Letters: June 18, 2012

The people need help

I’m appalled by the state of affairs in Syria over the past year. While Syrian people are demanding justice, freedom and democracy, their own government and military are violating international laws by killing them mercilessly, even though many of them are unarmed and defenceless. Children are being used as shields to protect military vehicles and installations. As Syria is part of the Arab League, it is the duty of the organisation to follow its goal, which says it will maintain and consider the affairs and interests of Arab countries. The general ‘interests’ of the Syrian people is to get rid of the current government and there isn’t much being done to see that fulfilled. I hope the Arab countries can help their Syrian brothers rather than expect help from the United Nations or the US.

By Mr Savio Lodh
Sharjah

Spoiler

It seems that car owners will have to queue at the car wash everyday to keep their vehicles clean – they will have to consider a new expense budget from their incomes (‘Sharjah drivers, residents to be fined for wasting water’, Gulf News, June 13). I wonder how long the water stays on the ground after it is spilled onto the roads. I think that there is a lot more water being spilled on the roads from watering the grass. Wouldn’t that also spoil the beauty?

From Mr Amr
Dubai
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Garden spills

I don’t think people spilling a bucket of water would ruin our roads – it dries in minutes. The water sprayers for gardens spill a lot on the road – is action taken against that? I think that they are more dangerous to the motorists.

From Mr Sonu
Dubai
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The right decision

It’s a good step from the Sharjah authorities and all those people who are worried about water that is wasted on the streets.

From Mr Tahir Khan
Dubai
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Comparison

The men that wash cars in parking lots use a lot less water than the alternatives. Most of the water that is wasted is by broken water sprinklers, which spray water on the street instead of the grass, creating puddles every day. Also, men working in construction sites use too much water to spray all the dust down. Another problem is that in many public places, the taps are left open and some of the automatic ones are broken and the water flows for days. Some cleaners in these places don’t care – they say that it is not their business. Tons of water is wasted this way on a daily basis. You cannot compare the amount of water used by people washing cars and the broken hoses that spray water onto the street.

From A Reader
UAE
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Rectifying the issue

I think this is the closest a Western journalist can come to the truth, even though certain terminologies were used to soften the criminal behaviour and activities of the US government (‘US policy in Pakistan counter-productive and dangerous’, Gulf News, June 12). It remains to be seen if any sane American policy-makers will shrug off the Obama-like arrogance and rectify the situation before the whole world goes down.

From Mr Mughis Ahmad
Dubai
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Heart so pure

This is an inspirational story – Mama Portia’s concern and contribution to society is wonderful (‘Mama Portia dishes out help for Aids orphans’, Gulf News, June 12). Feeding hungry children and helping others are such noble deeds and it shows her intentions. In today’s busy and fast-paced life, where nobody bothers about others and the words ‘me’ or ‘I’ rule, Mama Portia’s work and love for these children is a moral lesson for society. We need more people like her who understand the pain and misery of the needy. God bless her.

From Ms Renu Kala
Dubai
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All in one

To me, happiness means life with less tension, no debts, less work pressure, peaceful weekends and good health (‘Dubai residents are an extremely happy lot, shows survey’, Gulf News, June 12). This is what I feel is happiness. Dubai is a lovely place to live in and if you take care then you can have all the above.

From Mr Naresh Kumar
Dubai
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Simply the best

The survey is absolutely right as no one can experience the same freedom and satisfaction in many other parts of the Middle East. Apart from the traffic congestion, Dubai is the best city in the Middle East to live in.

From Mr Sudhirkabeer
Riyadh, KSA
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No time to wait

I usually book a taxi to go to the airport (‘RTA works to reduce taxi waiting time’, Gulf News, June 12). After I book one for a certain time the taxi driver would arrive around 15 minutes early and would ask me to come immediately. If I don’t come as per their timings then they would either be rash with me or just leave. This happened to me a couple of times. I even lodged a complaint with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) last year. Now I ask my friends to drop me at the airport rather than trusting and depending on the taxi service.

From A Reader
Dubai
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