Workers deserve better

December 2, 2004

Dear Sir,

It is wonderful that our Finance Minister Paula Cox acknowledges that public service must be more than doing a job efficiently and honestly with full recognition that every human being is entitled to courtesy. I am looking forward to her commitment, leadership and loyalty through the 2000 Employment Act that has recently been circumvented by Mr. Clifford Schorer, owner of the former Sonesta Beach Hotel who denied over 60 hotel workers their redundancy pay due to them. After all, she has no patience, no sympathy and no truck and will not retreat, retire or recant until justice is achieved for those former workers of Sonesta Beach Hotel.

RAYMOND RUSSELL

Pembroke

Disgusted by father, son

December 10, 2004

Dear Sir,

This is reference to Albert Santucci's comments on the news after his son was found guilty of grievous bodily harm.

I don't know how a man with a child can condone what was done to Dwayne Trott. Everyone deserves respect and if he did do wrong, he did not deserve to be tortured. I was very disturbed after reading the newspapers regarding the injuries he sustained. Bermuda is a small community and there are not many families that can say that they have no family members that have been affected by drugs. It is sad but at the same time, no one deserves to have trash bags burned on their legs. No one should condone this type of behaviour and I hope the judge shows that by the sentence he imposes. Your son let this man go through a trial when everyone else admitted their guilt. I can only imagine the pain inflicted on Dwayne.

DISGUSTED

Sandys Parish

‘Just as bad as speeding'

December 10, 2004

Dear Sir,

I totally agree with G.W. Why doesn't Dr. E. Brown put out a law that says driving with a cell phone is illegal? That's just as bad as speeding.

Dr. Brown should crack down on that problem the same way he cracked down on seatbelts.

IN AGREEMENT

Pembroke

Make roads safer

December 10, 2004

Dear Sir,

I understand that the Ministry of Transport is about to launch an advertising campaign to encourage safer driving on Bermuda's roads. I applaud the intention, but I think it's a total waste of time and money.

The damage has already been done, and the reckless drivers have their licences and are already wreaking havoc on the public thoroughfares. Having spent most of the last four decades using Bermuda's roads on a fairly regular basis, I'd like to offer my ideas on how Bermuda's roads could be made safer:

1) Toughen up the car driving test. Let's face it, what are the requirements? Drive up through a zig-zag: reverse back through the same zig-zag: five minutes to parallel park (can you imagine the resultant chaos if anyone took that long to park on, say, Reid Street during the present busy shopping period?) and drive through town without hitting anything and that's about it.

2) We have plenty of driving instructors, but (apart, I believe, from the admirable Project Ride) no riding instructors. So, how does young Joe Public get riding practice for getting his bike on his approaching 16th birthday? Usually illegally, because there are no legal practice facilities, and it's highly probable that the bad habits he learns then (because there's nobody qualified to point them out and eradicate them before they are ingrained) will stay with him for the rest of his life. Introduce cycle riding schools, or, alternatively, expand Project Ride, and make sure that Joe Public's parents get involved as well with their children's two-wheeled activities so that they too know what's going on.

3) Compulsory re-testing of drivers:

a) every time they renew their licences; and

b) every time they're disqualified for any reason.

4) Reword the Driver's Licence Application form to include something along the lines of the following: “By signing this application, I hereby testify that I have read the Bermuda Traffic Code handbook, I understand the provisions therein, and I can't use the excuse that ‘I didn't know that was wrong' should I be stopped and reported for any traffic offence.”

Bermudian drivers have to realise that the granting of a driving licence is a privilege, not a divine right, and getting the said licence does not automatically make you a good driver; it only allows you to drive on the public roads. The average Joe Public seems to think that, once he's got his licence, that's it, he knows it all. Wrong. Once you get your licence, then you should be learning how to drive properly. There used to be (and may still be) a branch of the Institute of Advanced Motorists here, run as I recall by a now retired Policeman by the name of Roger Kendall. If he reads this letter, maybe he could shed some insight upon the current status of the said organisation. If it is still extant, I heartily recommend all motorists to contact the IAM and see just how their driving skills could be refined. I think you'd be quite amazed at just how bad a driver you really are!

