Captive smoker
I am a smoker and at times, I am a chain smoker ("UAE right to curb cigarette adverts", Gulf News, March 5). However, unlike many of my friends, I am a passive smoker. Most of the time, when I step out into the street, I find myself inhaling the smoke that is let out by numerous smokers who puff away their lives. These are people who do not think twice about the damage they are causing to themselves and others. As I step out of my apartment early in the morning, a cool and serene breeze welcomes me. But a few feet down the road, the acrid smell of cigarettes is suffocating. Without paying a dirham, I am able to inhale smoke from a diverse range of brands. I pollute my heart and lungs with no effort and at no extra cost. While it is understandable that smokers are not too bothered about their health, they should at least take into consideration the damage they are inflicting on fellow residents. Smokers should realise the fact that their right to smoke ends where my nose begins.
From Mr C. Sunil Roy
Dubai
Senseless act
It seems like nothing will ever make people abstain from the bad habit of smoking. But when there are penalties in place, many ignore them and continue to smoke in public areas. A majority of the general public comprises non-smokers, but they are unaware of the effects of passive smoking. Such people end up with harmful diseases such as lung cancer, for no fault of their own. Smoking bans should be complete in every sense - no person should be allowed to smoke in public places. Such smokers are often reluctant or ashamed to smoke in front of their family members, so why do they think it is all right to do the same in front of the general public? I really do not understand.
From Mr Koothadi Hanifa Muneer
Dubai
Disrespectful driving
I agree with Mr Rizwan Jan, who said in his letter that stiffer penalties should be imposed on traffic violators ("Tracking the cause", Gulf News, March 3). I spend close to three hours every day on Shaikh Zayed Road and often find that 80 per cent of the reckless drivers are people in four wheel drives. They think size matters and tailgate vehicles at 120 kilometres per hour, thinking they can force them out of the way. These drivers have forgotten the basic rules of the road. There is such a thing as 'too close for comfort'! Plus, the term 'speed limit' means that it is the fastest one can possibly go. Such motorists do not seem to cherish their lives, but I would urge them to be aware of the fact that others would like to live to see their grandchildren. They must have enough decency to respect every individual's personal space - on and off the road.
From A Reader
Dubai
Name withheld by request
A little extra care
It is always better to be cautious about our children's safety. I would like to make a suggestion to readers about having chemicals and detergents around the house. Often, people refill such liquids in old bottles of beverages, so that they do not have to bother with buying brand new plastic bottles. These detergents and chemical liquids are then placed in bathroom cupboards and kitchen shelves - places where children can reach out, and drink from the containers, thinking it is juice or water! Such incidents commonly occur and are the result of our carelessness. I urge parents to be careful about where they keep bottles of antiseptic solutions, detergents and other such items.
From Ms Eman Falah
Sharjah
Unseen risks
It is truly depressing to read about how school children are being run over by their own school buses so frequently ("Bus driver confesses to fatally hitting girl", Gulf News, March 6). When I leave my workplace, I often observe that some school buses drop off children by the side of the road. Once the children disembark from the school bus, they cross the road from right in front of the bus. Due to the height of the vehicles, the drivers are unable to judge whether the child is in front or has moved away. If the driver does not pay attention, he can drive on and fatal accidents are bound to occur. I believe bus drivers should be aware of the common practice of children crossing the street from the front of the vehicles. Parents and teachers should warn children about the risks of doing this, too.
From Mr Ahmad Eftekhar
Sharjah
Just in time
I was overwhelmed with joy when I read the report about residents receiving loans easily ("Residents surprised as lines of credit open again", Gulf News, March 6). I was considering applying for a loan for a house, and now I can!
From Ms Mona
Dubai
Not enough
I applied for a Dh10,000 loan from a bank to finance my apartment and they declined, stating that my salary was insufficient. Is the preferred salary of Dh20,000 reasonable? Common sense dictates that if I had such a big salary, I would not need a loan.
From Mr Ahmad
Dubai
Your complaints:
Slow connection
I am really frustrated with etisalat's dial-up connection. For the past few months, the etisalat dial-up connection has been extremely bad. It gets connected at a very low bit rate and then gets disconnected frequently, making this service really useless and a waste of time and money. However, etisalat has no mercy in its billings irrespective of its service quality. Maybe etisalat desires to promote other faster internet connections, but then what about the billing we get for the dial-up? It needs to look into this matter.
From Mr Ebby A. John
Dubai
The management of etisalat replies:
Kindly note that the issue has been resolved. The subscriber has confirmed that his internet connection is working fine. etisalat regrets the inconvenience caused to the customer.
Mr Ebby A. John replies:
On further testing the dial-up connection, there is really no improvement. It temporarily may work better, but most of the time, the connection speed is below average. Even when the line is active, the internet is disconnected.
The management of etisalat replies:
etisalat regrets the inconvenience caused to the customer. The issue has been resolved and the subscriber confirms that the telephone line is fine. His concern regarding the speed of his dial-up connection is suspected to be due to a problem with his computer. The customer has been updated accordingly.
Mr Ebby A. John replies:
Thank you [Gulf News] for the support and intervention, which helped to solve the matter quickly.
Overdue
I was given a Visa gold card by HSBC without any annual charges for the first year. Upon renewal I was asked to pay renewal charges of Dh400 in June 2008, hence I decided to cancel the card. Nonetheless, HSBC debited my salary account on July 5, 2008, with the annual fees and to date no refund has been processed in spite of repeated complaints. No reference number was given for my complaint by the call centre as they say it's handled by another department who will call me. Is this the customer service we expect from reputed international banks when it comes to refunds?
From A Reader
Dubai
Name withheld by request
Ms Andrea Jaishankar, Manager — Regional Communications, HSBC, replies:
Please note that we have contacted the customer and the matter has been resolved.
The reader replies:
Thank you for the intervention, Gulf News! HSBC has apologised and refunded the charges, hence the issue has been resolved. Keep up the good work.
Bus frequency
I am a frequent user of the bus service provided by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). I have noticed a glitch in their system, which they just do not want to resolve. I frequently use bus X23 and its frequency is six buses per hour, at an interval of 10 minutes each. I have noticed that these buses always come in pairs. These are high capacity articulated buses — a capacity of around 120 to 150 people. Sometimes, around two to three buses come together! This spoils the frequency of the buses, which means that after two buses have left, the next bus comes after half an hour. Additionally, when two buses go together, one of the buses ends up going empty. This is a huge inconvenience to the people living in Al Nahda area, since there is only one bus going in that direction. I got no reply from the RTA even though I complained several times. Another careless thing the RTA has done is with bus C3. The route is similar to Al Nahda but the only difference is that it moves to Century Mall at the end of the route and at this point the bus is totally empty. It is obvious that people who live in Al Mamzar area do not really use public transport. If the RTA would instead divert this bus service to Al Nahda, it would make a big difference to people living there.
From Ms Naman Arora
Dubai
