With bus fees, please consider the parents!
School bus service providers often increase bus fees without reasonable consideration (‘Parents irked as school bus fees increased again’, Gulf News, February 27). Parents are caught in a bind and are held in a “take it or leave it” situation. Families utilise the school bus service for various reasons. They may not be able to accompany their child to school because of work commitments or because there is no able-bodied adult available. I hope service providers will consider the hardships that parents face when they raise their fees.
From Ms Megna Rajagopal
UAE
Facebook comment
Changes happened
Not just the increase of bus fees, but when the school bus company change their rules of charging only one way, no one told us and kept charging us two ways even though my son used the bus service only one way. Now they are not ready to refund.
From Ms Diaa Thombre
UAE
Facebook comment
Girl guides set example
The salutary act of the Sharjah Girl Guides sets a glorious example of philanthropy (‘Sharjah Girl Guides raise Dh23,000 by selling cookies’, Gulf News, February 26). They collected Dh23,000 for orphans by selling cookies. The venture was indeed successful and has set an example for others to follow. It perfectly aligns with the UAE’s Year of Giving. One expects all other such humanitarian units to follow suit and do their part in alleviating the sufferings of the needy and the marginalised.
From Mr Thomas Matthew Parackel
Muvattupuzha, India
Children must be watched
The twin brothers drowning in a washing machine was a tragic incident (‘3-year-old twin brothers drown in washing machine’, Gulf News, February 27). It happened in the absence of their mother who left them to fetch detergent powder. The parents should not leave their children alone. Anything can happen by playing in a washing machine if it is open. Many cases have been reported in the UAE of children falling from balconies. Children must be watched.
I pray for the twin brothers and the grieving family members.
From Mr K. Ragavan
Bengaluru, India
Try to have sympathy
Please don’t judge the parents, you have no idea of their situation and why the poor mother had no other choice but to leave her sons on their own. Just imagine what they are going through now. All the support and sympathy for the poor family is required now.
From Ms Ludmila Chekhomova
Manama, Bahrain
Facebook comment
We can’t judge
I agree with Ms Ludmila Chekhomova. We judge without knowing the circumstances. They must be devastated. I hope they can reconcile with the situation soon.
From Ms Sarim Khan
Dubai
Facebook comment
Don’t leave children alone!
The end doesn’t justify the means! This mother did not choose a better option. By the way, we are not being judgemental. Leaving children alone for many minutes? Yes, children will be children, but three years old? You don’t leave a three year old all alone in the house. If you don’t have anybody to look after them, it’s better bring them along. Better yet, make your laundry once you can find a responsible person to look after them while you are gone.
From Ms Ma Rissa
UAE
Facebook comment
Children are mischievous
Goodness, this is so sad! I am so sorry for their loss! May the little boys rest in peace. We can’t blame the parents all the time. They can never be there every second to watch them, certainly this was an accident. Young children can be mischievous at times! We never know what will happen to our children the next minute even if we keep an eye on them all the time.
From Ms Cassandra Sandra
UAE
Facebook comment
The outside world
Stephen Carter’s opinion piece in Gulf News rightly expressed a concern of a lot of people from the preceding generation and extremely few that the current generation have (‘Stop staring at your phones’, Gulf News, February 25). Reading these comments, two things came to mind. First, how one of my professors called the current generation smartphone zombies, who have ears closed to the sounds of the world around them. Second, how someone mentioned in an address to a gathering the importance of taking off those earplugs and smiling at a stranger, who may be needing that smile to feel motivated. I agree with that as well. I confess to listening to music (at a low volume) while walking across campus by myself. But, I always try to say “hello” or smile when I see someone I know. Just as social media has been accused over the time of reducing social interactions in real life and reducing it to virtual reality, I guess every upgrade in a smartphone does exactly that. More and more people start getting into the phase of oblivion, when they’re texting on the way. From what I’ve been through, those real-time moments you have and share make more of a difference in the world around you and not just commenting and retweeting.
From Ms Maria Vincent
Los Angeles, US
Security checks
Bank officials over the phone verify and get all the confidential information from the customer (‘Man shocked as Dh6.5m vanishes from bank account’, Gulf News, February 25). Who knows if they pass this information on to anyone and could breach security. This verification over the phone should be stopped immediately, I don’t trust it.
From Mr Mujtaba
UAE
Facebook comment
Use Emirates ID
Many crimes like this are now on the rise due to the misuse of identification around the world. They should put in place a foolproof method for identity. I wonder if the personnel are checking the authentication of the card holder while transacting the business.
From Mr Govind Nayak
Dubai
Facebook comment
A massive transfer
It’s scary! Though it’s the fault of the thieves, the banks should have more tools to identify strange transactions. How easily the crooks transferred such a huge amount!
From Mr Azhar Khan
UAE
Facebook comment
Disappointing results
Ayyan Ali, the infamous Pakistani model, has succeeded in evading the law and hurriedly exited Pakistan following the Chief Justice’s order to annex her name from the Exit Control List. The sight of her cheerfully showing off victory signs on board an aircraft resounds the reminiscence of the cruel injustice system that is so prevalent and powerfully ingrained in Pakistan. An ordinary middle-class Pakistani would be more fearful and worried with the way justice is exercised and that it is always reserved for the rich and powerful. Her ordeal, or so she would like to have put it, had finally come to its expected end.
She was caught red-handed and indicted for attempting to smuggle foreign currency out of Pakistan when an honest and dutiful customs office reported her to the authorities. Later, she was further indicted as an accomplice to murder for the customs official who was investigating her case. The case was always in the political limelight as it involved senior members from the Pakistan’s People Party. Her indictments were so clear and powerful that one was hopeful of the tables being turned this time round. Hopeful to see justice served as it deserved. However, as with the judicial system, the entire nation’s expectations were made a mockery of.
The case is still ongoing, but with Ali, we all know that we have probably seen the last of her, at least in Pakistan. The case would continue for another indefinite period when injustice would finally be served and those implicated can once again walk free.
From Mr Bilal Farooq
Abu Dhabi
Protecting bullies
In light of a motion introduced by the Canadian Member of Parliament, Iqra Khalid, to condemn hate against Muslims and others alike, the world has come to a standstill after the right wing politicians cried out that freedom of expression was under threat.
The conservatives felt threatened by this non-binding motion even though it has no legal ramifications, but only signified a symbolic gesture. This has made me wonder. As everyone has rights, do bullies also have rights to exercise their ugliness? Do they have the same rights as wolves and other predators, like the laws of the jungle to victimise, terrorise and attack their prey?
But, in all fairness, these animals don’t act out of malicious intent as bullies do, nor do they go after their victims because of sadism as bullies do. They simply follow Nature’s laws to find food for themselves and their children.
But bullies are different. They do what they do out of malicious intent to hurt their victims. Conservatives who are opposing this motion seem to be advocating for bullies’ rights to do their dirty work without any opposition.
From Mr Abubakar N. Kasim
Toronto, Canada
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