Science and technology has brought the entire world onto a fast track. And it is difficult for a nation to compete with other nations without the proper participation of their womenfolk at work. Nowadays, in addition to nurturing a healthy family, they can do a good managerial job too. Female staffers are said to be polite and hard-working everywhere but one would be astonished to see the politeness, good attitudes and outstanding customer care of the UAE women staffers.
One can observe these tremendous services at the banks, airports and at immigration counters, where a majority of the staffers are local women. I have been in the UAE for the last six years. During this time, I have visited various offices, and I have been treated extremely well by these female workers.
Once, I was at a bank to open an account. I asked the bank's customer services officer to guide me in this context, Fortunately she was a local female employee and she provided me with complete information about various bank accounts. I was impressed and employed the guidance of that bank employee.
All these staffers consider customer service as their first and foremost duty and they play an important role in the development of the UAE.
Jehan Yusufzai, Sharjah
More on Wayne Rooney saga
I refer to the sports article The less said the better (April 4). I am a Manchester United supporter. The latest Wayne Rooney saga causes me some distress in that he will be missing from the United squad at a crucial part of the season.
Am I aggrieved at the fact that he has received a two-match ban for "the use of offensive, insulting and/or abusive language"? Not at all. His outburst was offensive, unwarranted and inexplicable. Within current FA rules, the punishment fits the crime.
What really upsets me is the continual display of double standards within those rules that are ultimately sanctioned and applied by Fifa.
It appears to be perfectly acceptable to discipline a player using video and audio evidence of actions taken during or after a match, but to use the same medium to validate or disprove errors made by a match official is taboo.
Brian Warren, Abu Dhabi
Balance freedom and licence
The article Jailed expat learns the hard way: no cursing (April 9) described how an American expatriate used profanity on the phone and in a text message to a du representative and was subsequently arrested. I come from a democratic country which allows tremendous freedom of expression, movement and action.
But this does not mean that this freedom is a licence to harm another human being or cause discomfort. Democracy is "let and let live" and just as we would like to be treated by others in the best way possible, we must also do the same to others. But some people coming to this part of the world conveniently forget this. If people can remember the old saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do", and try to emulate the way the nationals speak and behave with foreigners, it would be a great lesson to learn.
Apart from language, manners and etiquette, all must learn to dress decently in public. Freedom does not give us licence to go berserk. We must thank God that we are in a country where many turn a blind eye most of the time. It's only when "enough-is-enough" that we run into trouble.
Amit Bhattacharjie, Dubai
There is a dire need for a cultural awareness programme. This is quiet common in Europe and I am surprised no such programme is yet organised for the expatriate community here. There has to be visible signs available to let people know what is acceptable behaviour and at the same time this needs to be enforced in a subtle manner.
Angelika Lancsak, Dubai
I say kudos to the American for doing the right thing by using some of the English language's more colourful vocabulary to let an employee know his service was less than stellar. However, it was the foreigner who was blamed and subsequently charged with the crime of offending the representative's sensitivity. The only offence committed was bad service.
Instead of hiding behind laws that criminalise what is nothing more than a potty mouth, employees would do well to improve their customer service skills.
Derek Czajkowski, University of Nizwa, Oman
Capital is in the wrong place
Just as Dubai is not the capital city of the UAE, Dubai is not a country, and Abu Dhabi is not the capital city of Dubai (all common misconceptions around the world), Auckland is not the New Zealand capital as alleged in the article New Zealand mosque inaugurated (April 6). That honour goes to Wellington.
Emma Smart, Abu Dhabi
