A terrifying sight on the roads!
The other day, I lost my breath when I noticed a convertible car, with a little girl standing up in the back seat, holding her hands up in the air as though she was on a carnival ride (‘Community report in-depth: Parents need to be more attentive, say readers’, Gulf News, January 10). If the driver had to brake suddenly, the child would have, no doubt, been flung out! The recklessness! I suspect the driver was the child’s father. It was absolutely unbelievable.
From Ms Cheryl Hewson
UAE
Facebook comment
No seatbelts
It doesn’t help matters when there are children standing around inside the vehicle, instead of sitting with a seatbelt on. So many parents are guilty of encouraging this behaviour.
From Mr Mike Schmidt
UAE
Facebook comment
Not so easy?
I feel for some parents, as I know my own mother had a very difficult time keeping us buckled in. She would secure us in the car and then as soon as the car was moving, we’d unbuckle and want to walk inside our minivan! She would pull over, tell us to buckle in again, but sure enough, within a few minutes, we would unbuckle again. Children are difficult and I was one of them!
From Mr Charles Mitchel
UAE
Facebook comment
It doesn’t take long
It is heartrending news that such untoward incidents occur randomly, like children being run over by cars or falling from windows of buildings (‘Emirati toddler run over by car, killed’, Gulf News, January 11). It has become quite common these days. Parents and caretakers ought to prioritise their responsibilities, and be vigilant and alert about their young ones while at home or outside. Leaving children unaccompanied is too risky. Taking precautions regarding children’s safety and security is of utmost importance. Negligence for a fraction of a second can cost a lifetime of regret. Better safe than sorry.
From Ms Jayashree Kulkarni
Abu Dhabi
Facebook comment
Busy toddlers
How sad that this young boy was run over. I wonder why he was left to stray away at such a young age and how he ended up behind the parked cars. Parents really need to be paying constant attention, especially when toddlers start walking. Soon, they are running! It’s so unfortunate and I can only imagine the agony the parents are going through. Let us pray for them.
From Ms Lola Perez
UAE
Facebook comment
Irresponsible parents
It’s irresponsible parenting that’s the problem. It happened in front of me one time — I saw a toddler jump behind a car that was reversing. I ran in their direction and screamed to get the driver’s attention. Thank God the child was fine, even if he fell on his bottom, because the car stopped in time. The mother was just walking and didn’t seem to be bothered much. I actually shouted at the woman, but she seemed not to care at all.
From Ms Viorica Les
Dubai
Facebook comment
Look around
We should pay attention to the rear of the car first, to see if there is any obstruction, before reversing. Most new models of cars have sensors. If it beeps, pay attention and look back. If it keeps beeping and you can’t see anything in the rear-view mirror, get off the car, look around and under the car and check to see what is obstructing your path. That is the best way to safely back up the car.
From Mr Boying Dilao
Dubai
Facebook comment
More cycles on the road
I was in Beijing, China, in 2015 and I noticed hundreds of bicycles parked near subways and metro stations (‘Bike sharing popular again in Beijing’, Gulf News, January 8). It was a unique sight for me to see people swipe their cards, unlock a bicycle and move ahead. There were separate tracks on almost all roads, which were dedicated to bicycles. This step by China could help them reduce pollution, which is endangering lives. Cities like Beijing can have clear blue skies, so that people are not forced to use masks. Cycling is also a great form of exercise and it refreshes the mind and body. It is cost effective and can be used by people of any age group. This bicycle sharing system can be adopted by other countries and can help them reduce traffic congestion and pollution. The bicycle is termed as the common man’s vehicle, and it would be a pleasant sight to see more bicycles on the road.
From Mr Eappen Elias
Dubai
Paving the way
The UAE authorities have once again proven that they lead the way in fields of philanthropy (‘UAE Food Bank will boost surplus food donation in Dubai’, Gulf News, January 10). With the declaration of 2017 as the Year of Giving, the UAE will be helping needy people, who are otherwise marginalised in various regions of the world. Now, the country is leading the region by creating a food bank and other facilities for those who are suffering from hunger. One fervently hopes the whole world will follow this leadership, in the neglected field of showing mercy to deserving ones. I hope world leaders understand that the poor have rights, too.
From Mr Thomas Matthew Parackel
Kerala, India
Reason for success
The UAE authorities, before the year even began, had already declared the objective of 2017 — the Year of Giving. Every year, when the UAE comes up with extraordinary and attractive campaigns for the needs of people, it pulls on our heartstrings and encourages us to embrace the noble cause. Today, we see a lot of poverty, corruption and crime, which is present all over the world. In such situations, the effort taken by UAE authorities, to keep residents safe and secure by initiating special initiatives, carry a huge impact. It is much appreciated.
As one of the residents of Dubai, I feel proud to say that I have enjoyed and cherished each day of 2016, which was undoubtedly due to the compassionate activities that were undertaken in the UAE for a happy and stable environment. When the world is targeted by evil minds and is suffering from poverty, this is when charity stands out from all other activities. The children of Afghanistan, Sudan, Myanmar and many other countries are all suffering from poverty.
The UAE has always thought of missions with great objectives that benefit even those outside its borders. I strongly believe that this is one of the reasons behind the progress and success of the UAE.
From Ms Afeefa Roshan
Dubai
A case of sour grapes
This is with reference to the feud between Indian cricketers Ravi Shastri and Sourav Ganguly. Statistically, definitely M. S. Dhoni’s record is much better than Ganguly’s, but it is a known fact that Ganguly was the greatest captain of his era. It is under his captaincy that the Indian team believed in itself and defeated the best teams in the world. The real booster was the Eden Test, where he came back from the brink of an innings defeat to win the Test against one of the world’s best teams, Australia. He was the captain who halted the 16-Test winning streak of Steve Waugh and went on to win the series 2-1. Incidentally, after that defeat, no Australian captain had the guts to follow on against any team. Hence, I don’t think Ganguly needs a certificate from Shastri, who has always been biased towards his boys. Ganguly changed such selections and encouraged only performing players. Perhaps Shastri has yet to digest the fact that he missed out on the position of coach. Sour grapes!
From Mr N. Mahadevan
Mylapore, India
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