Celebrate all heroes
May 15, 2010
Dear Sir,
I know that Lois was one of the greatest Bermudians to walk the earth and clearly she also walked on other surfaces including Hamilton Harbour but, as heroes go, she was just one of a few. National Heroes Day in other parts of the world usually is a day to commemorate all of that country's heroes...that is, all of them... so why don't we just pack up all those Lois signs and just celebrate ALL our heroes ?
When is it anyway?
I VOTE FOR GEORGIE SOMERS
Southampton
Counter pens, please!
May 19, 2010
Dear Sir,
I didn't really mind the $45 BAS charged me to move my light package from the aircraft to the airport freight shed.
I didn't really mind the three credit/debit cards that it took for the BAS card reader to actually work.
I didn't really mind that I had to go to the Customs shed to ask them to pick off the invoice that was attached to the outside of the package.
I didn't mind the 15 pages of instructions to be read in order to complete a BCD.
I didn't mind the lack of a Tariff code book available to the public at Customs.
I didn't mind the two trips between the Customs shed and the Customs Long Room.
I didn't even mind the 12 "nines" that I had to mindlessly enter on to the BCD form.
I didn't really mind the certain embarrassment of the lady in front of me who was ordered "to go get a professional to fill out the BCD forms for you"
I didn't really mind the surprise that, after paying my duty, I have to wait a further 24 hours before I can pick up my package, I like driving back and forth to the airport.
I don't mind the inevitable phone call I will make tomorrow (before I go to pick it up) to make sure it is ready to be picked up and I won't mind the inevitable ten minutes the call will take.
But what I do mind is the lack of a simple counter PEN at Customs. The counter pen that is currently there is, well, not actually a counter pen. It is a regular pen attached to a ROPE and the receptionist takes it away from you if you actually try to use it. She said she didn't want me to use it because they are "always going missing".
Instead she gave me an old pen from behind the counter that immediately leaked all over me and my shirt. When I commented that the pen had leaked all over me and my shirt she said that she could see that. She was kind enough to dispose of the pen after it had vomited over me.
I didn't really mind coming home to change shirts before my next meeting and I didn't mind having to immediately spot treat and wash the shirt. I like being late.
I do mind that the ink is permanent and still on the shirt and the shirt has now been discarded.
Could we get a few proper counter pens at the Customs Long Room please?
OXI CLEAN
Hamilton Parish
