A passing reference

September 29, 2002

Dear Sir,

Six years ago a Bermudian in London told me that if someone was seen at a bus stop, a passing motorist invariably offered you a lift.

This seems as accurate as the Bermuda Tourism's London office description of Bermuda: "Bermuda. Where seven cars is a traffic jam!"

A job well done

October 2, 2002

Dear Sir,

"A job well done" to the workers of the Corporation of Hamilton, on the completion of the walkway at the corner of Happy Valley and King Street.

This rural area consisted of an embankment with a weak, son-to-fall wall with lots of bushes and unkept trees; now it is a beautiful ramp/walkway that has been painted a bright and cheerful yellow.

It stands out as you approach it from any direction and is even more attractive at night. I know that it will be greatly appreciated by all that use it; the tourists that frequently walk to Fort Hamilton, mothers with strollers, wheelchairs etc., who can now walk on the sidewalk and not have to worry about the traffic coming so close to them on the sharp corner. I can say, for the past 15 years that I have been delivering mail in the area, it has been an eyesore.

The hard working men at the Corporation have turned it in to a user-friendly area that can be admired by all.

Again I say to those gentleman who worked so hard "you have done a fabulous job."

Front Street is for all

October 1, 2002

Dear Sir,

For the last two Sunday mornings Front Street and other streets in the City of Hamilton, as well as, most recently, the whole length of East Broadway as far as the roundabout, have been closed to the public to serve the interests of one or another small sporting group.

Front Street is not just another street in Hamilton; it is a major thoroughfare for the Island's traffic, probably the second most utilised stretch of road after the Middle Road in Paget between Rural Hill and the traffic lights.

This closure of a main Island through road for private sporting interests does several things contrary to the public interest and nothing at all for it. Any of these events would better be held on the excellent and little used road system at Southside or at Morgan's Point. The notion that more members of the public turn out to watch an event held in Hamilton is clearly disproved by the almost complete lack of spectators for the triathlon event last Sunday.

There are two cathedrals and at least four other major churches in the City of Hamilton, all of whose congregations are more or less seriously disrupted by these regular road closures. Anyone needing to travel from the western parishes to Pembroke or vice-versa are required to detour through Devonshire - and many are. There are many private premises within the City of Hamilton to which any access at all is completely denied for the duration of these events.

There is also the question of public safety. Ambulance service to west Pembroke would be serious delayed by these now almost constant street closures. A Fire Service response to, for example, the Princess Hotel would also be seriously constrained.

The Corporation of Hamilton must declare that, as a matter of policy, Front Street will not again be closed at any time in the future for any sporting event. Even its closure for "Harbour Nights", supposedly a tourist attraction but actually more akin to 'bread and circuss' for the local population, is a questionable disruption of the Island's main arterial road system for an extremely dubious cause.

I have decided that I will now on cease to support financially any athletic or sporting group or event whatever until this arbitrary, selfish disruption of the Island's traffic in the interests of a tiny minority of sports persons is stopped for good. I urge others, particularly businesses in the City to do likewise. I also urge the public to boycott City businesses that support or promote such events within the City for their own selfish advertising purposes.

Front Street is a public thoroughfare, not a sports arena.

Tag day a success

September 30, 2002

Dear Sir,

I am very pleased to report to you and your readers that the Committee of 25's Fund Raising and Tag Day held on August 16, 2002 raised $11,129.86.

This tremendous response reflects the humanitarian spirit guiding the Bermudian public.

We give our heartfelt thanks to all of those taggers who gave of their time to tag for us; the ladies who organised collections from the outlying district; the accounting firms for assisting with the cash count; stores allowing the use of their shop fronts; the businesses, large and small, who permitted their staff to collect on our behalf; those who, unable to tag themselves, made individual donations instead and the Bermuda Public who, year after year, assist us to help children with special needs.

We could not do it without you.

Thank you, and God bless you, each and everyone.

Webb's motive questioned

September 20, 2002

Dear Sir,

Renee Webb's tough stance with CableVision leaves one question in my mind. Is she looking out for the public welfare and/or does she have a personal vested interest with potential financial benefit to her in the success of the two new cable companies? If I can be assured that she has no financial ties to the two new companies, then I will view this situation and the PLP's stance in a more positive light.

Pathetic public service

October 2, 2002

Dear Sir,

I would like to make it known that some of Bermuda's bus drivers attitudes are "totally unacceptable".

Numerous times I have travelled on the bus and have myself been offended and have seen others be offended by the actions of bus drivers.

On September 30, I was travelling on the 5 p.m. St. George's bus from Hamilton. Here's the incident.

A middle-school-aged boy was on the bus. While the bus was pulling out he spotted his mother, whom he told to get on the bus. She hesitated because the bus was already leaving, but then the bus came to a stop for an apparent 30 seconds. The lady knocked on the door and asked to get on, the driver shook his head, saying no. So, the lady then asked that he let her son off the bus, and the bus driver says: "your mother says to get off the bus". The boy walks to the front and the driver lets him off, whilst the mother asked him, "Are you Christian? Are you Christian, Sir?" The bus driver closed the door in her face. Pathetic.

He had the time to let this boy off his bus, but couldn't take five seconds to let the boy's mother on. The question to this bus driver isn't so much about your religion, but are you a respectful citizen of this country, whom as a bus driver shows common courtesy to the travelling public on your bus as a comitted servant of Bermuda's people? I think not, for this isn't the impression you have left me, the boy, his mother and the others who were on the bus at the time with.

I am sure I am not the only person who has seen or experienced this treatment from bus drivers. There are other situations I would like to make you aware of, but until I get the name of the particular driver whom I see "disrespecting" the youth travelling on buses, I shall leave it at this.

P.S. Low and behold, in yesterday's newspaper there was also a complaint of bus drivers. Also will the 7.15 a.m. bus from St. George's that gets to Crawl around 7:30 please stop when they see students at the bus stops. It is obvious that we are at the bus stop early for a reason.