Letters - April 04, 2018

I write in response to your article “Dog owners blasted for beach mess” (Gazette, March 22).

Can anyone tell me when and why did it become acceptable for dogs to urinate and defecate in public places?

These are not wild dogs but domesticated animals, which are capable of being trained to perform all manner of tasks.

It would not take more than a couple of days to train them to use a suitable tray of sand in a small covered area of the owner’s backyard.

If there is no space available, then responsible people would look at owning some other type of pet instead.

When dog owners say they are taking their pets “for a walk”, it should be exactly that, and dogs would not be able to cock their leg every few feet.

People are prosecuted for urinating and defecating in public places.

In recent years, a dog running alongside a person, seems to have become that person’s fashion accessory but, of course, the mess left behind has increasingly become the tax payer’s responsibility.

When it comes to this dirty problem on our beaches as highlighted in your article, I now ask why is it essential for dogs to run around on beaches?

It is much more difficult for the public to detect irresponsible dog owners’ ways when this is happening many yards away, and therefore very “easy” for them to get away with it.

I can only assume the people who have the power to change the law in this regard, are actually practising this lazy, dirty habit so don’t want it to change and we had better get used to coping with domesticated dogs fouling and urinating everywhere in public places.

Complaining about it is and will be, futile.

E Grime

Norbreck Road

Norbreck

HEALTH

Another fine doctor deserves mention

I would just like to say I also wish Dr Singh a happy retirement (Gazette, March 29), but I would also like to say that Harrowside Medical Centre lost its best doctor last year when Dr D P Charles retired.

He was our doctor for more than 30 years, and was a rare breed in that he was a fantastic doctor the likes of which will never be seen again.

When he retired, the practice was not the same.

I hope he is enjoying his well-earned retirement, and I thought he deserved a mention.

Jean and Jeanette Yardley

via email

TECHNOLOGY

Everything in moderation

Why is it that today older people are being made to feel that their views, values and particular skills they were brought up with are outdated and wrong?

I use a computer and am not afraid of technology but everyone, especially the young, are becoming too dependent on this impersonal form of communication.

Along with modern technology, the art of hand-writing and verbal communication should still be considered as important to teach in schools as these skills will always be needed in whatever job one applies for.

Whenever I travel on public transport, I am saddened to see all the zombie-like people glued to their mobiles as they look as though they have been brainwashed and hardly notice anything going on around them. It is also highly dangerous as they wander across roads still staring at their phones.

They are missing out on so much and there is now clear documented evidence of the damage being done to health and sleep patterns by the over-use of mobiles and computer technology.

In a few years’ time when people’s health has been seriously affected, I have no doubt that those who gave out warnings, including doctors, will be proved right.

It would be very difficult to do but restrictions need to be imposed on the use of all hi-tech gadgets, as we should not become too dependent on technology which can only be beneficial for us in the long term if used sensibly.

Surely everything in moderation is the answer.

Susan Richardson

via email

TRANSPORT

Third world roads better than ours

The lack of adequate funding to carry out proper repairs to potholes in the roads for a number of years means that the quality of many of our roads is worse than Third World and this is an embarrassment to our country.

Potholes are not just unsightly but also dangerous as road users often swerve to avoid them and, once drivers know where they are, they will always drive around them, which can easily result in accidents with other road users and even pedestrians.

Cars’ wheels and suspensions are damaged from the shock of hitting a pothole but, when talking to a mechanic, I was informed it was more likely for motorists to get a puncture when driving through a pothole.

Potholes are extremely dangerous and cost this country millions of pounds to repair and in compensation payouts.

There must be a strategy in place to resolve this once and for all.

Howard Lawton

via email