A debacle to prove that Telstra needs setting straight on service
However noxious the treatment of the public by various
government instrumentalities, that by Telstra must surely rank in a
class of its own. Our home has been cut off from landline phone and
internet for more than a month because of a Telstra mistake. Yet
Telstra has displayed a deafness to our plight that makes one
appreciate how it must feel to live under a dictatorship.
It all came about when a bulldozer operator demolishing the
house next door complied with a Telstra map that wrongly showed the
position of the phone cable serving our two premises and cut it. A
Telstra technician who inspected the damage two days later said a
Telstra crew would arrive “within a fortnight” to repair it. No
apologies to anyone.
After the fortnight expired with no trace of such a crew, I
tried (by mobile phone) to get a more definite commitment from
Telstra, only to be told Telstra would not deal with me because I
had assigned my phone business to another server. It would deal
only with that server as its client. (This policy makes as much
sense as if a Telstra truck ran into my car, injuring the
occupants, and Telstra insisted on dealing only with the car
manufacturer.) Anyhow, our server tried to get some hurry-up from
Telstra, without success, and another fortnight came and went
without any response from it to our pleadings. Then finally a
contractor appeared unexpectedly four days later and installed a
temporary line for which we were grateful (despite his breaking our
water pipe in the process).
But what a system - or, rather, lack of system - totally devoid
of such qualities as concern and courtesy, with the public kept in
the dark and treated as a nuisance rather than Telstra’s very
raison d’etre.
Since the Federal Government still has some powers to regulate
the telecommunications carriers, the sooner the new Government sets
Telstra straight about its duty to the public, the quicker will the
public get the standard of service Telstra owes it.
John O’Hara Lindfield
Bike lanes can curb the vicious cycle of traffic jams
My, my, Alan Evans and the NRMA are suddenly a cyclist’s best
friends, fighting fearlessly for safer roads for all (”Epping hell
will be no nirvana for motorists - or cyclists”, January 14). Well,
when it’s convenient for motorists anyway. It’s amazing what being
blind-sided by a furious response from a sensible community can
achieve.
Congestion on Sydney arterial roads is already shocking and
getting worse so proposals to rip up cycleways and slip cars onto
bus lanes is just rearranging deck chairs. Sure, dress it up as
promoting safety, encouraging car pooling or whatever you reckon
will get it over the line, but blind Freddy can see it is not
sustainable.
Is this really the NRMA’s vision for Sydney - cannibalising
every bit of road space for more cars at the cost of all other road
users? Where do climate change, community health and livable cities
fit? Surely the NRMA is smart enough to see beyond the windscreen.
You have no choice.
Richard Birdsey Alexandria
Alan Evans continues to display his ignorance of all matters
cycling. Travel by bike in the inner west and the lower North Shore
is on an exponential increase. There is no doubt that the cycleway
along Epping Road, once completed, will be well used. Mr Evans
should check out the real statistics - like the many thousands who
cycle into the city every day even in winter - rather than quote
irrelevant figures that only show that people will not cycle in
numbers where there is no safe place to ride.
Mr Evans would be better advised to address the real issue of
toll inequity on Sydney roads, rather than attack the most
efficient, sustainable and healthy form of transport that so many
people want to use.
Carolyn New Naremburn
Alan Evans again is trying to push the blame for the narrowing
of Epping Road onto the cyclists. Alan, just one (big) point you’ve
missed: the NSW Government is not taking the lane off
motorists for the benefit of cyclists; it has removed the lanes to
benefit the Lane Cove Tunnel operators. No ifs. No buts. No maybe.
The Minister for Roads is short-changing all road users,
motorist and cyclist alike. Don’t be an apologist for them.
Michael Mulhern Kellyville
Alan Evans, in less than 20 years most of us are not going to be
able to afford to drive our beloved petroleum guzzlers more than a
couple of times a week, if that. Actually, the severe petrol
rationing and roster system that will inevitably be introduced in
the very near future will ensure that is the case. The age of oil
is effectively over and we are living in the black, sooty cloud it
has left behind, struggling vainly to see a way out of it.
Daryl Aberhart Swansea
You can hardly blame Alan Evans for expecting the NSW Government
to ditch its package of public transport and bicycle-friendly
measures, used to justify construction of the Lane Cove Tunnel, in
favour of even more cars. After all, that’s exactly what it has
done for every other major road project it has undertaken.
