Talkback

Should repeat animal abusers be barred from owning pets?

It saddens me when I read about young people being cruel to animals.

It is important for young people to realise that they should respect life, including the lives of animals.

I think it is important for schools to teach children that respect.

Teachers should take time during lessons to discuss animal-welfare issues.

The mistreatment of animals is serious in Hong Kong. The government should increase the penalties for those found guilty of animal cruelty to act as a deterrent.

Ada Tse, Kowloon Tong

On other matters ...

I seldom watch the prime-time dramas on our local television stations.

I do not wish to be overcritical, but I urge people on the production teams of these dramas to broaden their minds.

Try to write storylines that bring quality productions to Hong Kong viewers.

I would like to see more programmes that feature, and explore deeply, different kinds of human relationships and that do not just focus on love affairs. I found a Japanese drama called Umizaru Evolution very inspiring. You saw portrayals of different kinds of human emotions. For example, there was a display of team spirit shown by Japanese coastguard divers who were involved in search-and-rescue work. And then there was the divorced father willing to make sacrifices for his daughter, and the worries of a wife whose husband was involved in dangerous work. The drama series ended two years ago, but I can still remember being touched by it.

The media have a strong social and cultural impact on its audience and can affect the community as a whole. I would very much like to see more programmes on television that convey a positive message and which give viewers pause for thought.

I would like to see drama series that look at various issues - battling against hardship in a deprived area, striving to achieve a healthy work-life balance, fighting to curb bad personal habits.

There is an endless supply of interesting topics for television producers to cover.

Drama is an art form. It should be about real experiences in life, and it should touch our minds and hearts.

Tennie Tung, Tseung Kwan O

Why is it that, when so much fuss is being made regarding reducing pollution in Hong Kong and saving electricity so that we can save the environment, a large insurance company like Fortis is allowed to erect a gigantic neon sign in Tai Koo Shing that shines directly into the apartments of Westland Gardens and Splendid Place, not only destroying our privacy and right to a relaxing evening at home, but also being bad for the environment?

I cannot understand how Hong Kong can on the one hand pretend to care about the environment, but on the other hand let companies do something like this. If Fortis needs to display such a huge neon sign, why not do it in the central business district, away from residents? Many residents have been totally affected by Fortis' selfish marketing, finding it difficult to relax at night and have a good night's sleep - vital factors to maintaining a healthy body and mind.

Even though many residents have contacted the marketing department and begged to have the neon sign switched off, there has been no co-operation from Fortis. How long does one have to suffer?

K. Mane, Quarry Bay

We refer to Samantha Bell's comments (Talkback, March 13) concerning our First Ferry service.

According to the operation manual, the cabin temperature is in the range of 22 to 25 degrees Celsius. There might be occasions when the temperature falls or rises beyond the prescribed range, and it is sometimes difficult to keep a constant cabin temperature when the gangplank is frequently released for loading and unloading of passengers.

Please be assured that First Ferry will closely monitor the situation to ensure a comfortable cabin.

Josephine Lam, New

World First Ferry Services

We would like to thank Randall van der Woning for his comments regarding the announcement broadcast on escalators in MTR Corporation stations (Talkback, March 6).

First of all, we would like to apologise for the discomfort Mr van der Woning encountered when he was waiting for a train at the platform of an MTR station. I hope he understands that the announcement broadcast while people are travelling on the escalator is an important safety message and it is essential to keep escalator accidents to a minimum.

To allow passengers to use the MTR service with ease, and to ensure it is safe and convenient, we broadcast the safety announcement, 'Please hold the handrail.' The aim is to remind passengers to be cautious and always hold the handrail when travelling on escalators. The announcements are broadcast at a frequent interval so that every passenger on the escalator can listen to them. The sound level of this announcement is set at a desirable level and so it can only be heard in the vicinity of the escalator.

The MTR Corp always strives to strike a balance between passengers' safety and passengers' needs. We hope passengers will appreciate that we keep on looking for opportunities to enhance passenger safety in the station premises.

We will keep on monitoring the effectiveness of this safety measure to provide a safe and quality service to our passengers.

James Tsui, MTR Corporation

I refer to the letter by Chris Mercer (Talkback, March 6) on the issue of price indication on wine.

It is precisely for this reason that the Consumer Council has recently recommended that a comprehensive statute be enacted in a new regulatory regime to outlaw misleading trade practices and other unfair marketplace conduct.

The alleged adoption of unfair tactics in price indication has pointed to the need for guidelines on the appropriate manner for making price comparisons and other forms of price indication in order to uphold fairness of the marketplace. Subsidiary legislation and guidelines are therefore also recommended in the council's report to curb such a malpractice.

An executive summary of the report containing the recommendations can be viewed at the council's website, www.consumer.org.hk.

Connie Lau, Consumer Council