Q Is it discriminatory to bar a man from a cafe for wearing a singlet?

The man who filed the complaint is selfish and naive. He has challenged the hotel's dress code three times, claiming it is discriminatory and biased against men. His claim is ridiculous.

Wearing proper attire for dining at a 5-star world-class hotel is about self-respect and politeness; it has nothing to do with being 'backward'.

The general public accepts women wearing skirts, but not men. The public also accepts men wearing only swimming trunks while they are swimming, but not women. Should we say that's discriminatory to women?

Personally, I would hate to dine or have tea at a 5-star hotel with men in singlets or anyone else who misbehaves, because I enjoy dining at a harmonious place. Club membership does not mean infinite privileges and the right to override the hotel's rules and regulations, or the right to violate the majority's taste.

Clarence P. S. Wong, Jordan

Q Is the ESF pay scale proposal fair and necessary?

Although Janette Goss, of South Island School, (Talkback, September 22) states that she earns a total of over $70,000 per month, she then complains that ESF teachers have already suffered a pay cut. She also says that staff will leave, should a pay cut go ahead, as 'they simply will not be able to provide for their families'.

What she in fact means is that they will not be able to provide for their families in the luxurious style they are used to. I suggest that Janette Goss do a spot of research to discover the average wage of Hong Kong earners and what many other teachers in international schools earn.

Oh, and could Ms Goss tell us of the benefits that many other international schools enjoy, and which she implies she is deprived of, even though she earns a mere $70,000 monthly?

Sandra Wyatt, Happy Valley

On other matters...

I refer to Markus Shaw's letter (September 21) on littering in country parks during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department does not tolerate littering in country parks. Our park wardens enforce the law all year round, and 36 tickets were issued to offenders in country parks over the Mid-Autumn Festival holidays.

Law enforcement aside, we believe that education is equally important. Notices reminding visitors to take away litter are prominently displayed, and volunteer programmes to clean up the countryside are regularly run.

With a concerted effort, a beautiful countryside will always be Hong Kong's pride and joy.

Dr K M Yeung, for Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation

I was disheartened to read the letter headlined 'Why I paid this 'debt'' (September 18) that said police advised people to pay debts they do not owe to get rid of aggressive collectors.

If this kind of advice and attitude is tolerated, then the public will suffer more and police will make less effort. The police encourage the public to report crimes but in this case, it does not practise what it preaches. It is a shame. Or maybe they prefer big robbery and murder cases because by solving them, they can expect more stars and medals?

A. L. Nanik, Tsim Sha Tsui

It is ludicrous that the whole fiasco over bus TV is being replayed on trains, with the Transport Department saying it has urged the KCRC to adjust the volume (Talkback, September 12). The Transport Department and Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation have obviously not gotten any wiser. Such matters cast doubts on our government's ability to understand what appropriate behaviour is. The fact that TV on public transit is not common in other places of the world speaks volumes about its propriety. I hope we will see the loudspeakers switched off and this trend regulated at an early date.

Thomas Yeung, Quarry Bay

I am a real music lover in Hong Kong with a physical disability. Normally, the cultural centre gives people like me tickets at a 50 per cent discount.

However, for the Berliner Philharmonic, those tickets come to $800. I would think that the leisure department, given its vast amounts of sponsorship by wealthy patrons of the arts, could give greater consideration to individuals like myself. Otherwise, at the discounted price of $800, the audience will be limited to the moneyed elite.

Hita Schindlbeck, Tsim Sha Tsui