Scott Davies Leichhardt
Undue caesareans are not about a woman’s choice
Good on you, Ruth Pollard, for exposing the fact that unnecessary
caesareans have increased risks for both mother and baby and future
babies (”Caesareans heading to danger level”, January 14). And good
on Dr Greg Davis for acknowledging that vaginal birth after
caesarean is not only possible, but a safe and reasonable
choice.
It is disgusting that so many women are told they have no birth
choices after having had a caesarean with a first or second baby.
If they have no complications then they most definitely have a
choice and this choice should be supported with evidence and
continuity of care.
Cas McCullough Caesarean Awareness Network, Australia
A doctorate deserved
Sometimes honorary doctorates are, indeed, deserved. This is more
than exemplified in the case of the wonderful Isobel Bennett who
has died, aged 98 (”Scientist devoted life to studying the sea”,
January 14). She left school at 16 and, with little formal
education, became a most highly esteemed Australian marine
biologist. She was awarded an honorary master of science degree by
the University of Sydney and later an honorary doctorate by the
University of NSW.
Her contribution to thousands of school and university biology
students, through her teaching and fabulous textbook, has been
enormous.
Dr Brian O’Donnell Burradoo
Can’t tell Right from Left
Don’t you love it when Liberals refer to their “left-wing faction”
(”Lib feathers ruffled by left-winger”, January 14). Left of what?
Mind you, it’s equally sickening to see the Labor Party,
particularly its spivvy Right wing, call themselves “left of
centre” or “social democrats”. At least Kevin Rudd was honest
enough to recently refuse to use these terms to describe himself
and the Laboral party he now leads.
Keith Parsons Newcastle
Last days of misery
There’s something chillingly ironic about the efforts doctors make
to prolong the lingering and miserable deaths of dictators such as
the former president Soeharto (”Ready for funeral as Soeharto
clings on”, January 14).
Norm Neill Darlinghurst
Make a move Costello
For goodness sake, Peter Costello, harden up. Show some decisive
attributes and either go flat out for the leadership or join
Macquarie (”Costello hits a private crossroad”, January 12-13). The
main attribute of a leader is the ability to make decisions and
show courage in implementing them. The worst you could do is fail
and you won’t be broke if you do. Do something; doing nothing much
on the back benches is ruling yourself out.
Michael Stanbridge Bonnet Bay
A rate rise too soon
Big banks raising interest rates pre-emptively before the Reserve
Bank does? That would be like telling my boss I wanted a pay rise
today because I expect my mortgage payments to rise by some amount
at some point in time in the near future. What a joke. Get the
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on this -
Australians are doing it hard enough as it is.
Mandy Huynh Cabramatta
Plastic made to compost
Finally there is mention of biodegradable plastic bags (Letters,
January 12-13). I have observed that over the past year or so every
independent supermarket I have visited regularly bags purchases in
“biodegradable” plastic that melts in sun or waste. They are to be
commended. On the other hand, I have never been given a bag marked
biodegradable by the two huge supermarket chains that dominate the
market. I wonder why? Is it about their bottom lines?
Barbara McGarity Turramurra
Political vacuum
What a gig. You sign on for your new job and start collecting your
pay cheque on November 25 when you are elected to office but do not
start work until almost two months later on January 14 when you
have your “orientation” and find out where your office is and how
Parliament works (”Beginners learn the ABC of being an MP”, January
14). That is the lot of the first-time pollies. Nice for some.
What is the old saying: “we get the politicians we deserve”? Do
we deserve this?
Ian Chant Vancouver (Canada)
That John Howard had his important meetings in Sydney and Kevin
Rudd has his in Brisbane raises questions: how livid is the
Melbourne establishment? Why did we build Canberra?
Peter Bourke Rockdale
The source of all knowledge
It is great to know that if you read the Herald for long
enough all your questions will be answered. The obituary for Joan
Ingpen (”Agent who gave Pavarotti his big break”, January 12-13)
shows her father disappearing into Russia at the time of the
Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. Mr Ingpen appears in my father’s 1932
diary when he visited Moscow as a NSW Railway Union delegate:
“11/05/32. Arrived Moscow at 10.20 train on time. After waiting two
hours we were taken to Grand Hotel. After dinner we were put
through a stiff interrogation regarding our eligibility as
delegates, also given forms to fill in with several questions. The
whole outlook a bit dark. Probably we will be turned out tomorrow.
