school friend called Arthur Edwards who went to live in Bermuda I think in 1957. His father had a house in Bermuda, both he and Arthur were in the Merchant Navy. He was from Liverpool and went to St. Marys College Crosby.

Whilst I was away doing my National Service he went to live with his father and I never got to say goodbye. He would be about 63 years old. I hope somebody on your island can help me. All my best to everybody there.

DON BRENTON Embrace new taxi system February 12, 2001 Dear Sir, As a consumer, I hope that the proposed GPS dispatch system is embraced by the taxi industry. How many of us have waited an hour (or more) for a taxi promised by the dispatch to be "just around the corner''? Could a more efficient taxi dispatch service have prevented the Becky Middleton tragedy? Not a pleasant question, but one that should be asked! One possible solution is for the taxis that want the GPS system to create a dispatch service for themselves. The rest of the taxi drivers could then stick to the old way, but they will quickly realise that customers will choose the more reliable GPS dispatch service. I know I would! DOUBTING THOMAS Pembroke Where is my bus? February 12, 2001 Dear Sir, I have had enough! When Government schools are on mid term holiday, the route three bus, which leaves Hamilton at 7.45 a.m., never shows up. This is the only bus that doesn't show up and all the others leave at 7.45 a.m., This always happens. I've been told it's a special bus put on that route, for kids to go to school. It is not! It is on the regular bus schedule. I have been catching this bus every day for over five years. Due to this, I get to work late, lose pay and have to explain to my boss why I am late. That gets old really fast. The way I see it, the PTB drivers are more concerned with providing buses for students (who are loud, rude and unruly), then for adults going to work and making time. Adults who catch the bus regularly and pay $45 each month for a pass. What's wrong with this picture? I feel that the PTB drivers need to get it together.

Treviar Lightbourn Warwick Sue cell phone drivers February 7, 2001 Dear Sir, The one good idea the Transport Minister has had since coming into power is to get the law passed making it mandatory to wear seat belts while driving, and the sooner the better, and at the same time it should also be made illegal to use cell phones while in control of a moving vehicle. It's just a matter of time before someone gets killed as a result of this activity.

In the interim, if anyone should get injured because of a driver using a cell phone, I suggest you see a lawyer to see about suing that driver.

There is talk of bringing onto the Island a three wheeled vehicle, called a scootcar or something like that. At this time when parking is an ever increasing problem one has to wonder what category these vehicles will come under. Will they park in a space designed for a full sized car, or take up two or three spaces reserved for bikes? There is still a major problem of double parking in the City of Hamilton, especially on Parliament Street outside the Post Office and outside the pharmacy on the other side.

Trying to get through the traffic is sometimes a nightmare.

SEEING IT AS IT IS Pembroke A personal crusade February 8, 2001 Dear Sir, Having made it a personal crusade of mine to help stamp out the prejudice in Bermuda symbolised by "white, black and Portuguese''.

I cannot ignore your own unfortunate use of this offensive expression in your editorial today.

I can understand the difficulty in discussing the unique Portuguese experience within the context of the overall white experience in Bermuda without somehow separating them from their race, but is there not some way this can be done without perpetuating the racist bias that "white, black and Portuguese'' perpetuated.

Are we surprised that "Treatment like a Dog'' feels like he is nothing -- less than human? I assume we don't maintain Portuguese are Yellow, and we exclude them from being either white or black, then we eliminate them from all the races of humankind. Voila! `Treated Like a Dog', being Portuguese, is indeed not human. SHAME ON YOU.

And shame on you for missing an opportunity to work out an appropriate way of identifying the Portuguese within the Bermudian racial milieu when you discussed their highly visible plight in the broader issue of long-term residents -- a topic so very important to our country.

Larry Dennis