YEP Letters: August 24

Check out today's YEP letters
5/8/12    A red postbox5/8/12    A red postbox
5/8/12 A red postbox

Will postal services disappear?

Tarquin Holman, Farsley.

I WONDER if the postal services will disappear within the next 10 years?

We have direct debit, no cheques and card-only stores opening. Will we need stationery items, stamps and greeting cards?

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I remember red phone boxes at every street corner, police and AA roadside boxes, switchboard offices and sending telegrams to say we had arrived safely at Scarborough on our holiday.

Now they send a photograph of the hotel by email carried in their coat pockets. I prefer a personal friendly service.

What do readers think?

Zero-tolerance speed limits a flawed idea

Karl Sheridan, by email

THE idea proposed by the police of enforcing the speed limit without any leeway is utterly absurd and I ask is this another way of making money from the already beleaguered motorist?

I agree that speeding is a problem. However a zero-tolerance attitude will create chaos as regards paperwork, create animosity towards the police and will not help the problem one bit.

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The vast majority of us do try to abide by the speed limit, but a zero-tolerance approach will mean most of us will have our eyes glued to the speedometer and not on the road, probably resulting in more accidents, especially in built-up areas.

The other issue is that car speedometers are inaccurate. I own two cars; one a Rover 75 which when bought new had the option of either 15in, 16in or 17in inch alloy rims and a selection of different tyres.

However Rover only fitted one type of speedometer which covered all options, so it’s obvious that the accuracy of the speedo will be in question, but I’m not to know that, or indeed the variance that could be two or three miles per hour out – either plus or minus.

My other car is a 1979 classic car, again with a speedo that is 40 years old and so will not be as accurate as perhaps a brand new car with digital equipment, so once again where does that leave me as regards zero-tolerance?

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Presumably we will be allowed to contest any fines or convictions in court because, arguably, one has unwittingly committed an offence not due to negligence, but through misinformation by equipment fitted. Are the police going to check everyone’s speedometer for accuracy? Do they expect the owner to? A two to three mph error is quite common on cars and always has been.

Admittedly sat-navs can inform you of your true speed, but how many of us use a sat-nav all the time? I, for one, only use one when I’m unsure of a location I need to find, the rest of the time it resides in the glove box.

Frankly I think this is a flawed suggestion by the chief constable, and the police would be far better off catching the real speeders with unmarked traffic patrol cars. However, living in a rural area, it’s very seldom I ever see a police car at all.

Don’t write off us oldies

Hilary Andrews, Leeds.

SINCE suffering multiple fractures and soft tissue injuries after being knocked down by a speeding car eight weeks ago, I have had multiple visits to hospital.

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The physical NHS care has been fantastic and I am making a slow recovery.

I do have one moan though. The minute the staff find I am over 70, they treat me as though I am senile.

Before my accident I went to the cinema on Monday, Spanish class Tuesday morning, creative writing Tuesday afternoon, Heydays all day Wednesday, met eight friends for coffee on Thursday. I did have the occasional Friday free but drove to Manchester at the weekend to see my family.

Needless to say my consultant had no answer when I asked him what he did outside work.

Please don’t write off us oldies.

We were born in stricter times and learned how to cope.

A&E units are still needed

Andrew Mercer, Guiseley.

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THOUGH NHS trauma centres do fantastic work as specialist centres of excellence, this does not justify the downgrading of A&E units in other large towns.

They’re still needed – even more so if the trauma facilities focus on life and death cases.

Emotional impact of losing a pet

Stuart Sheppard, Cats Protection Contact Centre Manager

In the run up to Grief Awareness Day (August 30), Cats Protection would like to let your readers know that it offers a grief support service called Paws to Listen.

For many, losing a cat can be a very traumatic experience and there can be a lack of understanding from family and friends about how deeply the loss can impact on a person. A survey carried out for Cats Protection earlier this month highlighted that 73 per cent of pet owners feel it can be as difficult and upsetting grieving for a pet as it is grieving for the loss of a person.

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Cats Protection understands just how much your cat means to you and what you may be going through if your pet is missing, has had to be rehomed, nearing the end of their life or has recently passed away. We have a large range of resources, information and support to help you at this difficult time, including ways to celebrate the life of your cat.

If you’re experiencing the loss of your cat, you can talk to us on 0800 024 9494 between 9am-5pm Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays. It’s a free and confidential service and our volunteer listeners can provide emotional support and practical information. If you feel that you need to talk to someone then please give the Paws to Listen service a call. We all need to be mindful of the emotional impact that losing a pet can have on a person.

The voters were right on EU

A Hague, Harehills

When we have a General Election every four to five years we can’t have another just because we feel we need one.

Likewise the referendum to come out of Europe voted out (by a million or more) is in motion. We are sick and tired of being told by remainers we made a mistake, tough luck, you lost and if your worries were right we will vote on it again later. Please give us a chance, the voters were right and if not you will get your chance again later.

Get in touch

The YEP wants you to share your views with other readers. Please email letters to [email protected].

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