Where will the children play?
Children need to participate in physical activities as they grow up, in order to become healthy and well developed. Nowadays, they prefer to watch television, surf on the internet or play computer games. They require more playgrounds so that they can interact with other children, and share their ideas and views. Due to the lack of such facilities, they are forced to play in parking lots and near demolished buildings. This could be dangerous for children and passersby.
From Mr Abdul Wahab Moopan
Dubai
Not exclusive
Disturbance due to mobile phones is not exclusive to mosques ("Ringtone menace upsets worshippers in UAE mosques", Gulf News, September 7). This situation applies to churches as well. The priest often requests people to switch off their mobile phones before mass, but they still continue to ring.
It disturbs those assembled and destroys the mood of the worshippers gathered there. I usually keep my mobile phone on, but I either leave it in my car or switch it to 'silent' mode when inside the church.
From Mr Joel Fernandes
Dubai
Poor etiquette
People have forgotten civility. There seems to be no etiquette, anymore. People are loud, uncouth and constantly seeking attention. Speaking loudly in restaurants, on the phone or in the workplace is a sign of disrespect. Why do some people find it necessary for the world to know all the inner workings of their mind?
Screeching into the mobile phone in a public place is a common malaise. I, personally, think that there should be 'silence' zones in public places. Not the entire area but parts of it, where people cannot use their mobile phones. It might be hard to implement keeping in mind the fact that people find it difficult to switch off their phone even in a mosque.
Have we become so busy and brazen? Strange are the times.
From Ms Anka Roberston
Dubai
Next number one
I truly believed British tennis player Andy Murray had an excellent chance of winning the US Open ("Roger Federer seals 13th Grand Slam title with US Open win", Gulf News, September 9). I have watched him play and believe him to be a fighter. He never lets his defeats dictate his chances of reaching the top. I believe Murray is an excellent player and has the potential to be the next number one. He has been playing for a long time and has proven time and again that he is a force to be reckoned with.
From Mr Shaun John Stephen
Abu Dhabi
Solutions please
Since I moved to my apartment on Shaikh Zayed Road two years ago, I have not found a decent access route to my home. There is only one road leading to the buildings, and in one part of the road, it is not paved and has several potholes. Heavy vehicles from the nearby construction sites also pose constant hazards and account for greater wear and tear and damage to our vehicles.
With the addition of the Al Safa tollgate, every time my fellow residents and I leave home, we have to pay Dh4. I urge the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to find a solution to our woes.
From Mr Jean Krebs Fonseca
Dubai
Deflated
As a 68-year-old who cycles for health reasons, every evening, I went to a nearby supermarket to run an errand. On arriving, I requested the security guard to allow me to park my bicycle by the main door, instead of outside, as I was going in for just a few minutes. When I returned with my groceries, I discovered that my bicycle went missing.
The guard sent me on a wild goose chase and when I finally found it, I saw that the tyres were deflated and the valve caps had been stolen. I had to walk 30 minutes to a petrol station to pump air into the tyres. I hope others do not face such uncouth behaviour.
From Mr Srivatsa Rao
Sharjah
Count down
In Canada, there are no roundabouts and I think a similar system would help in Dubai. It would be a safer option to have a countdown timer at every major intersection in order to alert approaching drivers to either proceed or prepare to stop. The timer is a digital clock, which starts to count down as soon as the lights turn green, and the traffic controller sets the time limit as needed. When motorists are unaware of the duration between red and green lights, they are sometimes forced to brake in a hurry and this could result in serious accidents.
From Ms Nazneen Mughal
Ontario, Canada
Short-lived
I would like to bring to the notice of the authorities the unacceptable behaviour and uncouth manners of some taxi drivers in the Capital. When the new taxis were launched in Abu Dhabi, residents thought they had received considerable respite. But the relief appears to be short-lived. Some of these drivers have absolutely no respect for passengers, and on top of everything, they make passengers feel as if they are doing them a favour. It is high time the authorities took serious steps to resolve the matter.
From Mr Kaushik Bhattacharya
Abu Dhabi
Unite and speak up
Can the Gulf, which has voiced its concerns against Iran, also do the same against the US ("Arab League condemns Iran's occupation of three UAE islands", Gulf News, September 10)? The superpower has been occupying Iraq and Afghanistan and openly carrying out its plan to assert its control and authority over the Middle East. Israel must also be forced to vacate the occupied Palestinian territories. The Gulf nations must unite and bring change. From Dr Ahmad
Mumbai, India
Full name withheld by request
Be cautious
I feel that all automated teller machines (ATMs) in public places should not be positioned openly, but rather enclosed in a small room ("Banks in UAE warn customers of card fraud", Gulf News, September 10). This way, only one person can enter at a time, by swiping their card at the door. A security camera fitted at a suitable location could also function at all times. I feel very awkward when people peep at the ATM when one is withdrawing cash.