Mr Ingpen seems to be very suspicious towards us - anyway our
position will be cleared tomorrow.” I had often wondered how a man
with such an un-Russian name could have had such a position of
authority in Russia in those days.
Ivan Goozeff Nowra
Frequent flyer facade
Paul Sheehan is right, however he does not go on to detail the
costs of frequent flyer travel once you hit the jackpot and get a
ticket (”Frequent flyer points a big con”, January 14). Recently I
was successful in booking my family (two adults and two children) a
return trip with Qantas to the United States costing 386,000
points, or so I thought. In addition to the points I was charged
nearly $1600 in taxes and levies. No doubt with the latest increase
I will be invoiced even more as we have not travelled yet.
The lack of direct flights available for frequent flyer travel
is also scandalous. My last redeemed flight was to Toronto, but I
was forced to return via Anchorage, and Hong Kong on a
31%26#189;-hour nightmare.
Andrew Dunshea Bathurst
Cricket doesn’t count
Is this cricket saga still going on? For heaven’s sake, watching
the damned thing is like subjecting yourself to televised Valium.
It isn’t even a real sport. How on earth does this travelling
five-day yawn festival manage to attract so much attention when one
group of overpuffed egos taunts another group of overpuffed egos
over which of them is slightly less boring to watch? Is it the mere
fact something actually happened on a cricket pitch that has
everyone worked up? It must be one hell of a slow news cycle for
this vapid rubbish to still be generating so much coverage.
Adrian Bain St Leonards
Inspiring feat, in sport and the great outdoors
The smiles on the faces in the magnificent photo of the two young
swashbucklers reaching dry land with arms around each other is
proof positive that the great Australian ideals of mateship and
adventure are yet to be killed off by the computer game industry
(”Across the creek after a very long paddle”, January 14).
Steve Partridge Marrickville
Two young men, a kayak, a wonderful welcome by passionate Kiwis.
That is what sport can be: inspirational.
Chris Noel Cremorne Point
Didn’t steal Hillary, at least
While in agreement with Paul Mirabelle’s praise of Sir Edmund
Hillary’s extraordinary qualities (Letters, January 14), I must
point out that Fred Hollows was also a Kiwi. One of Sir Ed’s less
important achievements was to avoid being declared some sort of
east island Australian, as many of his successful compatriots,
four-footed and two-footed, have.
Ross Chambers Springwood
Rich with possibility
A spokesman for the Packers announced that “they are definitely
pregnant” (”Breath of fresh heir for Packer dynasty”, January 14).
They? Please explain.
Barry Schwarzer Turner (ACT)
The taxpayers of Australia can rejoice that their hard-earned
will contribute to the baby bonuses for Nicole, Erica and Cate.
Dan Buchler Waramanga (ACT)
A few contenders for the title
Like Janice Lemon (Letters, January 14), I would like George Bush’s
place in history to be clarified. Is he the worst US president ever
or is he the greatest stand-up comedian to occupy the Oval Office?
His words suggest comedian but his actions scream otherwise.
Murray Howlett Regents Park
Janice Lemon asks whose presidency was worse than George Bush’s
and I was going to suggest William Henry Harrison, the ninth
president who died 31 days into his presidency in 1841 with no
accomplishments (he was struck down with ill-health from the end of
his inaugural address and never recovered). Come to think of it, he
probably still out-performed Bush.
Jeremy Brender Cremorne
Warren Harding, the 29th president (1921-23) is generally
regarded as one of the least successful. While not involved
himself, his administration was riddled with bribery and corruption
and is probably best remembered for the Teapot Dome scandal. After
29 months Harding died in the job, but not before saying: “I’m not
fit for this office and never should have been here.”
Joe Dwyer Rose Bay
The worst American president? Surely Calvin Coolidge, who
reportedly did little when in office and when told of his death
Dorothy Parker famously responded: “How could they tell?”
John Crowe Normanhurst
Seasonal refreshment
I write to express my appreciation for the Summer Herald. The
standard of articles has been excellent and the range of topics
imaginative and stimulating. I have enjoyed also the items such as
the quiz, the quotes and Ruth Wajnryb’s contributions about words
and phrases. It has been so readable I would ask that you publish
it all year round changing the title to Autumn, Winter and Spring
as the seasons change.
Ken Bock Carlingford
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