Letters: November 10, 2009

Be fashionable, not vulgar
Fashion should make people look beautiful, not vulgar. Often, I have noticed women dressed in miniskirts and transparent clothing in many malls and on the streets too. A lot of them probably think that beach wear is an acceptable dress code in all public places. A few days ago, I noticed an inappropriately dressed woman, who I thought seemed offensive and vulgar. As a modern woman, I found her attire to be extremely indecent and irritating. One can be highly fashionable without being vulgar. The climate nowadays is quite pleasant, even during the day. Additionally, all malls are air-conditioned, as are small-scale groceries. Therefore, I fail to understand why one would choose to dress in such a manner. UAE is a country with very rich culture and heritage. Additionally, it strikes a fine balance between tradition and modernity. One should respect rules and regulations and embrace the culture of the host country at all times.
From Ms Surma Sarkar
Abu Dhabi

Request to dress well
This is my request to all women — please dress properly. A few days ago, I saw a girl at a popular mall who was dressed in the most indecent and shameful manner. Please dress as you like elsewhere, but not here.
From Ms Vineeta
Dubai
Full name withheld by request

Undo what’s done
This is in reference to the report on advertisements and stickers pasted on doors of residential villas ("Ras Al Khaimah residents irked by sticker adverts on house doors", Gulf News, November 3). We have faced a similar issue with our villa in Dubai for many years now, to the extent that we had to personally warn shop owners and approach the relevant authorities. However, all this was in vain. The authorities finally advised us to paste a "stick no bills" sign on our villa's doors and walls, which was a nuisance in itself. Additionally, there was no guarantee that the perpetrators would respect or abide by these signs.
Finally, we decided to take matters into our own hands and called the advertisers for their services. When they arrived, we asked them to remove the stickers. In one case, we even made an advertiser paint our electric meter box which had scratches from previous attempts to remove the stickers pasted on it. While the problem continues, it has reduced to a considerable extent.
From Mr Mohammad I. Saleh
Dubai

Test for two years
All new drivers in the UAE should be issued with a provisional licence for
two years, before graduating to a "full" licence. A white licence plate with the letter "P" highlighted in red could be fixed on vehicles to indicate to other drivers that the concerned motorist is a new driver. Additionally, these drivers could be limited to 100 kilometres per hour and have zero points allocated to them. They could be warned that if they break road rules, they would lose their licence for six months and would need to start with "P" licence plates all over again. Additionally, if they are caught driving without the "P" licence plates, they should be disqualified from driving for 12 months and asked to redo the process. This is a deterrent and would ensure that new drivers drive in a careful manner.
From Mr Graham Leschke
Sharjah