A small price to pay
These parents polled in the Gulf News report are basically saying they would rather gamble with their children’s lives than buy a child seat (‘Here is why UAE motorists don’t have child seats’, Gulf News, April 25). I would rather have babies crying while in the child seat than my wife and me crying later. We have trained our children since day one, so now they always remind us: “Daddy, seatbelt!”
From Mr Adam Ali
Sharjah
Facebook comment
There is no excuse!
The excuses are basically a load of nonsense. I can’t believe there are so many parents driving around with their children unrestrained, even in the front seat.
From Mr Michael Dowds
UAE
Facebook comment
Foolish reasoning
I agree with you, Mr Michael Dowds. Not having a car seat because of the reasons listed only clarifies that they are ignorant and foolish. Why have children then?
From Ms Natalie Kotze
Dubai
Facebook comment
What’s important?
If you don’t have child seats when you have children in the car, then you are either ignorant or you don’t care about the child’s safety.
From Mr John Ord
UAE
Facebook comment
No control
Children don’t like car seats. They don’t want to get locked into it. They like to stand behind their parents’ seat and see outside. Are parents unable to control small children?
From Mr John Mathew
UAE
Facebook comment
Be safe!
The reason that it’s too expensive is no excuse at all. If thousands of dirhams is more important than your child, then there is no need to have a child. Saying that your children don’t like to be strapped in?
I experienced the same, but in the long run, the child will get used to it. It’s all about a parent’s responsibility.
If you say that you don’t know which child seat to buy, you know how to buy or to choose a good mobile phone, right? Even if you are a safe driver, expect the unexpected.
Safety first. Love your family and love others. Be a safe driver!
From Mr Netsrak Noslen Reyes Bagaporo
UAE
Facebook comment
What would you prefer?
Some parents say that it’s too expensive? Well, in one case they are right – a small coffin is cheaper.
If the children don’t like it, how much does that really matter? I don’t like going to work every morning, but I have to do it. If you are three years old, you don’t have much to say about your life. Otherwise, don’t reproduce.
From Ms Alexandra Kisiel
UAE
Facebook comment
Eyes on the road!
These people like to watch such accidents (‘Distracted by dhow fire, man drives car into lagoon’, Gulf News, April 24). Keep driving! Don’t look around! If you notice some accidents around you and you really want to watch it, then park your car and watch, because you like to watch only, not to help.
From Mr Zafar Tulaganov
Dubai
Facebook comment
A woman’s choice
A woman can change her name if she wants to, but she doesn’t have to if she doesn’t want to (‘Why I changed my name and am happy with it’, Gulf News, August 26). When a woman loves with intensity, she often has a lot of happiness in taking the name of her husband, it is an honour.
From Ms Asia Elisabeth Meel
UAE
Facebook comment
Are we unhappier?
Has our perception of happiness changed or is happiness really eluding us (‘Was life simpler for our grandparents?’, Gulf News, April 23)? Satisfaction and happiness have become rare commodities in today’s world. The amazing technological advances in every arena have given us various material comforts and luxuries. But, leading a gadget-obsessed, immensely hectic life has made us robots. Life seems to be bereft of happiness.
Five to six decades ago, technology had not made its grand foray. Life was much simpler then. Our forefathers did not spend much time on travelling while going to work, stuck to one job till they hung up their boots. The change they had to cope with was minimal and manageable. Most women were homemakers, hence did not have to do the tight-rope balancing act of family and career. There was warmth in relationships and people tried to be happy with what they had.
It is a different scenario today. The digital world’s amazing inventions have been showering us with loads of material assets, but the real happiness is playing hide-and-seek with us. Our material desires are escalating.
I think we need a balance.
From Ms Jayashree Kulkarni
Abu Dhabi
The King of Clay
Congratulations to Rafael Nadal for winning this year’s Monte Carlo Master tournament for a record breaking 10th title to script a perfect 10 (‘Nadal kick-starts clay season with a flourish’, Gulf News, April 24). No doubt he has been struggling to win a Grand Slam since his return from his injury. However, he has definitely improved by leaps and bounds to regain his rhythm, especially on clay courts. We are confident that he would rewrite the records at the French Open, too, by winning the same the 10th time, to prove that he is King of Clay.
We also should take this opportunity to congratulate Rohan Bopanna, who won the doubles title at
Monte Carlo with his new partner, Pablo Cuevas.
From Ms Janaki Mahadevan
Mylapore, India
Beating the competition?
These countries are just trying to stop competition between with the Middle Eastern airlines and their home airlines, because their home airlines are losing the market to the Middle Eastern airlines (‘Now, New Zealand considers laptop ban on flights from Middle East’, Gulf News, April 25). In order to promote growth, they need to first stop the competitors! This has nothing to do with terrorism, but has everything to do with market competition. It’s hypocrisy!
From Ms Cassandra Debbie Sandra
UAE
Facebook comment
Making obstacles
Is this the new strategy to ban Middle Eastern airlines? While they cannot compete with them, they are making obstacles on the way to ban them.
From Mr Lij Eyasu
UAE
Facebook comment
Not about security
This is getting out of hand. This is no more than a thin failed attempt at to hinder certain airlines from competing with other countries. It has nothing to do with security whatsoever.
From Mr Robert Murray
UAE
Facebook comment
Focus on national interests
Honestly, I am with the French Presidential candidate Marie Le Pen (‘French election: Top politicians back Macron’, Gulf News, April 25). If you take a look at what is going on in French society, one need not be told who has the determination to end these problems. French citizens want to see less terrorism and more focus on national interests.
From Mr Johannes Alfred
Makurdi, Nigeria
Facebook comment
Why create conflict?
I am wondering why only the US is so keen taking on North Korea’s issues (‘The North Korea-Trump nightmare’, Gulf News, April 23). What about other nations, particularly those recognised nuclear powers? Don’t they have any say on this issue?
There are quite a few questions the public can raise and many are a concern to the existence of the world itself. While the US is spending a lot in moving its ships and arms to the Korean peninsula, there is no answer to the question of ensuring the safety of people in South Korea.
What the world is lacking in recent times is only peace. The North Korean issue is not something new and it has many adverse effects on the Koreans. It may also trigger several other issues in the world. If a potential Korean war could lead to million-plus casualties and damages, I’m wondering why would any nation escalate to that extend instead of solving it peacefully. The lessons learned from Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan is that it is easy to initiate a conflict, but difficult to end.
As the author has rightly said, the role of China is critical to ease the tension in the Korean peninsula and it helps save the lives of several millions on Earth, as well the environment to a great extent.
From Mr Ramachandran Nair
Oman
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