Dear Sir, Please refer to your front page story, Royal Gazette , March 30, stating `A majority of Reid Street merchants favour moves to pedestrianise' according to a Chamber Survey. And: "67 percent of merchants said they were in favour of pedestrianisation' if eight spots in the City Hall car park were given to shoppers. You have been very seriously misled. Pedestrianisation itself was never raised in the survey at all. Here are the three questions concerning Reid Street, each requesting a clarifying comment: 1. Are you in favour of making improvements on lower Reid Street to reduce traffic congestion and improve the pedestrian environment? 2. Are you in favour of leaving the street as it is? 3. Do you favour a proposal from the Corporation to convert City Hall car park -- 107 spaces -- into a shoppers parking area (two or three hours maximum parking - one visit per day) to replace any of the 31 parking places that may be lost on Lower Street? The difficulty presented by question 1 was that while everyone obviously would like to see double parkers, vagrants and panhandlers removed for the benefit of all, this would require a `yes' answer risking an interpretation of support for removing customer and service vehicle parking altogether. It might even send a signal that the retailers were ambivalent about the crucial importance of parking. As a consequence, while several stores on the street still answered positively, they relied on strong qualifying commentary to get the parking message over. Others, especially those with the most numerous employees, took no chances at all and just voted `no', leave it as is.

Question 2 was equally fraught. No one could possibly be `against' better policing, but this would require a `no' answer to the question, again risking a perception of endorsement for wholesale prohibition of parking. The more employees involved, the less respondents were prepared to risk the loss of parking.

Question 3 is no-win. No matter which way it is answered, the voter has agreed to sacrifice parking in either the City Hall or Reid Street or both. Below are the comments, very slightly excerpted, by the 12 concerns actually on the street. They are the key to interpreting the survey.

A specialty store, against environmental improvement or any change: "We are concerned that changes will have a significant negative effect on customer traffic.'' A large department store voted for an improved environment in question 1, but made sure about preserving the parking by voting to leave the street strictly as is. This store made it plain: "Parking for shoppers is essential... Congestion would not be cut down.... Do not drive shoppers out of the City by making it harder to shop.'' It then makes clear the reason for a positive answer for environment improvement -- "The street is only used by gangs of youths at Christmas time -- not as a walk way for shoppers.'' Another large multi-floor department store that wanted the street left strictly alone: "Convert all of City Hall parking to 2 or 3 hours parking for shoppers. Also find parking spaces nearer to lower Reid Street...'' A Reid Street specialty store with other outlets in Hamilton supports both environmental improvements and change as well, but: "Parking is going to be the key to the success of this project. Our business is 90 percent local and unless locals can easily find somewhere to park and shop, you are going to ruin the best retail street in the City.'' Another large multi-floor store in favour of leaving the street as is: "There needs to be more parking spaces for longer stays in the City. Maybe having a two hour voucher would also encourage people to shop. One hour is not long enough in most cases. Try converting City Hall (to shopping parking).'' Another multi-floor street-to-street store against any changes at all: "...convert all of the City Hall into two hour parking. This includes the area behind the City Hall.'' A medium sized specialist store wants no change and does not comment. Four small shops are for improving the pedestrian environment and are also not in favour of leaving the street as it is. Their commentary is less clear. One: "Do as many positive things you can to make a better place to live.'' Another, "Lets get on with it!' Two others did not comment.

The person you interviewed about the survey was the only one that answered the unasked question about converting the street entirely to a pedestrianised zone, and who presumably misled you into believing that 67 percent of the responses were in favour of it. With a service vehicle and customer parking access for his store safely on another street, he said: "Let's move and convert lower Reid Street to a pedestrian zone no later than Spring 2002.'' If the response was numbers of employees weighted, the vote was an overwhelming demand for enhanced parking, on Reid Street. This is hardly surprising, as the customer parking on the street registers a minimum turnover of some 81,000 customers a year. Also, rather obviously, most pedestrians arrive in cars. The crux of the matter is secure employment for the many hundreds of Bermudians who work on Reid Street. Secure employment depends on happy customers. Customers require parking -- plenty of easy, accessible, friendly parking -- near the shops. Bermudians are not about to give up the comfort and safety of their cars. To assume they will is wishful thinking.

