Readers Letters: November 26, 2009

As silly as it gets

Your last week's cover story reminded me of a stupid blunder I once made (Stupid Crooks, cover story, November 19).

I was going to a bank. After much searching, I managed to find a parking slot. I got out of my car and went to the parking ticket vending machine, dropped in a one-dirham coin and got a one-hour parking ticket. But instead of going back to my car, I put the ticket into my pocket and headed for the bank. I must have spent around 30 minutes to complete my work, and when I went back to my car and opened the door, I noticed a parking fine ticket pressed against the windscreen by the wiper. It was a Dh200 penalty for a parking violation. I was aghast - how did that happen? And what happened to the ticket I bought before walking into the bank? Where was it? Why wasn't it on the dashboard? I was dumbfounded. It took a while before I finally found the ticket in my pocket. I was furious - of course, at myself.

Name withheld, Dubai

No ifs and butts

I really appreciate the initiative of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) to conduct anti-smoking campaigns in schools (Anti-Puff Drive, page 9, November 19). I am sure some good will definitely come out of this move. Even if one student gets the message and quits smoking, that would be a major achievement. On the whole, the campaign has the potential of deterring would-be smokers from lighting up at a young age.

And while government institutions and social organisations combat the scourge of tobacco, parents can also play a major role. Apart from simply advising their young ones against the vice, they should set themselves up as role models and quit smoking, if they have to, so that their children can enjoy a healthier future.

Rajesh Aggarwal, Dubai

Rooted in culture

I found your story on the anti-smoking campaign quite interesting. Smoking does have a lot to do with peer pressure, but we also have to look at the problem from the cultural perspective.

For example, shisha is a very common thing here and it's not unusual to see teenagers and elderly at shisha cafés. Some would argue that smoking shisha is even worse than smoking cigarettes.

I think real discipline should come from parents so that children can resist smoking no matter how many of their friends smoke.

Suresh, Dubai

False cool quotient

The anti-smoking campaign conducted in schools is the key to getting students to acknowledge the risks of smoking and the consequences it will have in the long term.

During my school days I noticed that many students began smoking just to ‘fit in' or ‘look cool', and this is sad because I feel students shouldn't have to give in to peer pressure or get influenced so easily when they have been blessed with good health to begin with.

I hope the campaign helps students realise the dangers of smoking.

Salma D., Dubai

Perseverance pays

Mr. Porsche Man made very interesting reading (page 4, November 19). Hats off to Baithu Najma Noufal, the Porsche specialist! He is an example of the triumph of perseverance. Despite his humble beginnings and lack of resources, he has made himself a sought-after professional. I wish him all the best in his dream to start a garage of his own in his home country, India.

Munsif Ahmad, Sharjah

Amazing drive

I think Baithu Najma Noufal's journey is an amazing one. I have a feeling he will go very far. He is only 32 and, looking at the huge progress he has already made, I feel he will accomplish much more. I was impressed by his move wherein he gave up his job at a Maruti Suzuki car dealer to join Hyundai for half the amount he was earning just so he could learn about new technology. That kind of passion is bound to yield results.

Tony H., Dubai

Metro man

I really liked the story about students opting to travel by the Metro (Students Opt For Metro To Get To Class, page 8, November 5).

Initiatives such as these will go a long way towards easing traffic jams across the city and also lead to reduction in pollution levels. I hope more people take the Metro.

Jayant Raj, Dubai

Congrats Sachin

Sachin Tendulkar has been playing cricket for the past 20 years and, as the cricket fraternity pay their tributes to him, it is appropriate that we too in Dubai stand up and salute this great man for having achieved so much in cricket. He still plays blistering innings, still demolishes bowling attacks, still looks hungry for runs and is still a prized wicket.

His records will stand for years to come. I certainly don't think that this generation will see anyone breaking his records. We should be proud to have a legend living amongst us and I only hope that in the coming World Cup in India, he wins the coveted trophy both for himself and his country.

Christopher Alphonso, Dubai

Taken for a ride

We had one full day in Dubai on October 16 en route home. In the 46 degrees Celsius heat we did not feel inclined to do the HOHO [hop on hop off] bus and opted for a four-hour city tour with a Dubai-based tour operator. We were picked up from our hotel at 2pm (not between 2.30pm and 3pm as advised) and made to spend almost two hours being driven around literally in circles. The driver obviously didn't know the address to pick up a family; this was evident from his phone conversations.

