Q Should the Sai Kung waterfront be turned into a pedestrian area? There are three aspects to this question: The development of the waterfront. The idea of a pedestrian waterfront area is laudable but it should be part of a longer-term vision for the future development of Sai Kung and its amenities, instead of a knee-jerk, expensive, ad hoc solution to alleged triad activities, which, more likely than not, would simply be moved around the corner. Valet parking. Contrary to recent statements in the press that it is restricted to patrons of waterfront restaurants, it is, in fact, a service available to anyone willing to pay $30 for valet parking (I use this service often, considering it simply as a convenient supplement to Wilson Parking and parking meters). Assuming that the police estimate of an annual income of $30 million is accurate, it is a reasonable business venture catering to a legitimate market demand. Of course, companies providing this service should be registered in accordance with local company laws and pay all appropriate taxes on profits. Furthermore, it would be reasonable for the district council for Sai Kung, with a view to promoting the facilities available in the area, to co-operate with such valet parking companies, perhaps in return for a licence fee. This can be done by designating the desired, convenient, drop-off and pickup points as part of any future landscaping, and allocating parking space reserved solely for 'approved' valet parking - perhaps in the so-called conveniently situated yet suspiciously underused 'nearby' car parks. Alleged triad activities. Once the situation has been regulated, the police can concentrate on protecting legitimate businesses and the public from harassment and intimidation, identifying operations that are merely fronts for criminal organisations, collecting proof and prosecuting criminals. The development of Sai Kung is an ongoing project which should be thought out before the cement mixers move in. The current parking problem and alleged criminal involvement are but two aspects to be considered. Legitimising and facilitating valet parking services could be achieved quickly within existing laws and facilities. There is a market for 'car jockeys'. Bring them under the law and leave criminal abuses for the police. The competition to provide customer-friendly environments increases daily. What Sai Kung fails to provide, someone else will. I have seen a thriving town centre die because of well-meaning, but overzealous and unimaginative parking regulations. Motorists went elsewhere, businesses closed, non-motorists took their business to nearby customer-friendly centres with more choice. It would be a pity if this were to happen to Sai Kung. Julie Beekman, Clear Water Bay Q Should more be done to promote dragon boat racing? There are two strong reasons to promote dragon boat racing. First, dragon boat racing is the major event held every mid-June as a Chinese tradition, so it cannot be ignored, but more should be done to promote it. It is a way of maintaining our cultural identity. Second, dragon boat racing is a sport. Every year, many active people from all sectors of society take part in the competition. Not only can dragon boat racing promote sport in Hong Kong, but it can also unite our community. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong tourism and retail industries should take full advantage of it. Our government should not hesitate to promote this meaningful and cultural sporting event. Diana Wong On-yi, Tseung Kwan O Q Why are HK people so reluctant to declare their love? Although Hong Kong was a British colony for 150 years, its traditional values have not faded. Confucians condemn people whose sayings exceed their acts. They hate lip service and believe actions speak louder than words. That's why you could find that it is more common for Chinese people to demonstrate their love through deeds than by words. To the more conservative and undemonstrative Chinese, a declaration of love is no easy matter, not to mention other expressions of love such as hugs or kisses. Unlike western families, parents and children in a traditional Chinese family are not equal in status. It emphasises children's obedience and respect to their parents while parents struggle to maintain their dignity as a superior. This inequality in turn becomes an obstacle to intimacy among family members and may explain why the words 'I love you' are so hard to say. Kristy Hung Ling-yee, Tai Po Q Where should the mules go after the cable car project is completed? The mules, along with the video clips of their work done in Hong Kong, should be returned to Canada to educate Canadians on the natural wealth of their country. I congratulated one Canadian visitor for providing us with mules to build our cable car to the Big Buddha on Lantau. To my surprise, he replied: 'What mules? We don't have mules in Canada. Do you mean moose?' I was taken aback by his lack of knowledge about mules. Name and address supplied Q Are Hong Kong's road signs clear enough? The problem with Hong Kong road signs is that they are not placed early enough on the road or in a consistent manner. Take one of Hong Kong's busiest highways, the Tolo Highway in the direction of Sheung Shui. On several occasions when I have been looking for the exit I needed, there was a sign only 500 metres in advance that the exit was coming up. As this is a six-lane highway with a speed limit of 100 km/h and busy traffic it can sometimes be impossible to manoeuvre from the right lane to the exit in a safe and timely manner. I had to skip these exits in order not to endanger myself and other traffic and make a big detour. Signs should be placed well in advance - say 1.5km and repeated every 500 metres. On other occasions when I have been driving in an area and trying to find my way out, I have followed signs and then come to an intersection with no sign of which way to follow, or the sign is again placed very late, which makes it impossible to change lanes safely. In this case, place all signs continuously, post all directions mentioned on previous signs and place them well in advance in order to give motorists time to get in a lane safely. The road numbers which are displayed mean little to me. Next to all this it would be nice to have a complete fold-out map of Hong Kong with all its major roads in addition to the books we have now with all its separate pages. This would make it easier to find the way for the bigger distances we need to drive. We can then revert back to the smaller pages to find the details of a certain area. These fold-out maps are available in many cities so why not Hong Kong? Or have I been looking in the wrong stores? Jeffry Kuperus, Clear Water Bay Q Should Wan Chai Market be saved? It would be a shame if another historical building were demolished. Having lived for seven years in Berlin and in London (two cities which have managed to preserve a lot of their historic buildings), I find it difficult to understand why people here want to destroy historically important buildings. We can learn so much through them. The most charming parts of a city are its old districts. Once demolished, they require a high price to rebuild. It's very difficult to find any old buildings in Hong Kong anymore. New commercial buildings are plentiful. I just hope we can save the market. Yasmin Jiwa, Sheung Wan On other matters ... I wish to express my gratitude to a Chinese lady at Central Library I met recently. It is not everyday that one gets to witness such an educational event and I feel I must thank her personally. First off, I admit that I am also susceptible to the urge to yell at someone for jumping a queue. I therefore applaud this woman's courage for doing so. This was especially so since I was at the time when she raised her grave concerns marvelling at the fact that she, having joined the queue several places behind me, had managed to somehow end up standing in front of me through the use of a series of shuffle steps and a well-deployed nonchalance. She was of course correct to assert, in a most indignant manner, that the poor, dark-skinned man who cut in line was incorrect in doing so. She was of course entitled to explode, unleashing her righteous fury upon him. How dare he, obviously a man lacking in both culture and upbringing, if her snide little Cantonese remark after the event was correct, make such an intrusion and upset the polite, orderly way of life we in Hong Kong adhere to so well. The man's crime, as far as I could tell, was that he, lacking the sophistication and upbringing which this woman obviously possessed, dared to make the faux pas of cutting in halfway down the queue undisguised. Had he her manners, he would have joined the queue properly at the end, and only then slowly jumped in front of each and everyone ahead of him like she did. I must also express my admiration for the naked contempt she held him in, barking at him in her bold, perfect English. People of his sort deserved a public lashing. So I thank you, my good lady, for reminding me that hypocrisy and racism are never found lacking in this city. Aaron Mak, Causeway Bay
