Q Should marathon entrants over 45 be required to have a medical check-up? Many people under 30 or even 20 have hidden illnesses. Therefore, it is not a solution to fix the problem. What standards are to be used to classify people's physical abilities? Do home doctors have a common standard to make such decisions? Many participants will not join this marathon if it is necessary to have a body check because of the high cost and inconvenience. It results in decreasing the culture of outdoor exercise in the city. As everyone knows, the average Hong Kong person does not pursue a healthy lifestyle. If the situation gets worse, it could result in high medical treatment and low productivity. Marathon participants should take responsibility. Every participant should have previous training. It is their responsibility to know their ability to choose which competitions they can take part in. If they can do that, the number of medical cases will decrease drastically. In addition, if someone knows he/she has an illness, they should not compete. Remember, marathons are not only good for your health, they are also good for your tolerance. Marathons not only can train you in persistence, but they can also train you in responsibility. Derek Chan, Ho Man Tin Q What can be done to reduce the improper use of antibiotics? As a biology student, I know the risks involved in using antibiotics. However, without biological knowledge, it is hard to understand the principle behind the medication. Therefore, the first step is to raise public awareness through the mass media. We need to organise slogans and carnivals in public housing areas to publicise the danger of misuse, and we need to distribute booklets at schools. We need to make information accessible. Lau Pik-ha, Ngau Tau Kok Q Is the new school building planned for Discovery Bay too big? There is no doubt that another school is needed in the Discovery Bay area. However, I sympathise with those residents who are living in close proximity to the proposed school. The design has only become apparent in the past few months. There are two aspects which concern me. First, the school is in an area with limited safe access for buses, golf carts, cyclists and pedestrians. The residents of Siena will be inundated with various forms of traffic. Certainly not in keeping with the tranquil nature of the area. Second, the design of the school surprises me. In my view, it is a monstrosity; certainly not in keeping with the nature of the area, nor the existing buildings in the area. It is simply too big. Again, I sympathise with the residents of the area. The huge canopy, for example, is not a practical fixture. That should be the first to go. I think the size of the whole project is the major issue here - both in the sense of physical building size and also of the capacity. Hong Kong has a habit of building up - not out. Should the ESF scale down the project, they would get a lot more support for it. Andrew Johnstone, Discovery Bay On other matters... The unacceptable disparity between the haves and have-nots in Hong Kong was brought (maybe unintentionally) into sharp and uncomfortable contrast in City page 2 on Thursday. The earnest plea from Christine Fang, chief executive of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, for us to act as a compassionate society during rising prosperity, illustrated with an example of a family struggling to survive with dignity on a salary of just $5,000 a month, or for providing better facilities for the disabled and disadvantaged in Hong Kong, adjacent to a CitySeen article with poor little rich boy Ross Jamison 'needing' $1 million to indulge his passion for motor racing. My thoughts are, if you are a potential backer for Ross, or even if you are Ross, take a good hard look at yourself and decide where that $1 million should really go for the betterment of our society. What is real need? There are many, many cases in Hong Kong. Rob Naylor, Jardines Lookout It was sad to read last week that the MTR Corp's censorship department has yet again failed to be consistent in its decision-making, this time deciding to ban an ad for the movie 2 Become 1. This ad has positive implications by raising awareness to one of the biggest killers of women - breast cancer. Even the mainland praised it for its social value, yet censors at the MTR seemed to be offended by something. How is it that they can allow cheap-looking lingerie ads with no benefit to society, yet they curl up in a ball when they fear there might be something offensive to just one person? It is time for large corporations like the MTR to play a more proactive role in society, instead of simply being a greedy landlord that also happens to provide good transport services. They could receive great PR if they really took a proactive stance and tried to make a difference for the betterment of the population. Their ill-placed, small paper recycling bins are a case in point. They are simply paying lip-service to the environmental wishes of many, but are skirting their responsibility by doing it in a cowardly way. Those bins should be easy to find, at main exit locations where people leave either the train or the turnstiles, with a clever, educational message for all to see. Their policy of banning bicycles is another case where they could make a big, positive impact on society. However, they opt to hide in the pages of their outdated rules and regulations, which likely were meant for objects unrelated to people's athletic pursuits and wellbeing. To be a World City, we all have to play a role. Our society is waking up to sports, being outdoors, and the benefits of exercise, and by default, the MTR plays a huge role in letting us escape the polluted parts of this city. For the benefit of society, the MTR should stop being a miserly landlord and live up to its potential of really leading us in ways that help our society excel. K. Wong, Mid-Levels