VOX ORIENTALIS

St. George's

Bermudian roulette

December 10, 2004

Dear Sir,

Russian roulette is normally played with a revolver with one bullet in it. The barrel is spun and the trigger is pulled and person prays that the the bullet is not in the chamber when he or she pulls the trigger. Bermudians for years have had their own deadly game of chance. It's played out on the bikes on our roads. You can not travel on our roads day or night without somebody playing chicken with you on their bike. And it doesn't matter whether you are also on a bike or driving a bus or truck.

Quite a few years ago I used to participate in this same sick and deadly game. I guess you can say at 45 I am a little older and wiser. One day I was coming out of Hamilton in 5 o'clock traffic and the traffic stopped and so did I. Well the rider behind me assumed I was going to continue on down that imaginary third lane and proceeded to strike the back of my bike and then had the nerve to ask me why I stopped! If looks could kill.

A few weeks ago one of your reporters interviewed some of our foreign police recruits. I believe one was a male from Jamaica and a lady from the UK. They said they were taken aback by the way some Bermudians ride their bikes. This is coming from people whose speed limits are probably three times ours. Also somebody said they were going to do a study on this behaviour on our roads. Don't waste the time and money. In years gone by it was almost a given that most young Bermudian males participated in this ritual: Soup up their bikes and race them. But now, especially in the mornings, it's not only the young Bermudian males riding recklessly. It's everybody - the young and old, black and white, male and female travelling down that imaginary third lane on their way to work or school. I have a message to everybody on Bermuda's roads, but especially to those on the bikes. Leave home earlier and stay in your lane. You are not going to win at this game of Bermudian roulette with that bus, car, truck or wall. Slow down and maybe even stop and smell the roses because if you lose at that crazy game of roulette, you will not be able to smell them when they place them on your grave.

LESLIE JAMES SMITH

Sandys Parish

A request for Santa

December 11, 2004

Dear Sir,

We hope you will pass this on to Santa. The Bermuda Islands Association of the Deaf would like to make a request to Santa for donations and volunteers. We are in need of donations to help us undertake many of our goals in serving the needs of the deaf and hard of hearing population in Bermuda. Thank you for sharing our request with Santa.

JENNIFER N. FAHNBULLEH

President

Bermuda Islands Association of the Deaf

PO Box HM 1749, Hamilton HM GX

A generous act

December 13, 2004

Dear Sir,

During this time of giving and acts of kindness, there are numerous stories of generosity. I'd like to take this opportunity to express gratitude to members of our community, as well as to many companies and businesses, for going out of their way to support Agape House during the holidays.

We have received donations of funds, supplies, food, blankets, decorations and toiletries to assist us over the holiday season. People have made special efforts to assure our patients and their families experience a festive holiday, making this time of year joyous and cheerful.

I would especially like to say a word of thanks to Jefferson Sousa from Sousa's Landscape Management Company in Southampton. Through an administrative error, Agape House found itself without an appropriate Christmas tree this year. Upon hearing of our situation, Mr. Sousa made certain we were provided with a beautiful tree, which stands proudly in our living room, enjoyed and appreciated by patients, their families, staff members and volunteers. All these many acts of kindness truly speak to the spirit of this season.

On behalf of Friends of Hospice and Agape House, I am grateful for the assistance shown to us during this special holiday, as well as during the rest of the year. It means a great deal to us when members of the community support the important work we do. We thank the public for their generous help and wish everyone a peaceful and happy holiday season.

LENA OSTROFF

Volunteer Coordinator

Friends of Hospice

Revellers beware

December 13, 2004

Dear Sir,

My office department made a reservation at a well-known restaurant in town for 11 persons for our Christmas lunch. When making the reservation we were asked for a deposit of $500 in advance, which we had no problem with.

We attended the restaurant and had a mediocre luncheon. We then discovered that this restaurant had charged us for 11 persons after one person could not attend at the last minute. Upon checking with the Consumer Affairs Department we were told that this is now the practice of most restaurants. So beware when making your reservations and check your bill carefully. This practice is a rip off and the restaurants are wondering why they are losing customers.

INDIGESTION

Southampton