Pay phones needed for when a disaster strikes
Re: Pay phones.
Unless something has changed since I took emergency training seminars about 20 years ago, in all the literature handed out, pay phones were touted as the only means of communication should a disaster strike. We were told that cellphones would not be operational due to damage sustained by cell towers and advised to:
■ establish one family member, preferably living some distance from the disaster, as the main emergency contact family members affected by it could call in to report their condition;
■ write this family member’s name and telephone number on an index card with a 25-cent coin taped to it to be used at a pay phone and to carry the card at all times; and
■ locate the nearest pay phones in our neighbourhood.
Pay phones also provide a necessary service to people who cannot afford cellphones so I support keeping them in service. In fact, more should be installed.
Barbara Fines, North Vancouver
Cabbies must adapt
Cabbies need to learn to adapt or perish. The future will include Uber and companies like it. Taxi companies must either evolve their business or close.
The high cost of cab licences seems like a scam and so are the rates cabs charge. If SkyTrain ran 24 hours a day, it would seriously hurt the taxi business and I’m all for it.
The last time I took a cab from Vancouver airport to Heather Street and 70th Avenue, just over the Arthur Laing Bridge, the ride cost me $20. Are you kidding me?
Not only was it ridiculously expensive, the driver had the audacity to complain that he had waited three hours in line waiting for the trip.
I’ve got news for him: His job is to take me where I need to go, which is a crapshoot. If he were an Uber driver, he could have opted not to pick up such a short fare.
Brett Armstrong, Surrey
Shame on Vision
I can’t believe that Vancouver is going through with a bike-share program that will cost taxpayer $5 million.
Every city that has tried this ended up either getting rid of it or being forced to dump money in it, including Seattle.
Vision — which in my opinion is a dictatorship that never listens to its citizens — will end up bankrupting this city.
They should be ashamed of themselves allowing this bike-share program since there are more than a few companies in the West End who rent bikes and no doubt will suffer.
Debbie Moreau, Vancouver
At least one lie left out
Re: Letter from Ramona Dawe accusing Israel of genocide.
I find it astonishing that the lie of Israel committing genocide continues despite the obvious fact that the Palestinian Arab population in and around Israel has grown exponentially over the last 70 years.
As for the violence, there would be none if the Palestinians would stop attacking Jews.
Israel — Is it even worth saying this to dyed-in-the-wool anti-Semites? — has zero reason to attack Palestinians.
At least Dawe left out the third ongoing lie, that Israel is an “Apartheid” state.
Jerome Henen, North Vancouver
Locals are getting help
Regarding refugees, many are saying that we should help disadvantaged Canadians first. We are.
Billions of dollars are already spent on programs for Canadians in need.
As a refugee, I am forever grateful that Canada took me in in 1989. One expression of my gratitude is striving to serve Canada. Members of my youth group are working to raise a million pounds of food for food banks to help eradicate poverty right here at home.
Muneer Khan, Ottawa
The editorial pages editor is Gordon Clark, who can be reached at gclark@theprovince.com. Letters to the editor can be sent to provletters@theprovince.com.
