| Letters - 21 February 2006 |
| Most-taxed motorists |
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| HAVING READ T. McArthur’s statement on being duty-bound to pay bridge tolls, does he or she realise that we are the most-taxed and penalised motorists in Europe? |
| The bridges are only another part of a road system which we already pay tax for.
As to the pollution, isn’t it about time people realised there is less pollution now than ever before?
I grew up in the Nethergate and walked up the Hawkhill to Logie School every day. Some days you couldn’t see 20 feet in front of you.
Every jute mill and even the wash-houses were powered by steam engines, which meant, like every home in the district, coal fires.
I think it is wonderful how clear the air in Dundee is. Go to the top of the Law Hill and have a look, then tell me about pollution. — W. Duthie, St Fillans Road, Dundee. |
| Freedom of choice |
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| LETTER WRITER T. McArthur finally shows his or her true colours — a dislike of vehicles and uses the toll debate as his camouflage.
So, what does T. McArthur want to happen? Should vehicles by-pass Dundee?
A “lifestyle choice” of using public transport is not available to some commuters — if it was, I would certainly use it and have in the past been a daily rail commuter to Aberdeen, until Scotrail made some timetable and scheduling changes.
A hard fact of life is that the car, truck, coach et al are here to stay. We can minimise use, but we cannot hope to change it, unless through dictatorial methods. Then the lifestyle choice would no longer be the freedom choice we all strive for. — Dave. |
| Bermuda Triangle |
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Ninewells Hospital
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| I WONDER if anyone else has come across what I can only compare to the Bermuda Triangle with Ninewells Hospital.
I phoned to inquire after the condition of a close friend. After my third attempt to get through to the switchboard operator, no-one could tell me which ward he was on, and I had to wait for him phoning me.
Come on, Ninewells, get your act together. People shouldn’t have to endure this added stress when phoning a hospital. — Stressed.
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| All down to money |
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| ANGUS READER Doug asks why Dundee’s waterfront development will have roads running through it. It all comes down to money.
Of course everyone would have liked a traffic-free waterfront area. But this would have meant ‘‘splitting’’ the bridge half-way, with roads tailing off towards the Stannergate and Riverside.
This was never going to happen. The present proposal is estimated at £270 million. I shudder to think what changes to the bridge and other traffic commitments would have come in at. — Jim Mackie, Dundee. |
| Not ideal |
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| IN RESPONSE to the letter Housing need by Dryburgh Reader, one-bedroom flats are ideal for some people, but living in an area like Charleston is not so ideal for most people.
The place is a magnet for drug addicts, criminals, wayward kids bunking off school, etc. — West Ferry Reader. |
| Van boy |
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| THE LETTER by Auld Dundee interested me. I don’t remember the shop at the junction of Happyhillock Road and Forfar Road, but I do remember a shop at the end of Glenconnor Drive, on the corner of Pitkerro Drive and Honeygreen Road.
As a 15-year-old van boy with Beatties Bread, I used to deliver to it in 1964 and it was owned by a lady. — Alex Mann, Happyhillock Resident. |
| Morning buses |
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| I READ with interest Iain Sheriff’s comments on getting buses to run on time.
He should try using a bus in the morning from Broughty Ferry since they decided to dig up Dundee City Centre. — Gerry From The Ferry. |
| Time to gloat |
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| I AM glad Just Over has the time to gloat over the fact that he escaped another speeding fine. I hope he would be man enough to tell that to the families of those who have had to endure the sadness of losing a loved one due to a speeding driver.
This writer has shown his total disregard of the law.
The sheer self-centredness of these people will always amaze me! — George Craigie, Dalcraig Crescent, Dundee. |
| Don’t blame cameras |
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| RE THE letter about speed cameras. Mr Scott says that cameras cause death. In what way? Speed cameras do not break speed limits, cars do. Anyone who lives in an area where there is a few yards of open road will tell you of speeding cars.
If there are more deaths on the road, blame speeding cars, not speed cameras. — Ian Farquharson, Hilltown Court, Dundee. |
| Website for dog owners |
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| I WAS saddened to read of the lost Staffie which went missing in Kirkton. If the owner has not yet found the dog, and has Internet access, and for any other dog lover, www.doglost.co.uk holds a register of all lost/stolen dogs throughout the UK. Owners can input details, photographs and updates. It has a superb network of concerned pet owners ready to assist in poster distribution etc if asked. It also provides many extra pairs of eyes to look for the dog.
Two friends locally have had dogs returned because of assistance from the site. — Rovers Return. |
| Pictures sought |
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| I WRITE from Melbourne, Australia, in a hope that someone may be able to help me. Although I have relatives who still live in Dundee, my dad, who is not keeping the best of health, never saw his father, who was killed in the second world war. He hasn’t even seen a picture.
Dad and Mum went to Australia to start a new life in 1964, and although returning for a holiday, still never managed to get a picture of his dad. I was hoping that someone may have a picture or some information about this forgotten soldier.
My grandad’s details that are known are as follows: Private John Lowden (25) No. 7344734, 22 Arthur Street, Dundee. Next of kin: Jean Lowden nee Allerdyce. Served with 152 Field Amb., Royal Army Medical Corps, died June 5, 1940 in France/Belgium, buried Dunkirk Town Cemetery. Memorial Ref: Column 143. — John Lowden, 3 Darius Terrace, South Morang 3752, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Email: jlo33692@bigpond.net.au |
| Offer free parking |
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| ABERDEEN CITY fathers propose to upgrade their retail facilities in the face of increased competition from Inverness and Dundee. Other towns offer free car parking on Sundays.
The opening of the Overgate has seen shoppers flock to Dundee, and the city has risen from 9th to 4th in Scotland for retailing.
To maintain this position Dundee’s administrators and centre parking owners need to continue developing ways of encouraging shoppers to come to Dundee. One way would be to offer free parking on Sundays.
Another would be to make sure the city centre roadworks don’t go on for one day longer than is absolutely necessary. — Clepingtonia. |
| School holidays |
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| MRS SANDEMAN must be aware there have to be school holidays, and times have changed for families. It was once the norm for mums to stay at home and look after the children, but in today’s society, it seems money has overtaken everything.
If mums wish to work they must conform to the school holidays and cannot expect the authorities to change these to suit working mums.
Let’s get back to basics. — B. C., Monifieth. |
| Gaelic |
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| WE CAN’T remember if the Gaelic language is the 2nd or 3rd oldest in the world. Maybe someone can tell us?
Pupils in primaries are not forced to learn Gaelic. I only wish I had been. I would have loved to learn it. Children in secondary schools learn German or French, but I never got to as I left school at 14.
I hope anyone who learns Gaelic will get on great. After all, Gaelic people live all over the world, not just in Scotland, Wales or Ireland. — A True Scot. |
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