I would like to convey a message to the driver of a blue Toyota Truck registration HA 427, who behaved very badly on the North Shore in Devonshire around 9.45 a.m. today, October 26.

Why were you blowing your horn at me -- did you think I was going too slow? Why did you shake your fist at me like some kind of lunatic? You have what is called road rage and, unless you get control of yourself and realise you have a problem, I dread to think where this will take you.

I hope the Department of Transport takes a note of your number as you obviously have a serious anger problem when driving your truck.

AWARE OF THE SPEED LIMIT Smith's Parish Teachers hit back October 29, 1999 Dear Sir, This is in response to "Stop Moaning'' (printed October 27 and dated October 20).

Being teachers, it was incredibly frustrating to read this letter. It sounds as if this person has never set foot in a school or spoken to a teacher in person. A teacher does not work 25 work hours. A teacher has 25 hours of contact time a week, (time spent directly with the children). When added to the preparation time, marking time, parent conferences, school meetings, lunch duties, sporting events and the weekends we need to complete ongoing projects, most of us work much more then 40 hour weeks. This person needs to get their information correct when they write such an insulting letter.

Then they described us as self-centred. They need to go into a classroom and experience what a teacher does in one day. Believe us, there is no time to be self centred. We are teachers who are also parenting, counselling and caring for these children, (who, with our guidance, will become the "lawyers, doctors and accountants'' in our society).

Then they asked what "we people'' do for the three months in the summer. It is TWO months to be precise and it is up to us what we do...some work, some parent, some play! This person may complain about their 14 days off a year but they have chosen their profession and we have chosen ours.

This is an incredibly professional yet emotional and tiring job. Teachers deserve praise and thanks for the hard work they put into educating the children of Bermuda. They do not deserve criticising and insulting letters that tell untruths.

We are very aware of the literacy results on the island and are working every day to improve this. We cannot do this alone and appreciate all the parents out there that are reading to their children at home! AMANDA SKINNER PATRICE SCOTLAND AMANDA PETTY ELIZABETH DOWDELL Pembroke Help Bermuda's teachers October 27, 1999 Dear Sir, I am writing this letter in reference to the two letters entitled: "Strike was Frustrating'' and "Teachers are self-centred'' that were published in October 17's newspaper.

I can understand where my fellow CedarBridge schoolmate is coming from because he/she probably doesn't know any better, but Stop Moaning sounds very ignorant to me. Teachers' jobs are often taken for granted. My question to Stop Moaning is: In your "Real Job'' are you faced with disruptive behaviour, foul language and violence on an almost daily basis?, and, do you have to come up with new ideas to motivate and stimulate your co-workers to produce good work? I think we as Bermudians need to reevaluate our thoughts about our teachers.

Although this is a challenging job, the outcome of having your students graduate and move on to further education to me would seem very rewarding.

I was made to understand that the teachers would like to receive more time to prepare for their lessons. I know there is a problem with the literacy rates in Bermuda. Giving teachers the preparation time that they are entitled to would enable them to come up with an effective way to try and raise the literacy rate. We also need to understand that raising the literacy rate is going to take the support of parents too. This job is not solely for the teachers.

You can only "HELP'' those who want to help themselves! SACHA PLACE Devonshire Hours come with the job November 29, 1999 Dear Sir, Dr. Davis, Ms Swan, you both wrote very passionately about your profession.

That is admirable. I could not help but notice that neither letter dealt with the comment I made about the breakdown in the relationship between the Department of Education and teachers. Is that not a fair comment? Don't become sidetracked trying to defend your work hours, the real issue is the fact that your unofficial industrial action (sick out) was cowardly and disadvantageous to our students.

Your primary focus does not seem to be our children. It is inexcusable to stop school in the middle of the school week for any industrial action.

Many people in Bermuda are not happy with their working conditions. We all have deadlines, and many other professions are asked to work numerous hours outside of regular working hours. There is no debate that teachers do work hard, your contribution in the past and at present is immeasurable. It must be noted however, a stern rebuke is often needed to get a wayward student back on track, it is with this in mind I rebuke Bermuda's teachers.

The thought of more money being paid to teachers is frightening. If you are successful, every civil servant who becomes displeased with his or her working environment will start calling in sick. That sick-out was a poor example for our young people. Please don't get caught up in the 25-hour work week segment of my argument, that is not its crux, it is important for teachers to send clear messages to both students and parents. Sending our children home without proper supervision or notice was reprehensible.

I will not spend a week in your shoes. You chose the teaching profession, and you knew all the ramifications before you entered your desired profession.

That is like a doctor complaining that he has a six-hour heart surgery -- that is how much time it takes to mend a heart. So teachers should have realised that staying late, marking papers and staff meetings are all part and parcel of the teaching profession.

I will say it again.

STOP MOANING Paget Looking for information October 29, 1999 Dear Sir, The PLP's recent admission that some of its members had sought to "peddle their influence'' is commendable.

However, it does not go far enough. Quite simply, "influence peddling'' is fraud against the taxpayers. The public deserves to know what the instances were, and how they were resolved.

The Government's desire to re-write the Constitution and shrink Parliament will result in power being concentrated in a few career politicians. Now, more than ever, the public should demand a "register of interests'' for our leaders to prevent hidden conflicts of interest from unduly swaying our parliamentary decision-making.

Public figures must have public accountability.

MORE INFORMATION PLEASE Warwick Trevor Moniz is a patriot October 24, 1999 Dear Sir, I am amazed at the questionable reaction of the UBP hierarchy in their absurd suspension of Trevor Moniz.

I had been a staunch member of the UBP from the very beginning of party politics, but since the "shenanigans'' of the John Swan era of the early 1990s, I can now say that my faith in this Party has seriously eroded.

Unless Mr. Moniz is reinstated immediately, I have absolutely no intention of voting for the UBP in the next election, whenever that is.

The confused name "rebel'' given to the reliable, straight-thinking, honest UBP "Five'' (of whom Mr. Moniz was one) was a misnomer, if ever there was one! The real name for them should have been "patriots'', for they were true, fearless, far-seeing and totally for the Bermuda which their constituents had loved and believed in.

Instead, we now have a party of "Suspend-ers'' who have stretched their credibility to the vanishing point.

DISILLUSIONED Pembroke Unions feel betrayed October 20, 1999 Dear Sir, When I read of the appointment of Raymonde Dill as chairman of the Bermuda Housing Corporation, I began to wonder about the pool of talent the PLP boasted of having if he is having to do double and triple duty.

It wouldn't be so bad if the Bermuda Hospitals Board were in better shape, and will the Housing Corporation suffer the same fate? We'll see! Some very interesting situations are developing: The BIU getting into bed with the HEB, and the former BUT head, now Minister for Education, failing to address issues demanded of the previous Government. Union members must be feeling betrayed.

KEEN OBSERVER City of Hamilton Confused by the courts October 25, 1999 Dear Sir, A young man who does not pay child support when ordered by the court is "locked up'' for contempt.

A senior barrister has severe problems with a client's $1,600,000, snubs the Supreme Court and very little happens.

This is a crazy Country.

BERMUDIAN City of Hamilton