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Letters - 28 August 2009
Bottle throwing youths terrify mum
I had a frightening experience when I waited in my car with my two-year old son while my partner popped into a shop in Stobswell, Dundee.

A gang of about 20 youths were congregating in the area as they do almost every night of the week when they are on holiday or at the weekends.

One of them threw either a glass or bottle at the back end of my car and when I got out to see what they had thrown, they hurtled abuse at me.

These kids have a terrible attitude. They just hang about in the doorways of shops and you can’t get in.

I wonder if their parents know what they are up to and just don’t bother.

We need more strict punishments or parenting classes for the kids’ parents so that they know what the kids are up to.

I would never have dreamt of doing any of the things that they all do at their age.

They should really know better and action needs to be taken to make sure they are educated and aware of the dangers they pose, before someone gets hurt. — Worried, Stobswell.

Signs need to be clear


I strongly urge Dundee City Council and Tayside Police to more clearly mark and police Mallaig Avenue in Gowrie Park as a 20mph zone.

Currently there are two signs that have a green border around the 20mph and not red.

This seems to be causing problems as almost every driver; including taxis, buses, work vans and transport ambulance (not on emergency calls), seem to be under the impression this is a request.

There are many blind spots on this avenue, hence the 20mph limit, and yet while driving on the avenue I have been overtaken, tailgated, abused and when turning off into Greenstone Terrace I have almost been crashed into.

Trying to get on Mallaig Avenue from Greenstone Terrace does not fare much better.

Even with edging out, my family and I have narrowly missed being smashed into. — Worried Driver.

Goals seen better days
Recently there were people collecting money in Broughty Ferry to help improve the football facilities in Douglas.

Good luck to them, but when you look at the musty, unpainted goalposts of different heights in Orchar Park, then it’s maybe time for a collection by locals for sporting facilities in Broughty Ferry. — J. Murray, Broughty Ferry.

Grandstanding over Lockerbie
I can fully understand why some people disagree with the decision release of the Lockerbie bomber.

Unfortunately, after watching the debate I am of the opinion that opposition leaders were merely grandstanding.

It is ludicrous to suggest that Megrahi should have gone to a hospice. I also found it strange that some who have been the strongest calling for more police on the beat are demanding that nearly 50 police officers should have been dragged off the streets to guard Megrahi.

It takes political posturing to new levels.

Well done to those opposition politicians who broke from party ranks and spoke in favour of the decision. — Political Connoisseur.

Unfair outrage
I write to say all the outrage being heaped upon Scotland’s Justice System/Secretary over Megrahi in what was a complex case is unfair.

Also following from that, those who welcomed him home as a hero were clearly wrong, but it will be for them to resolve this matter. I would go further by demanding that any information discussed between Blair/Gaddafi regarding the same issue should be released in full so the general public can judge for themselves. — R. G., Forfar.

No longer speak for Scotland
I’ve always voted SNP and thought we were making progress towards an independent Scotland that we could be proud of, but I believe the party no longer speaks for or represent the views of the people of Scotland.

Alex Salmond and Kenny MacKaskill should do the decent thing and walk away now, while the SNP party is still salvageable, but first they should issue a public apology for allowing Al Megrahi his freedom and personally apologise to every single family who lost someone in the bombing.

Should we release Moors murderer Ian Brady or maybe Peter Tobin if they fall ill? — Ex-SNP Voter.

Right decision
The decision to free the Lockerbie bomber was the right one. He is dying of cancer. Our sympathy, of course, goes to the relatives of the 270 victims, but I doubt if Megrahi was the real culprit. — Westender, Dundee.

Lochee went for Tesco
I read the letter “Lochee needs more shops” from Dryburgh Reader with a wry smile.

He calls for an assortment of small specialist retailers, such as a greengrocer, clothes shop, ironmonger and delicatessen, for Lochee to complement a supermarket.

In the past, Lochee had all those.

Then along came Tesco, and folk abandoned the small retailers in droves to get their goods cheaper, with no need to waste effort walking between various shops.

For the sake of saving pennies, they condemned the wee businesses, and often their local suppliers, to closure, also sowing the seeds for the rundown, druggie-ridden wasteland the High Street’s become.

Now Tesco’s gone, there are calls for specialist shops to return.

Who’d be daft enough to gamble savings on a small shop in Lochee, knowing how the punters would dump them again for their cheap, convenient goods as soon as a new supermarket opened its doors? — Get Real.

THE ADDRESS for readers’ letters is - Readers’ Page, Evening Telegraph, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL. They can also be placed in our post box at our offices in Albert Square, Dundee, emailed to us on letters@eveningtelegraph.co.uk or faxed on 01382 454590. We ask correspondents using a nom-de-plume or sending by e-mail to provide a name and address for reference purposes. The editor reserves the right to reject or edit any letter. Please keep letters as short as possible.*
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