How can the city be made more friendly to the disabled? I am appalled about the number of times I have been waiting with my father, who is in a wheelchair, for a designated disability toilet which is occupied. Apart from the long wait, it is infuriating to find that 99.9 per cent of the time the people exiting the disability toilet are able-bodied and have only been in there to sneak a cigarette in a non-smoking zone. The toilets are left filthy with cigarette butts all over the floor and the heavy smell of cigarette smoke is unpleasant. The worst experiences I have had with my father were at Hong Kong International Airport on our recent travels in June. The biggest offenders are uniformed staff working for the airport or specialty shops. First, how inconsiderate for able-bodied people to be using the disability toilet when male and female public toilets are readily available, and second, they should not be occupying the disability toilet for a cigarette, when there are obvious no-smoking signs and information with regard to fines for smoking on the door of the toilet. When will the no-smoking fines be enforced for smokers using the disability toilets for a sneaky cigarette? Shame on the airport and other security personnel in Hong Kong for turning a blind eye to this. It is time something was done and the fines were enforced for offenders. Wheelchair users have no other choice but to use the disability toilets. Also, I have noticed shopping malls, hotels and office blocks that have recently been refurbished often put a disability toilet in the men's and women's toilets, rather than having a unisex disability toilet. People need to stop and think that wheelchair-users may need assistance in the toilet from friends or family they are out with, who may not be of the same sex. This is the case when I'm out and about with my father. Sarah Fuller, founder, Wheel Away Disabled Travel What do you think of the standard of road safety? I am aware - with so many road traffic accidents so far this year - that road safety standards in Hong Kong are declining. Car drivers and pedestrians should recognise they have a responsibility to maintain road safety. However, standards are low in the city and I think pedestrians and drivers are both responsible for a poor level of awareness. Drivers must appreciate that after they have been drinking alcohol, they cannot risk getting behind the wheel of a vehicle. Speeding is another cause of accidents. Motorists have to remember to follow the rules of the road. Pedestrians should follow the rules at traffic lights. If the red light at a pedestrian crossing is on, they should not cross until they see the green man. Simple things like that can help keep us safe. Our ultimate aim should be a 'zero accident' rate. Yvette Yau So-ching, Tseung Kwan O How can the behaviour of young people be improved? I refer to the report ('YMCA raps young for bad manners and swearing in public', July 7). I am not at all surprised by the findings because Hong Kong is basically not a very courteous society. People talk loudly on their mobile phones, push themselves into the train, clip their fingernails in public, carry their handbags, rucksacks and umbrellas in the most dangerous manner - you name it. Youths behave badly because it is the norm of Hong Kong. By the way, I am a secondary schoolteacher who stood at the school gate twice a week in this school year. I greeted all of the students right at the beginning of the school term, but not all of them responded to me then. Some might be too tired in the morning, others were too preoccupied, too shy, too 'switched-off' or too rude. But some of them responded gradually and started nodding their heads. My point is, somebody has to show them the minimum standard, otherwise they will never learn. This is one of the ways to influence them and the adults. Kane K. Lee, Man On Shan On other matters ... I wish to complain in the strongest terms about the lack of consideration shown by the MTR Corporation in its communication with the residents of Heng Fa Chuen estate regarding overnight remedial work on the rail line. A notice was posted in my block stating that overnight work would be carried out between 2am and 6am from June 24 to June 30. After one night of minimal sleep, I decided to wear earplugs to mask the noise. At first, they seemed to be effective enough. I could not hear the toilet flush, the air conditioners nor the television. But unfortunately I could still hear the intermittent hum of the remedial work some 17 floors below my flat. Just when we thought that the 'week from hell' was over, a new notice from the MTR Corp appeared, announcing that the overnight work would continue from July 1 to 7. Now they have posted a third notice stating that the work will go on from July 8 to 14. I telephoned the MTR Corp, asking for an estimation of the total time needed for the remedial work. After a very long period of time 'on hold', no one could furnish me with that information. This is just not good enough. In fact it is downright dishonest to inform people of a serious, health-impacting hazard only one week at a time. Could someone from the MTR Corp please let us know when this never-ending nightmare will be over? Pauline Bunce, Chai Wan Last Friday afternoon, I went to see the film Wanted at UA Whampoa. I bought the ticket and saw the category IIB on the ticket which states: 'Children under the age of 18 can watch a movie accompanied by an adult.' I saw a group of 10- to 12-year-olds not accompanied by an adult enjoying a movie that had offensive language, sex scenes and violence. I, being a mother, was feeling quite uncomfortable at this so-called freedom given to these children. Why do we have to expose children to such movies and rob them of their innocence? I wonder why they were not stopped from buying tickets by the staff at the counter. There are ample adverts shown to ask customers to 'switch off the mobile phones'. Why not state the category of the movie with this message? This letter is also aimed at those busy parents who are unaware what their children are watching. Neena Aswani, Tsim Sha Tsui
