Last week's fatal jet ski accident was an extremely sad event.
Your story Jet ski rules to be tightened following fatal accident (May 12) says the victim's favourite saying was "I will change the next generation" and in a sense he will: The generation of tomorrow will no doubt be a more cautious one on the water.
People need to be educated that jet skis are not toys our lives are precious and that safety at all times must never be compromised.
Lorena Hernandez, Abu Dhabi
After deciding to spend Dh75,000 on a jet ski, I discovered that the areas where I can use my machine are confined and restricted to the Umm Suqeim area. It isn't a pleasurable experience to use it within such a small area.
There are some individuals who don't follow the rules for port entry or exit; instead they are speeding and doing stunts in the port area. I worry that someone will cause severe injury, and that these jet ski users don't have insurance.
I visited the Mamzar area last week and counted at least 80 jet skis in a confined space.
In my opinion that is needlessly dangerous; of course accidents are bound to happen.
There should be new measures from DMCA for maintaining a safe, fun, and enjoyable experience in jet ski use.
Ziad Roz, Dubai
Send Afghanistan aid to the people
I hope that the aid granted by India (India boosts ties to Afghanistan with $500m more in aid, May 13) will be going to serve the real interests of the Afghan people.
I hope it is not for boosting the ever-increasing military and intelligence presence in Afghanistan.
Amjad A Shah, Abu Dhabi
Schools profit by teacher turnover
I refer to your article Schools hit by teacher turnover of 60 per cent (May 11).
The problem in my opinion is that some international schools want and like high rates of teacher turnover, because they make more profit from fresh graduates, who are paid less.
How can you stay in a school that doesn't provide you with good accommodation or reasonable allowances?
Name withheld by request
What to do about restaurant prices?
Want to go out for something to eat? Meet you halfway, by Manar al Hinai (May 14) was a good article.
I have been getting serious bouts of indigestion when the bill has been presented to me at restaurants.
I compare the prices - and the whole dining experience - here with what I have seen in other places in my travels around the world, and I find that this is simply a rip-off.
Shahid Mahmood, Dubai
Manar al Hinai's column about prices in restaurants includes some bad advice from one person quoted.
Raising food subsidies or broadening them to more foodstuffs, as suggested, would not be part of the solution. It would be part of the problem.
Your newspaper recently reported (Arab world's subsidised bread prices under threat, March 29) that Egypt's subsidies are costing the state an unsustainable amount of money, but it would be socially (and politically) disastrous to abolish or reduce them.
Food subsidies, while invariably well-intentioned, distort the market and eventually become insupportable.
The correct response to rising food prices would be three-fold: more efficient production, an end to any import barriers and allowing real wages to rise along with prices.
Employers won't like the idea of higher wages, of course, but in the medium term the efficiency of market pricing, for bread and labour and everything else, will provide more prosperity for the whole society.
Jock Learoyd, Dubai
Accept ISI chief's resignation
I refer to your article Pakistani intelligence chief offers to resign over US raid (May 14).
Lt Gen Ahmad Shuja Pasha, the director-general of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), has offered to resign following the killing of Osama bin Laden by US forces.
The ISI stands accused of being in covert league with many terrorist units in Pakistan, and of using them as front organisations.
Lt Gen Pasha should resign. He and his colleagues did not find bin Laden right under their noses, and at the same time the ISI has become too powerful and counter- productive. It has become a state within a state.
It would be best for Pakistan's economic development if Lt Gen Pasha and the ISI both go away. Pakistan could prosper and the region would have more peace.
Rajendra K Aneja, Dubai
