I respond to Face Traffic Facts published on May 2.

I am an avid road runner and admit that I run with my back to the traffic, so according to Mr. Scott, I, along with every other runner that I know, and run with, are idiots.

I do not have to ask Mr. Scott if he is a runner or walker on Bermuda's roads, because obviously, he isn't. If he was, he would know that running against the traffic might be fine for the US and Canada where they have wide shoulders and sidewalks, but it doesn't work in Bermuda. Believe me, we have tried it! The one time I did try it, I got clipped on the shoulder, and knocked flat by a motorbike cutting the corner. He had nowhere to go and neither did I. I spent the entire run bending at the waist trying to look around blind bends and risking decapitation. Not to mention having to leap into the bushes because a car had come round the bend and had cut right into my path. As often as I can, I use the trails, beaches and golf courses, but unfortunately, as a single female, believe it or not, it's "safer'' to use the roads, rather than quiet, secluded areas! The problem, Mr. Scott, is not the runners or walkers, but the lack of courtesy from drivers who can't slow down for a few seconds to pass safely, and who don't even seem to notice that they skim our elbows as they pass. The drivers who honk their horns off, sending me what message? Am I supposed to step off the road into the bushes? Jump on top of a wall? What do you want me to do? I can't go over any further! I certainly can hear you coming without all the honking! I do however agree that Walkman radios are not safe to use while on our roads because you cannot hear anything coming from behind you. I also think that runners and walkers should be in single file, and wear reflectors when it is dark.

We are all road users, so let's work with each other, and not play this game of "let's see if I can squeeze by that runner/walker/cyclist without hitting them''. I, and other road runners have been unwilling participants in this game, and have lost.

RUNNING FOR MY LIFE Warwick Where is Idi now? May 2, 2000 Dear Sir, Referring to Rolfe Commisiong's letter of Monday May 1, 2000 I have a few questions for him.

Would he have thought more of Cecil Rhodes if he had advocated the use of a hand gun to rid the land of savages and what constitutes a "savage'' and how many did Cecil Rhodes machine gun? Was Idi Amen's wholesale slaughter of his people more acceptable environmentally because he ate some of enemies and kept their heads in a refrigerator? Or was it because he was good to the crocodiles who were fed with his victims? Where is IDI NOW? If there were 7 million blacks during the financially solvent term of Ian Smith's Rhodesia and now 12 million during Mugabe's morally and financially bankrupt Zimbabwe, where did the extra 5 million come from? Why are the Angolans begging the Portugese to come back? I await your response Sir, WILLIE SUTTON Paget All at taxpayer's expense May 2, 2000 Dear Sir, Thirty-two friends of the PLP government are being sent to St. Kitt's to meet all their cousins, and have a nine-day party, all at taxpayer's expense. The only redeeming feature of the whole exercise is the fact that Mr. Lister will be out of the Island for nine days, and therefore unable to do any further damage here.

Government has reduced financial support this year in lots of tourism related areas so they can fund the extravagant gadding about by first, David Allen and the Premier...and now Terry Lister. Ministerial boondoggles are a true sign of "the People's Government'' in action.

TAXPAYER Figures getting worse May 2, 2000 Dear Sir, Saturday's Royal Gazette carried two articles on tourism on the front page.

The first gave very depressing visitor statistics for February, with virtually every segment of the market substantially off.

The other article -- under the headline "Allen Issues Warning to Cruise Ships'' -- covered our Tourism Minister at his pugnacious and arrogant best. A number of people in the industry have told me they don't like being lectured to by him, and you can certainly see why.

Month after month the figures get worse, but this doesn't seem to affect his arrogant attitude one iota.

He should be sacked forthwith.

VOTER Must maintain quaintess May 2, 2000 Dear Sir, All I am seeing is news about the expected arrival on the Island of `high speed' tour boats and `high speed' ferries! Dr. Ewart Brown's cry that we must move with the times is laudable in some instances but what impression will our tourists be left with when their dreams of a tranquil holiday in Bermuda are shattered? The photographs of a High Speed Tour Boat whizzing tourists around the Island at breakneck speed surely does not paint this picture! Has anyone given any thought to our so often praised and advertised image of Bermuda as `another world' -- meaning, I thought, slow paced, charming, tranquil, friendly, scenic? Can't we see that progress for progress sake will just make us like so many other destinations? As expected, the introduction of more cruise ships and more cruise ship passengers flooding our shores now makes it necessary to move people faster and more often. This is a great economic enterprise for the owners of these crafts, until the tourists stop coming! Dr. Hodgson, how about that for environmental overload and impact! I think if we want to attract more repeat visitors we all need to sit down and think about how we can maintain our quaintness in order to keep our reputation as a tranquil and charming destination that people are prepared to pay a little bit more to get to.

