In a rush, she forgot to collect the purse from the cash counter after making the payment. On returning home, we realised that the purse was missing.

My daughter went back to the shopping mall and was surprised to find the item kept safely with customer care. It was handed over to her without any hassles.

We were very impressed with the service and the treatment given to us.
From Mr K. K. Save
Mumbai, India

Use a quote
Fast food companies can help to curb incidents of violence amongst teenagers by placing inspirational and motivating quotes on soft drink cups, paper products and packaging.

Malls could support this initiative by sticking up inspirational posters throughout the area. If a great quotation touches an angry teen, it could help save his or her life.
From Mr Joseph Martino P.
USA

Learning new stuff
I loved Gulf News's Go Green article on the carbon footprint ("What is a carbon footprint?" Gulf News, June 27).

The other day, I was asked the same question by someone who didn't know what damage a carbon footprint could cause.

When I did try to explain with examples like leaving the tap running or the lights on, the person still looked confused.

Incidentally, the very same day, I opened Gulf News and the answer was in the form of the aforementioned report. Thanks for all the information.
From Ms Jacqueline M. Dyer
Dubai

Commendable
Gulf News's Go Green initiative is commendable. With the alarming rate at which the carbon footprint is growing worldwide, it is high time we did our bit to save our planet.

I have been actively conserving energy for many years, as instilled by my parents ever since we were children. My children do the same.
From Ms Roopa Jacob
Dubai

Thing of the past
Gulf News's article has presented the picture of real India ("'Real' India is a village", Gulf News, June 30).

People spending their weekends at the mall and residing in metros are not the real India as this class comprises only 10 to 15 per cent of the total population.

Majority of Indians still live in small towns and villages with plenty of time to socialise with each other and share joys and sorrow.

In every village street, one can find children playing sports that are specific to their culture. All festivals are celebrated with equal enthusiasm.

However, with an increase in the number of people migrating to the cities, this beautiful picture of real India might soon become a thing of past.
From Ms Namita Dutt
Abu Dhabi

Sooner the better
Emiratis should get the same treatment when they travel to foreign countries, especially if residents of certain countries get a visa on arrival in the UAE ("Emiratis call for equality in visa-on-arrival system," Gulf News, June 29).

Once my son, while studying in the UK was involved in an accident.

He was attacked badly and had to be hospitalised. I heard the news in the afternoon and even though there were lots of flights to the UK, I had to wait until the next morning to get my visit visa from the embassy.

I could have been there earlier if I had the visa on arrival. The sooner the better, as I find this topic is only raised during summer holidays and later forgotten.
From Ms Zainab Abdulla
UAE

Yet to happen
It's no surprise why people hire illegal maids despite stricter rules and heavier fines ("UAE domestics come clean of visa sales", Gulf News, June 30).

There is a huge demand for housemaids, yet the rules of hiring a maid legally and the exorbitant cost involved force residents to resort to illegal means.

Promises from the authorities of relaxing rules and setting up of a new company to hire maids are yet to formalise.

Thousands of families are suffering as they are unable to hire a maid easily, legally and in a cost effective manner.
From Mr Shabir Zain Al Deen
Abu Dhabi

Very considerate
With the prospect of compulsory health insurance for employees across the UAE, the authorities have provided a sense of relief to a lot of people.

This will surely help people who are already living under tremendous pressure, due to low salaries and a high cost of living.

This kind of a reform will make treatments for health problems more affordable, thereby attracting patients as well as investments to the healthcare sector in the country, which in turn would contribute to the overall economic growth.
From Ms Rajvansh Kaur
Dubai

Think again
Married people should never be considered a minority ("Married people now a minority", Gulf News, June 28).

Social tie-ups that have no marital order will surely be the start of deviant behaviour and social disorder.