REID STREET RETAILER City of Hamilton A job well done March 30, 2001 Dear Sir, We are writing this letter to thank Nancy Acton and The Royal Gazette for the article `Dealing with Autism' and the write-up on BASE (Bermuda Autism Support and Education society) dated February 22, 2001. The articles were beautifully done and, we feel, very informative, and hopefully have brought a greater awareness of Autism to Bermuda. It is our hope that your newspaper will continue to provide Autism awareness through further informative articles on the subject.

We would also like to thank all those individuals who have supported us by purchasing Autism Awareness Ribbons. April is Autism Awareness Month and we will be out selling more ribbons to the public all month, as well as promoting a denim day for Autism on April 27, 2001. We hope that everyone will wear their ribbons proudly each day in April to show their support for Bermuda's children and adults living with Autism.

BASE is now a registered charity ( 590) and we will strive to provide a solid foundation for Education and Support to the community, and all persons (parents, professionals, teachers, etc.) whose lives are touched by the Autistic Spectrum.

Thank you very much for your support.

BASE EXECUTIVE Flatt's A satisfied viewer March 28, 2001 Dear Sir, With reference to "A Disgruntled Customer's'' letter berating Cablevision for replacing channels 43 & 50, I would like to respectfully disagree. I personally, could kiss whoever is responsible for adding Speedvision to the line-up as I have spent countless hours and cash trying to receive this channel on our recently depleted Satellite system. Speedvision is the only place for good motorsports coverage and I'm sure that all Bermuda's motorsports fans (and there's a lot of them!) will agree.

I take A Disgruntled Customer's point about having channels replaced rather than added but I'm sure there's some overriding technical reason for this. And as for the list of channels he'd like to see replaced, there would be many equally loud screams if the BBC or The Weather channel were replaced. I would personally like to see BBC America and Comedy Central added and the Spanish channels killed but I guess you can't please all of the people all of the time.

So thanks Cablevision, at least these latest changes are a step in the right direction.

FIREBLADEBOY Smith's Parish ...and another one March 28, 2001 Dear Sir, I refer to a letter in today's Royal Gazette from `A Disgruntled Viewer'. I would say to that person that we all have different tastes. All of the channels that he/she has suggested be axed are the ones I like to watch. I love the arts and the nature channels as well as being something of a news junky. I do not care for the programmes that `disgruntled' likes to watch. So guess what? I don't watch them. `Disgruntled' also has that choice.

I would never, however suggest that those programmes be removed. Even down to the violent, degrading and brainless talk shows on the air. We fortunately enjoy freedom of expression and freedom of choice. I do believe that the objective of Cablevision is to cater to as many different tastes as possible.

It seems to me that they are doing their best to fulfil that.

M. COX Bailey's Bay Answer lies underground April 3, 2001 Dear Sir, Referring to the recent articles on parking problems, the Bermuda Hotel Association suggested a plan for the City Hall parking lot that would be beneficial to tourist entertainment as well as for parking.

Firstly, parking could be at least double and maybe more by excavating for underground parking.

Secondly, a convention hall could be on the first ground floor which would enhance group business particularly in the fall, winter and spring periods.

Thirdly, the only way that much needed entertainment is feasible is by using some of the profits from a casino.

Every cruise ship in the world now has a casino, and the `Mafia' connotation has largely disappeared.

CONRAD ENGELHARDT Will he ever learn? April 3, 2001 Dear Sir, Sir John Swan is getting a lot of mileage propounding his many solutions to the challenges faced by Bermuda as a whole, and recently the City of Hamilton, while hanging in the wings hoping some independence plum will somehow drop in his lap.