VANESSA ROBERTS Southampton Hateful little boxes May 2, 2000 Dear Sir, I would like to offer some advice to Fiona Roberts regarding her letter, `Don't Box me in!' printed in the daily earlier this week. I, also, was variously saddened, annoyed and irritated when confronted with a form that requested I fill in a `race' box, but I found the perfect answer, it encompasses everyone, and it has never been questioned. I simply write `HUMAN'.

If we all did that, those hateful little boxes might just disappear from all forms.

SALLY HENDERSON Smith's Parish Profit before principles May 3, 2000 Dear Sir, I would like to remind readers of the recent UK government policy to place health warnings on cellular phones. They will also be introducing guidelines on where to place cellular towers. (i.e. away from schools and residential areas).

The Royal Gazette hid this very important news in the back page of the news paper, when surely this story deserved front page.

Could it be that The Royal Gazette is now stepping carefully so as not to upset the regular quarter page adverts placed by Cellular One.

Is The Royal Gazette as well as cellular companies putting profit before principles? DISMAYED Warwick Editor's Note: If The Royal Gazette was putting profit before principles, the story would not have appeared at all.

A case for marijuana May 3, 2000 Dear Sir, I am in complete sympathy with the people in the Spanish Point area who have been invaded by the purveyors of those awful, soul stealing drugs. To get rid of the problem the police must respond to every call they get from that area, even if that means four to five times in one night, for an extended period.

Then, the death dealers will go away. But, they are only going to go somewhere else. The problem won't be solved, just shifted from one place to another. And the beat goes on.

It was mentioned that these dealers were also selling marijuana. I don't doubt it. If alcohol was illegal, they would be selling that as well, they will sell anything. Since the people who prefer marijuana to alcohol are responsible citizens with responsible jobs like teachers, policemen, businessmen and women, lawyers, doctors, Politicians, tourists etc. you won't find them scurrying around all hours of the night in desolate areas looking for drugs.

These people are acutely aware of the devastation hard drugs are having on our Island home and this is why they don't use any of them, this is why they prefer marijuana.

It still confounds me when a magistrate can sit in a position of upholding justice, day after day and year after year, bearing witness to all the theft, accidents, rape, incest, murder and family abuse caused by the abuse of alcohol, crack, cocaine, heroin and now the rave drugs, and still consider marijuana to be a serious threat to our society. Especially when the people charged with marijuana offences have nothing else to answer for except possession and or use. These are learned gentlemen, so ignorance is out of the question.

By the way, Hawaii has just made marijuana legal for medical reasons so Mr.

Glass and all his friends and family, and all of his friends friends and family, and their friends and family adinfinitum can now stay right in the good old U S of A and enjoy the benefits of marijuana. This is particularly laughable since it was the USA that, for very unethical reasons, made marijuana an illegal substance in the first place. It gets hilarious when you consider that our tourism is in the toilet, and here we are throwing the few we have left in prison for using something that they can stay at home and use freely.

Finally, the people who find themselves before the courts for possession of marijuana should follow Mr. Watson's lead and insist on a Supreme Court trial.

There you can plead your case to 12 open-minded people instead of a single myopic one, who had already made up his or her mind. With one third of the population enlightened enough to prefer marijuana over the hard drug that is legal, it would be near impossible to impanel a jury that does not contain at least 4 people who have used, is using or have very close and trusted friends who use marijuana. It's better to declare yourself as being civilly disobedient to an unjust law and walk from the court with your head held high, no matter the outcome, than to slink off with your tail between your legs. On the other hand, if you believe that you are doing something wrong when you use marijuana, then stop. Anyone who does anything that they believe to be wrong deserves whatever they get.

AL EASTMOND Devonshire