We must rethink such concepts or it will lead to the decadence of humanity and morality.
From Mr Mohammad Saif Al Deen
Dubai

Serious concern
Acquiring a driving licence is a horrible process nowadays ("Dubai panel to probe learner drivers' failures", Gulf News, June 17). I applied for a licence last February but have still not managed to pass the tests. The rules for exams changed this year, as learners were told that if they failed, it would take them a further two months to retake the test. After waiting for two months, driving students would have just five minutes to show that they can drive well. How is this possible without practice? No wonder so many people are failing. I do not blame the instructors or examiners, but I am seriously concerned about the amount of time allotted to each student during the driving test. They should be allowed to drive for longer before quick judgments are passed on their skills.
From Ms Padma Nabhan
Sharjah

Are they wrong?
I read the recent Gulf News report on drivers’ licences. I have noticed that even if a person is confident in driving, the examiner does not hesitate to fail him or her. In my case, as a resident of the Gulf for more than 30 years, I have valid driving licences from two Gulf countries and a 32-year-old licence from the country of my origin. I own a car in my homeland and have purchased, driven and sold four cars in my duration in the Gulf. In all this time, I have not had any accidents or traffic violations. As a candidate for a driving licence, I have been failed twice without any valid explanation. I asked the examiner why he failed me, to which he responded that my driving was ‘not good’. If this is the case, were the other three countries wrong in issuing me a driving licence? I urge the authorities to consider my case. I require a driving licence for my job and am now facing problems at work because it is taking so long to acquire one.
From Mr Narayan Kutty Nair
Dubai

Learn by driving
Driving is a skill and as with any skill, frequent practice is required. I do not understand why an applicant, who pays in advance, has to wait for months prior to attending a class and is only limited to a maximum of six hours of practice per week — unless of course, one is willing to pay double the rate per hour. Not only that, if one takes weekend classes, he or she would have only four hours of practice, even if the rates offered are higher. Is this because the driving institutes want to give equal opportunities to everyone, as there are so many applicants? I do not think so. Practically, if anyone does several things all at the same time, the end result will take longer than necessary. Why not concentrate on a number of students first, and once they pass, take on another batch? Additionally, I believe that when learning any skill that requires practice, dragging on the learning period is a deliberate attempt to delay learning itself. This will never be beneficial for any student, but would rather provide an excellent moneymaking scheme for institutes. On an added note, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) could also look at the possibility of issuing ‘learner permits’.  Why limit practice in a driving institute vehicle and with an instructor only? After taking a road test, if the student is still not really good enough to be left by himself on the road, then someone qualified can accompany him. He can then try for the road test when his driving skills have improved. This way, practice will not be isolated and exclusive to the driving institutes alone.
From Ms Lourdes Chai
UAE

No consolation
I attended a road test on May 29 and found that right from the very beginning, the examiner behaved very rudely with all the students. I was second in line and was made to drive for nearly 12 minutes. The examiner asked me how many times I attempted the test before giving me a sheet of paper with circles on them and the words 'Fail'. He was laughing at me all the while. The examiner had tested my skills in parking and at the roundabout and I was confident that I drove well. I was deeply hurt by his behaviour and shared the incident with my colleagues, but their consolations did not help much. I then decided to take up the issue with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and logged a complaint about the rudeness of the examiner. Soon after, I received a call from the RTA's licensing department and their officials took down details about the incident. Just a few days later, I received a call from the director of the licencing department. I was so happy that they had considered my complaint and took my suggestion seriously. The director told me he had initiated a meeting with the inspectors and had given them some guidelines. I respect the RTA and appreciate their efforts in making Dubai a wonderful place for residents. However, some inspectors do not do take their jobs seriously and play around with the sincere efforts of learners, and they need to be monitored. I am grateful that the RTA was very professional in their approach and took my concern seriously.
From Mr Vijay D'Souza
Dubai

Maintain quality
Regarding the recent report in Gulf News regarding the cancellation of licences to substandard schools, I truly appreciate the move by the authorities ("Licences of substandard schools in Dubai will be revoked", Gulf News, June 15). The burgeoning growth of schools in UAE without proper facilities has been quite alarming. This step will at least instill a sense of responsibility among school authorities and help curb commercialisation of education to a great extent. Education should always work under the service sector to maintain its quality.
From Ms Latha Narasimhan
Dubai

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