I'm shocked at the escalation in violent crimes towards our visitors and fear the negative effect it's all going to have on our weak tourism industry.

Drastic crime prevention measures need to be taken before we become defunct.

Can we survive yet another, network news expose, this time around on a 29-year-old male victim recovering from a fractured skull? No-one wants to visit a destination known for crime. There's no point in having pristine looking roads, landscaping and luxury real estate developments if our visitors aren't made to feel safe.

Perhaps the Police need to spend less time doing perfunctory spot checks on motorists along East Broadway and more time patrolling our increasingly dangerous streets. Otherwise more tourists will be flying back home not via first class seating, rather via cargo and a body bag.

DISGUSTED Warwick Let's ban `Quarantine' August 5, 1999 Dear Sir, On August 5, a letter appeared in the editorial written by "Quarantine'' stating that the answer to Bermuda's problem with crime and violence is to ban Jamaicans from our shores. What an ingenious solution! All of these forums and committees, social enquiries and reports we set up to attack the problem and yet the answer was always right before us -- so simple. After all, we as Bermudians are far too perfect to take responsibility for the ills of our society. It's only right that we lay blame at the feet of our "lowly'' West Indian neighbours. In fact "Quarantine'' should spearhead a campaign to ban pitbulls, cockroaches, and Jamaicans. I think that would be fair and noble.

But perhaps "Quarantine'' can elaborate a little more on his/her ingenious proposal. Shall we also ban our Jamaican pathologist? What about the Jamaican optometrist? Should we send our Jamaican Supreme Court and Appeals Court judges packing? What about the Jamaican businessmen who have courageously fought against all odds to achieve success for themselves and those Bermudians around them? What about the countless Jamaican teachers in our education system who have taught our parents, ourselves and our children? Surely they must get cracking? Why not also ban Jamaican Grill? After all, there are so many Bermudian restaurants about the place serving authentic Bermudian food that we don't need any more silly curried goat.

While we're at it, shall we not ban reggae music? Bermudians don't like reggae that much, do they? We've got so much of our own authentic Bermudian music playing in all the night clubs and dance halls, don't we? Let's not forget the Jamaicans who have fought so bravely for universal suffrage and equal opportunity for all Bermudians during our civil rights movement. We might as well get rid of them. As they led from the front in civil rights, surely they can lead the exodus from the front now that it seems they've served their use.

But perhaps we shouldn't stop there. To ensure that the job is done well, should we not ban the 80 percent of us black Bermudians whose parents, grandparents and/or great grandparents originate from Jamaica and other West Indian Islands? You might as well do a thorough job! After our Island is cleansed of these "sub-humans'' and you are left with just a minority of Bermudians, and a majority of Canadians, Englishmen, Australians, and New Zealanders shall you hoist up the old swastika to celebrate your moral superiority? Tell us "Quarantine'', what are your views? P.S. Or will you be on the banana boat with the rest of us? A PERFECT BERMUDIAN City of Hamilton Outraged by company August 3, 1999 Dear Sir, In the original letter I wrote I was disgusted. Now I am outraged. The insurance company that made my husband redundant also made several other Bermudians redundant. It has come to my attention that in one of the departments where a Bermudian employee was made redundant, a foreigner has recently been hired. What is going on here? How can this company be allowed to continue to operate in this manner? What is the Immigration Department doing, don't they investigate foreign applications before they allow another foreigner to work in this island? Are we that desperate to please these foreign companies that we bend over backwards to accommodate their every whim while Bermudian workers are made to suffer? I certainly hope that this letter will stir somebody into action before it too late! OUTRAGED City of Hamilton Stopping picking on taxis August 3, 1999 Dear Sir, We have to realise that Bermuda is not another world. I travel very frequently, no matter where I go, whether it's the West, East or the Caribbean, I have to wait for a taxi on many occasions.

On July 28, 1999, I arrived in New York, there were no taxis at the Airport and travellers had to exercise patience and wait. I do realise that we want to please our tourists and locals, but in a world where everyone wants everything immediately there are going to be problems.

Why is it that everyone wants to cut the taxi drivers' business? My dad has driven in the hospitality industry for about 60 years and he has struggled to make commitments. He has seen business go from busy to moderate and slow. I think that it is unfair for the Minister to allow more taxis on the road and to consider introducing a new service for funerals.

Congestion in traffic is a problem worldwide in all industries whether it be air, telephone, automobile or oceanic.

I am getting a bit annoyed at the fact that Bermuda wants to fix everything to suite all but those directly affected.

FRUSTRATED DAUGHTER OF AMBASSADOR Warwick Praise for `Fab Five' August 2, 1999 Dear Sir, I was very pleased to read Dr. Harris' letter to the Editor headed "Praise for the Fab Five'', on July 28, 1999.

I was setting down my own thoughts on paper, preparing to write to the Editor in just such a vein. Everything I had planned to say was right there in Dr.

Harris's letter -- the fish pots, the Big Mac saga -- but he had left out her valiant stand against Independence.

Well done Dr. Harris, but most of all well done to The Hon. Ann Cartright DeCouto and her group -- I would not bear to think that there would not be a single letter of gratitude and praise for a lady who clearly has worked hard over many years for the good of Bermuda.

Thank you Dr. Harris for saving me from reiterating your letter but most of all, thank you for giving me the opportunity to highlight such a great lady.

I think she should be our next Dame.

DIANA WILLIAMS Pembroke Waiting for a response August 4, 1999 Dear Sir, C'mon Government. Silence is not golden and is certainly no defence! Give us the voters the respect we deserve and answer, discuss or explain your stance on all these issues that keep coming up.

`No comment', `Could not be reached', `Off the island'...that is hopefully not going to be your mode of governing. Your voters are more intelligent than that and expect more of their politicians.

You call your predecessors arrogant, well show us something different! We voted you in, include us in your governance, please.

VOTER-IN-WAITING Southampton My day was ruined August 2, 1999 Dear Sir, I wish to express my disgust at the bellicose, testosterone-fuelled group think actions displayed by the crew of the "Ex-pat Hotline' at the annual Non-mariners' Race held yesterday. For those who were not a witness or a victim of this roving pack of pariahs, please allow me to recall. Their intentions were the destruction of any other raft through brute strength.

They attacked maliciously and without any concern for the safety of the numerous children on rafts and in the water around them. Many of the rafts were constructed with sufficiently heavy pieces of wood and other materials that, had those pieces fallen on the head of a child, might have resulted in unconsciousness and possibly drowning. Add to this the fact that those materials were attached with sharp, rusty nails.

I limp around today, my foot red and swollen, having stepped on a nail exposed by their actions. We had every intention of using the raft following the race, but that was lost along with other equipment and personal effects. I would like to thank each and every one of you for ruining my day and bringing my holiday to a sour close. I can only hope that the flipper and paddle slaps will have burned in some moderation and common sense.

NIEL L. JONES City of Hamilton Alter kit for Cup Match August 4, 1999 Dear Sir, This year's Cup Match was billed as the last Cup Match of this century and as we enter the year 2000, this Cup Match will mark the 100th year this classic would have been played. I wonder if the management of both Cricket Clubs would consider a colourful change in the attire normally worn by the players from `traditional white' to a light blue for St. George's and a soft red for Somerset. both sporting similar (Navy Blue diagonal stripes) along with sponsor's decals and clubs crest.

After all, we saw this type of change during the last World Cup Cricket Tournament along with the cricket ball used from traditional red to white.

LLOYD SMITH Pembroke