms Karen Donaldson, Customer Affairs, Emirates airlines, replies: Emirates airlines does have a wide selection of meals available for passengers with specific dietary or religious requirements. However, these have to be requested at least 24 hours in advance of travel. The Emirates office or a travel agent could provide the details, if required. Additionally, rudeness of the staff members is not tolerated and serious action is taken in view of such incidents. The staff is expected to deal with passengers in a friendly and professional manner. It is every passenger's right to look forward to a pleasant flight. The senior management has been informed of this incident, and will take steps to ensure that it does not occur again.
Commendable service
I have been a reader of Gulf News for five years now and the newspaper has always piqued my interest. With the "Go Green" campaign, it is not only raising environmental awareness but also setting an example by trying to promote the use of jute bags. The idea of popularising the bags among subscribers is truly commendable and I hope this campaign encourages readers to care for the environment. From Dr Saji S. Pillai
Dubai
Useful gift
I would like to thank Gulf News for the wonderful jute bags that were delivered to my house. They are beautiful and extremely useful too. I would be proud to use them when I shop for groceries. It is the perfect way to celebrate the newspaper's 30th anniversary and I want to congratulate it on its success.
From Ms Josiane Sanders
Dubai
Time wasted
I failed my driving test five times and decided to register a complaint with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). I received a reference number for the complaint and when I called them for a follow-up, I got no convincing feedback. Additionally, a month later, I received a text message stating my complaint had been closed. On calling the hotline, I was asked to contact the training institute and told they would be the right people to look into the complaint. I personally feel the complainant should be briefed about the right procedure the very first time he or she contacts the hotline, or else the complaint could be forwarded to the authorities concerned. From Mr P. Mandaliya
Dubai
The management of RTA replies: The current procedure for students who have failed more than fives times to air their grievances is to get an appointment with the supervisor. This appointment could be obtained from the committee, or by calling the toll-free hotline. A student should not lodge a complaint as this is not the right method.
Not enough choice
I have been a subscriber of E-vision for the past four years and think their schedule of English programmes for the weekend is unacceptable. They show many repeats and the feature movies are aired very late. During the summer, people tend to stay at home; so more variety would be appreciated. Also, the English and sports channels are not sufficient.
From Mr D. Ralph
Sharjah
The management of e-vision replies: E-vision's bouquet is very comprehensive and varied, encompassing over 230 TV channels in 21 different languages. It also includes premium packages from all the major TV providers, in addition to the basic package. Mr Ralph can choose from a variety of packages based on his viewing habits and interests. The channel scheduling is completely dependent on the individual channels, while E-vision is only the channel carrier in this respect. We are constantly looking at future opportunities to add channels to our various packages.
Missing Dubai
I stayed in Dubai for a few years before moving to my home country, Russia, recently. Regardless of the weather and heavy traffic, I will always remember my stay in Dubai. I am with my family now, but I will definitely miss my friends and colleagues. I wish the UAE success and its residents peace.
From Ms Raya A. Dolgova
Russia
Part of the plan
The decision to install Salik tollgates in Dubai is part of the larger development plan. It is time residents accepted it the same way they accept decisions made by the business houses they work for. The concerned authorities took the decision for a reason. The reluctance of people to accept this change does not go with their passion to see the city shaping its future.
From Mr George Mammen
Dubai
Your turn
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Syrian crisis and rumblings of a cold war
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By Marwan Kabalan, Special to Gulf News
The relationship between Iraq and Syria strengthened following the breakout of the uprising and withdrawal of US troops
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Learning Arabic must not be seen as a compulsion
By Rabia Alavi, Special to Gulf News
Expatriates must see its inclusion in school curriculum as an invitation to integrate into Emirati society and an opportunity to access markets presently reserved for Emiratis