We were then off-loaded to the actual tour bus and that was just the beginning of a horrible day ahead.

We spent a long time at the Atlantis Hotel, viewing the largest aquarium in the world. That was the first of a series of never-ending boasts of the largest/biggest/tallest/best in the world.

Our visit to the Dubai Museum resulted in our guide asking us if anyone wanted to go inside as we would have to pay for it. The general opinion was "no", so I guess we should be lucky we got a second-class photo from the bus window.

By the time we got to Jumeirah Beach, where we were to stop to take photos of Burj Al Arab, it was pitch dark and once again we were asked if we wanted to get out. What was the point in getting out? Nobody wanted a photo of a beach in the dark or even the Burj Al Arab which only had a line of lights around its edges, not floodlit as we had been informed.

Our drive through the eighth wonder of the world, the man-made island Palm Jumeirah never happened.

As in the morning, we kept noticing certain landmarks repeatedly, which meant we had lost a lot of time while going round in circles. As for the Jumeirah Mosque, I did get quite a nice photo of its floodlit exterior but goodness knows what the inside looks like.

In all, we felt we had literally been "taken for a drive" and it was certainly not worth Dh120 each.

Judith Klein, Dubai

Dubai in a nutshell

I am so glad the Global Village has opened again. Lately I have noticed that visitors are pouring into Dubai. They can be seen at popular tourist sites such as the Dubai Museum, the Fountain at the Dubai Mall, etc. The opening of the Global Village will offer an additional attraction to those visiting the city. And with the Christmas season just round the corner, things can only get better.

But why I particularly recommend Global Village is for its uniqueness. The Village showcases talent, arts and goods from around the world; it is a tourist attraction with an underlying message of global unity and bringing cultures together.

In a way the Global Village is a true reflection of Dubai, a city where hundreds of nationalities reside in harmony.

Zeina, Dubai

Game of deception

The Tenants In Distress (page 11, November 19) story is a scary one. Imagine you shell out Dh50,000 as your annual rent and the broker to whom you paid the money disappears. The money doesn't reach the landlord and you are faced with eviction.

Deception is the name of the game these so-called brokers play. These unscrupulous individuals have hoodwinked everyone, leaving the victims to face an uncertain future. They have no qualms of conscience as long as they can extract money from unsuspecting people. Greed is what drives these anti-social elements.

I request the authorities to probe the issue and also widen their investigation. I think what you have reported is not an isolated case.

There must be hundreds of brokers out there who make a living by cheating people. Thank you XPRESS for highlighting the issue.

Sanjeev Malhotra, Dubai

My wallet is back

Good people still exist. I wish to bring to your notice a recent incident wherein I had absent-mindedly forgotten my wallet at Hyper Panda (Dubai Festival City) around 11.30am last Friday. Even after coming home, I did not realise my wallet was missing. It was very late in the afternoon when I realised it. Then I began to panic, I did not know what to do. The first thing I did was to call my bank to block my debit card and I was assured that nobody had made any purchases. I then drove to Hyper Panda hoping for the best.

I spoke to customer service about my problem. They patiently listened to me, made a few calls and directed me to the security personnel. As I began walking, I prayed to the Almighty. Then I noticed a securityman with my wallet in his hand. I was so happy to see it.

I was told a customer had found it and handed it to the security. I was made to verify that it was mine. When I finally got the wallet I was really excited and quickly checked to see if anything was missing. Everything was intact. I thanked the security guy for the safe keeping and asked him whether the customer who had found my wallet had left his name or number. He replied, "No."

So if you are the person who found my black wallet, I wish to say a big ‘thank you' from the bottom of my heart.

Anonymous, Dubai

Mumbai attacks revisited

It is now a year since the November 26 terror attacks on Mumbai. That horrendous event resulted in India redefining its policies and operating paradigms in the region.

With regard to the relations with its neighbours, India must now take cognisance of the emerging power equations and economic realities.

India should aim to build the largest and the toughest army in the world in terms of equipment, arms and personnel. This has implications in terms of budget allocations, training rigour and development of people across the country. India must generate the monies, provide these budgets and training. Every youngster should undergo mandatory army service for a period of one-two years, before taking up any job in the country.

It is worth recalling what former US President John F. Kennedy said in his inaugural speech: "For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed."

Rajendra K. Aneja, Dubai