Just for a change, something nice to say(!): I went to the Magistrates' Court to pay my parking ticket, to find it was closed for lunch. (In the interim) I went shopping and managed to lose the cheque and ticket somewhere along the way.

I paid the fine anyway, explaining to the cashier that a second one might turn up if some kind person handed it in.

Well, whoever you are, thank you for doing just that. And thank you to the cashier(s) for returning it to me. What a pleasant surprise.

TRICIA THOMPSON-BROWNE Pembroke Webb of intrigue Dear Sir, Something like four years ago, under the UBP's tenure, a concerned policeman brought me a copy of the Police daily record of incidents which had been substantially altered some three days after the initial report.

This concerned him because he thought there has been `political' interference.

What reminded me of this was Renee Webb being caught speeding but not being prosecuted. The fault lies with the Police department, not with Ms Webb. How many of us being offered a caution would demand to be charged? Not many! You could say that Ms Webb should insist on being charged, (but) I don't think I would.

I do think that the Police department, including the Commissioner, should answer the questions posed by Royal Gazette reporter Matthew Taylor, not (for the benefit of The Royal Gazette , but for the people of the people of Bermuda.

We would be naive to think that there is not abuse of power or position, or that the UBP did better. But when, by chance, an abuse is uncovered, there must not be a tangled `Webb' of deceit.

I really agree with your editorial of today about this incident, following on Dr. Ewart Brown's house being given the (planning) go-ahead. I need not compare the possible abuse of procedure with my fight over `March Royal' some ten years ago, when three UBP cabinet members were financially involved. They built without permission and finished and then given occupancy certificates.

So, Dr. Brown I have sympathy with you! At least with all those involved, including Planning, being black, there isn't a scream of "race''.

To add another twist, about four years my wife's MGB broke down in Hamilton.

She coasted to a double yellow line and left the car. When I retrieved it, some two hours later, it had a parking ticket on the windshield.

My wife called the Police department and spoke with the appropriate authority and the ticket was cancelled. There was a reasonable excuse or explanation. It did help that my wife had been the Police doctor for nine years.

The average person might not have known which department to call. The officer might have just "stepped away from his/her desk -- don't we all get that answer from the Civil Service! The risk lies in having a `political' Attorney General and a Public Prosecutor who are both supporters of the party in power. If you would like to see some action, let's ensure that these positions could be `political' but only filled by the party in opposition. I am full of good ideas, aren't I? SANDERS FRITH-BROWN Warwick Our thin blue line November 13, 2000 Dear Sir, It has not been easy being a local Police officer of late. The Commission of Inquiry into Serious Crimes, the Renee Webb speeding affair, a host of `Letters to the Editor' and other media profiled incidents have left the rank and file feeling unappreciated and disheartened.

With that in mind, I would be grateful if you could print the following article which was brought to my attention by a colleague: "Well, Mr. Citizen, it seems you've figured me out. I seem to fit neatly into the category where you've placed me. I'm stereotyped, standardised, characterised, classified, grouped and always typical.

Unfortunately, the reverse is true, I can never figure you out.

From birth you teach your children that I am the bogeyman, then you're shocked when they identify with my traditional enemy... the criminal.

You accuse me of coddling criminals... until I catch you're kids doing wrong.

You may take an hour for lunch and several coffee breaks each day, but point me out as a loafer for having one cup.

You pride yourself on your manners, but think nothing of disrupting my meals with your troubles.

You raise hell with the guy who cuts you off in traffic, but let me catch you doing the same thing and I'm picking on you.

You know all the traffic laws... but you've never gotten a single ticket you deserve.

You shout `foul' if you observe me driving fast to a call, but raise the roof if I take more than ten seconds to respond to your complaint.

You call it part of my job if someone strikes me, but call it Police brutality if I strike back.

You wouldn't think of telling your dentist how to pull a tooth or your doctor how to take out an appendix, yet you are always willing to give me pointers on the law.

You talk to me in a manner that would get you a bloody nose from anyone else, but expect me to take it without batting an eye.

You yell something's got to be done to fight crime, but you can't be bothered to get involved.

You have no use for me at all, but of course it's okay if I change a flat for your wife, deliver your child in the back of a patrol car, or perhaps save your son's life with mouth to mouth breathing, or work many hours overtime looking for your lost daughter.

So, Mr. Citizen, you can stand there on your soapbox and rant and rave about the way I do my work, calling me every name in the book, but never stop to think that your property, family or maybe even your life depends on me or one of my colleagues.

Yes, Mr. Citizen, it's me... the lousy cop!'' The author of this article was Trooper Mitchell Brown of the Virginia State Police. He was killed in the line of duty two months after writing this article.

ANOTHER LOUSY COP Smith's Parish Bermuda return November 4, 2000 Dear Sir, I felt I just had to write and thank you for publishing my letter regarding my return to the Colony after 50 years and looking for old friends.

I was delighted to find on my arrival at Rosedon a lovely vase of flowers and letter from Mrs. Carey who used to work with me at A.S. Cooper on Reid Street, 1949-1950.

She kindly invited my friend and I out to her house for lunch twice during our stay and we had a great time talking of our days at the store and lunch times in Par-la-ville Gardens.

She also gave me news of Jessie Tavares who now lives in Florida. I did meet up with Delores Elliott and on my return I had a letter from a Bermudian who gave me news of Rita Wagner. I would like to thank that kind-hearted person for taking the trouble to write.

We enjoyed our stay at the Rosedon, excellent service all round. Needless to say lots of changes in the Colony, buildings and roads changed and cars by the hundreds.

In my days here people got around on buses and scooters. It was lovely to come back and hope I'll be able to come back again before too long. My friend thought it was paradise on Earth, completely a different world to life in England.

Thank you once again for your attention.

EDNA E. CLEE England Homework starts at home November 7, 2000 Dear Sir, After reading the article on the front page of your newspaper yesterday, Monday, November 6, about the parent who was upset about his child's homework situation, I feel compelled to write to you.

My daughter attends Clearwater Middle School and has done so since September this year. She has settled well and we, as parents, find it a very good school.

A school, I might point out, that is trying very hard to encourage not only the children, but parental involvement in the child's education and schooling experience, which I believe, in this day and age is very important.

Our children need parental support in their lives, perhaps now more than ever.

The point I would like to make is that when a child comes home from school it is our job as parents to ensure that our children do their homework. It is very rare for a pupil at Clearwater not to have homework to complete, therefore if a parent is doing his job properly, he will ensure that a child's homework is being completed and will sign their agenda, the school then knows the homework has been done.

Surely this particular parent has not paid attention to what has been going on in his child's schooling and therefore finds himself inconvenienced by his child being sent home.

Surely, if our children inconvenience teachers, the teachers are quite within their rights to inconvenience us, as parents.

CLEARWATER PARENT St. George's