HK's taxi drivers shamed by their Perth counterparts

Hong Kong's taxi drivers could learn a thing or two from their counterparts in Perth, Australia. In Perth, the drivers greet passengers with a cheery 'Good morning. How are you today?' This is followed by a polite inquiry as to the passenger's required destination. If the radio is on, it is turned well down, or off, unasked. Without any prompting, the driver jumps out to help passengers with their luggage, before and after the journey. At the end of a trip all the drivers automatically say: 'Thank you. Have a good day.' Anybody who travels much by taxi in Hong Kong will know all too well that such courtesies are rare from the city's drivers. All too often, they remain silent throughout the entire journey, and only when strongly urged will they shift themselves to help with bulky luggage. You can forget about them thanking the passenger for the fare at the end of the trip. Most times, the passenger is forced to ask the driver to tone down the noise inside the taxi - whether it be the driver speaking at the top of his voice on a mobile phone; the taxi firm's intercom; or the car radio. It is not at all unusual to experience all three types of noise at the same time. There is no regard for the passenger's comfort. Whether addressed in Chinese or English, a sullen silence from the driver is commonplace - and rude - when the destination is given. Lest it be said that not all Hong Kong taxi drivers may know enough English for even such simple courtesies, I should mention that every driver I've come across in Perth is also not a native-speaker of English. They hail from Poland, Brazil, South Africa, Turkey and India, but are united in the politeness and consideration they show passengers. The Perth taxi drivers put Hong Kong's taxi drivers to shame. Only our drivers can improve the experience for taxi passengers in Hong Kong: let us hope that they will. PAUL SURTEES, Perth Criminal use of taxes After reading about John Mark Karr's journey to incarceration in the United States ('A sobering end to flight for JonBenet suspect', August 21), I wonder if any other American citizens feel as great as I do about the recent, massive tax increase on expatriate Americans put through by the US government. It is wonderful to see our money being used so thoughtfully and frugally by the government. I mean, nothing but the best for our deserving criminal suspects ... business-class travel on Thai Airways, champagne, clinking glasses with the solicitous marshal, who apparently hoped to glean some information from a lubricated Karr. Had he not already confessed? It all makes me happy to know that my far higher taxes are funding a portion of this exercise in disciplined law enforcement. JAMIE O'DONNELL, Central Violence not the answer Before legislator Albert Ho Chun-yan was attacked ('Thugs batter lawmaker Albert Ho', August 21), I believed Hong Kong's political environment was much cleaner, more open and more constructive than Taiwan's - where radical supporters of President Chen Shui-bian have threatened to assassinate his political rivals and 'betrayers' of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party. But the attack on Mr Ho means that my worst fears have come true - Hongkongers using violence to express their discontent with a politician. Nobody should resort to such barbaric actions, no matter what the issue may be. Fortunately, most Hong Kong people are sensible and make use of formal and peaceful ways to voice their opinions. We must do all we can to help trace the thugs who attacked Mr Ho to show that they are the minority and that violence is not the norm in Hong Kong's political environment. If we don't do this, people will lose faith in Hong Kong's politics, and universal suffrage will become a distant dream. STEVEN YANG, Shamshuipo Give us more green bins In contrast to Australia and other western countries, which have three separate roadside bins for different categories of rubbish destined for recycling, most bins in Hong Kong hold all kinds of trash, whether recyclable or not. People who buy drinks or snacks at roadside stalls or convenience stores and want to put their plastic bottles and soft-drink cans into recycling bins, usually have to walk a long way to find them. Before making it compulsory for recyclable rubbish to be separated, the government should provide more recycling bins, separated into categories, throughout the city. HARVEY CHEUNG, Shamshuipo Productive travel Tony Latter's article ('Smug secrets of 'business' travel', August 21) does a disservice to those for whom business travel is productive work, or for whom time is too valuable for junkets. My travel schedules from the mid-1980s show five trips a year from London to Australasia, Hong Kong and cities 'out East', with six or more meetings a day. Despite Mr Latter's scepticism, personal contact is essential to building, say, a New Zealander's confidence in a London bank's commitment to his market. It is true that a business lounge is a pleasant haven, and the luxury of 28 hours' travel without phone calls or e-mails can be a welcome one, but these trips also produced a lot of business. As for corporate cultures, I regularly met the chief executive of one of our largest property businesses travelling economy class to Vietnam: his shareholders can be confident this firm does not waste their money. Who were Mr Latter's shareholders? PAUL SERFATY, Mid-Levels GST is the future Many legislators and businesspeople are opposed to a goods and services tax. However, I believe it is essential - the only question being when it should take effect. A GST would broaden the tax base and lighten the tax burden of the middle class. And then there's the ageing problem. In 20 years' time, every one in four Hong Kong residents will be over 65. If we don't broaden the tax base, today's teenagers will be the ones carrying the heavier tax burden. Broadening the tax base will improve the city's financial strength and revenue structure. While many people believe a GST will widen the gap between the rich and the poor, this is a misconception. Because the rich are able to buy more luxuries, they will pay more GST. And the poor have been promised refunds by the government. Merchants' concerns about people being less willing to buy things if they have to pay a GST are largely unwarranted. Although people might be reluctant to spend initially, they will quickly get used to the tax. When is the best time to introduce a GST? When the economy is fully recovered. People are more likely to accept the tax when they are well set financially and won't mind spending a little more to buy things. For the sake of the next generation, and Hong Kong's future, we should all support a GST. ADRIAN SIU, Ap Lei Chau Fond memories My wife and I have just returned to Singapore from a week's holiday in Hong Kong. I would like to share an experience we had and the great efforts people went to during our stay in your city to help us. We were due to depart from Chek Lap Kok in the evening and had planned to spend the day at Ngong Ping on Lantau island, visiting the Po Lin Monastery and the Tian Tan Buddha. We took the ferry from Tsim Sha Tsui to Central and, from there, boarded a bus to Mui Wo. During a second bus trip, from Mui Wo to Ngong Ping, I discovered that I had lost a pouch, containing my digital camera and a book, at some stage of the journey. The camera held many images of the wonderful places I had visited in Hong Kong. On our arrival at Ngong Ping, I made several calls to the police, New World First Ferry, and even Star Ferry. Within minutes, police officers arrived and took us to a nearby station to file a report. A policeman, who I believe was a senior officer, made a few calls. A short while later, a call came through from the Mui Wo ferry terminal with the news that the staff there had found the pouch and had put it in a safe place. We were extremely relieved to recover our personal belongings, and also to learn that there are very honest and helpful people in Hong Kong. We know that the police and ferry staff were just doing their jobs, but they are to be commended on how well they treated us. They all went the extra mile. The Hong Kong Tourism Board may have introduced various activities and promotions this year to attract tourists, but nothing can match the efforts of Hong Kong's people to save the day for tourists such as us. We thank the friendly police officers at Ngong Ping and all the ferry staff. NG CHEK HOCK, LI SHY YUNN, Singapore