I have often noticed people peering to see how much cash the person in front of them is withdrawing.
From Mr Rajesh Nandakumar Shenoy
Dubai
Don't be silent
Recently, I went to a hypermarket to buy a 10-kilogramme bag of flour, but they were out of stock. When returning, I saw a man pushing a trolley with at least 15 bags of the same flour. I believe this is because in major hypermarkets, grocery owners buy goods at low prices and in big quantities so that they can sell it at a profit in their stores.
Despite the limit on purchases set by some hypermarkets, grocery owners are still free to buy items such as soft drinks, sugar and oil wholesale.
Why are these hypermarkets silent?
From Mr Syed Yasser
Dubai
Earthquake Letters
Disturbed nap
The earthquake that hit UAE was perhaps the worst experience I have ever had in my entire life ("Panic ripples across UAE after quake", Gulf News, September 10). I could actually feel the building sway and have never been so scared. I was sleeping at the time, when at around 3pm, I felt the bed shake. The wind chimes and the lampshades in the hall were shaking, too. I asked my son to be prepared to run downstairs at any moment. The effects were worse for us, as we live on the 15th floor. Though I have experienced an earthquake before, it was worse this time. I immediately called my husband, who had no idea what was happening. A few hours after the incident, I was still shaking and it took a while for me to resume normalcy.
From Ms Loraine
Sharjah
Full name withheld by request
Shaking chairs
I was on the 10th floor of my building and had just shut down my computer when I felt my chair moving. Straight away, I knew what was happening. The building shook for about three to five seconds.
From Mr Mohammad
Abu Dhabi
Full name withheld by request
Be prepared
People staying in the UAE would naturally be caught off guard in case of natural disasters. Very few people are aware of what safety measures to adhere to, under such circumstances. Gulf News could perhaps come up with a detailed article on the dos and don’ts during such events. This would definitely help everyone be mentally prepared if disaster should strike again.
From Ms Nadira Sultana
Abu Dhabi
Office shock
While I was at my office in Hamdan Street, my colleague and I experienced dizziness and later felt the building move like a barge floating in the water. We immediately rushed downstairs and found out that several others had experienced the same feeling.
From Mr Ganesan
Abu Dhabi
Full name withheld by request
A dream
I was awakened from my sleep at about 3pm by a deep rumbling sound, from under my bed. Additionally, the cupboard also shook. I thought I was dreaming, because I had read about the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) before going to bed. I then realised an earthquake was actually happening, but when I looked out the window, everything seemed fine.
From Dr Sajan K. Hanif
Dubai
Startling experience
I was having lunch when suddenly my chair started to vibrate. I felt like I was about to fall and assumed that something was wrong with the chair. I then noticed that the plants were shaking, too. I called out to my daughters immediately, to make sure they were safe. They also claimed to have experienced some rumbling, which is when I realised that it was an earthquake. I asked them to leave the apartment and go downstairs. My daughters were really frightened and started to cry.
From Mr Jones Daniels
Dubai
Confusion
I was trying to fall asleep at around 2.40pm when I felt like somebody was shaking my bed very slowly. Initially, I thought the screws of my bed had gone loose, but a minute later, I got a call from a friend who was at work in Deira. He informed me that there had been an earthquake.
From Mr Ajmal Rasheed
Abu Dhabi
Home alone
I was home alone when the wind chimes in my house began to clang wildly. The ceiling lights also swayed to and fro. The fright I experienced is something that will stay forever etched in my memory. I immediately informed my father and he instructed me to be with our neighbours. I grabbed my keys and cell phone and ran to their house. Thankfully, we experienced no damage within the house. This is an experience that makes me realise the importance of disaster management.
From Ms Neha Nambiar
Abu Dhabi
Quake ripples
I felt the tremors in Rolla Square, in Sharjah. They were quite strong, since my sofa, television table and bed were all moving. I was sitting in my living room when my sofa started to move. I then looked at the water bottles on my dining table and noticed ripples in the water. This was my first experience in an earthquake and I did not know what to do. I was very lucky that it stopped after less than a minute.
From A Reader
Sharjah
Name withheld by request
Confirmation
The earthquake was felt in Abu Dhabi as well. We were having lunch and clearly felt the building move.
From Ms Neena Sharma
Abu Dhabi
Confirmation
At around 2.55pm, I was talking to a colleague at work. He suddenly noticed the lights shaking. I felt the same thing as well, and we immediately ran to staircase. Our other colleagues followed suit. When we contacted our friends, they claimed to have felt nothing. We finally confirmed with Gulf News and found out that it was an earthquake.
From Mr M. Fayaz Khan
Dubai
Strange experience
I have lived in Taiwan before and have experienced many earthquakes. But, when tremors were felt in the UAE, I was a little afraid. My colleagues ran out of the building quickly and they did not know what to do. It was a very weird experience.
From Mr Cel Amandoron
Dubai