It is worth pointing out, for those who will have forgotten, that less than ten years ago Sir John instituted the Commission on Competitiveness to examine all of the headings that he now ventures solutions for. They were exhaustively examined on a volunteer basis by numerous teams of very concerned and well-informed people. The final report was compiled for him, as Premier, and published in March 1994.

It is now quite obvious that Sir John's simplistic views, seemingly surfacing in almost every edition of your paper, and the precise, considered solutions offered by the report, were miles apart. So that was the end of it, much time and effort wasted, and due lack of any action on it, a severely eroded loss of confidence in the UBP's executive and problem solving ability.

Now he is again advocating one of the pet theories that undoubtedly helped bring his government down, that of closing Bermuda businesses and renting their premises out to foreigners. Rather than address the reality of what to do to make Bermuda business competitive, a perfectly possible if complex task, he advocates the MacDonald's solution all over again. Will he ever learn? OBSERVER City of Hamilton Staff were disappointing April 3, 2001 Dear Sir, Last weekend I played golf at Port Royal Golf Course for the first time in two years. I had heard rumours of the poor condition but nothing prepared me for the unacceptable state of the establishment, which I will explain.

On arrival I checked in at the clubhouse. The attendant was very pleasant but the atmosphere was akin to that of a government department not of a high profile visitor spot. No offence to government departments but this is a revenue generating location which must have a conducive environment. Cold grey government style partitions were most unappealing.

The course is in poor condition but several Bermuda courses have had a tough winter so I am not too critical of the course. I am critical of the staff who ride about in carts on the courses and seem to be located in the most obscure positions such as having a beverage/food cart at the 11th and 17th tees. The weather was poor and they may have sought protected locations but my perception was they were hiding and not performing their role to offer food and beverages throughout the course. They are in the tourism industry and don't seem to realise they have to provide a service.

After the round I drove my cart back to the clubhouse and someone shouted to me "get my clubs off the cart quickly'' as someone needed my cart. No assistance was offered but I do admit I did what I was told. No cleaning of clubs was offered, it just seemed to be an atmosphere of getting me out the way, as they were busy. Again this is my perception but I found it most unprofessional.

In the clubhouse, I was shocked. The bar and restaurant were shut as the franchise holder had closed for some reason. I was told it might open again sometime in April. I looked around the room with sadness. This had been a convivial location with lots of interesting characters and was now empty. So sad to see.

We were advised to have a refreshment at the halfway house. There the pleasant lady told me no beer at the halfway house but we could get one from the beverage carts on the course. Unfortunately, they were last seen at the 17th tee.

That was nearly the end of my visit but just then a delivery truck reversed up by the side of the practice green. We all had to move our clubs out of the way and the truck substantially blocked the cart path for golfers and carts. The deliveryman was very pleasant but no-one seemed to understand this is one of Bermuda's favourite golf spots and a substantial revenue generator. Surely the delivery could be made by trolley? Clients find that type of behaviour totally unacceptable.

It seemed to me no one was in charge and the whole establishment has slipped out of control. It really saddened me. One of Bermuda's treasures is lost. No tourist will ever put up with this as they have to pay significant dollars and I doubt they would recommend anyone to visit Port Royal.

DAVID SMITH Paget An excellent response March 28, 2001 Dear Sir, Now that the `Give for a day....help for a Lifetime' Telethon 2001 has come to a spectacular end, I would like to acknowledge all those volunteers that made the evening successful. We are especially grateful to the community for the degree to which they responded to our call to action which was most gratifying. Once again Bermudians and residents have demonstrated that they support funding excellent substance abuse treatment and prevention solutions.

Thank you and God bless.

AUSTIN WARNER JR.

Director of Development Council Partners Well done CedarBridge March 28, 2001 Dear Sir, I noticed in a newspaper about a day ago showing CedarBridge Academy as the winners. Congratulations to them but, where was Berkeley? They didn't come second and they didn't come third. Guess not all Government schools should be credited.

KIERON PAUL ST. CLAIR SMITH Pembroke