Letters: Why increase speed limits when the road toll is reducing?; Sky TV reception woes

'Do we want to see an increase in those grim white crosses?' Photo / Maryana Garcia

Letters to the Editor

Whatever happened to ‘Speed kills’?

News that a heap of northern roads will have their speed limits raised makes one wonder just what planet the previous minister was on.

How can anyone ignore the undisputed fact that speed kills. As speed increases, the stopping distance increases, there is a greater probability of exceeding the critical speed on a curve and there is a greater chance other road users will misjudge how fast the speeding driver is travelling.

As often said, speed limits become a target rather than the maximum. The fact that last year we had the lowest road deaths per capita in the last 100 years proves beyond doubt that the restrictions worked.

Do we want to see an increase in those grim white crosses just to get where we want to go a few minutes quicker?

Reg Dempster, Albany.

Israeli soldiers

In your article regarding the protest action involving identification of Israeli Defence Force personnel, I found John Minto’s argument disingenuous (Jan 29).

Since military service is mandatory in Israel with only a few legal exemptions, can Mr Minto and his protest group guarantee that each and every individual identified as an Israeli soldier is in full agreement with the Israeli Government’s current policy?

Now, if the protest group want to “call out” members of the Israeli Government who are sighted in New Zealand, or demonstrate outside the Israeli Embassy, that seems an appropriate response to their opinions on the current Israeli Government’s policy.

Any other action potentially endangers the lives and wellbeing of individuals who have no direct involvement in determining said policy. If he were holidaying overseas, I’m fairly certain that Mr Minto would strenuously object to being called out for being a citizen of New Zealand by a group objecting to the current New Zealand Government’s policies.

Dunstan Sheldon, Hamilton.

Sky TV woes

Shayne Currie’s article (Jan 28) clearly explains a grossly unacceptable situation which has existed for some considerable time, a situation which Sky conveniently avoids mentioning when contacted regarding reception issues.

I preface the following by saying this issue is occurring at our place in the Far North, although it has also occurred, albeit to a lesser degree, at home in Auckland

Despite (not for the first time) having waited 37 minutes on the phone to explain the issue and being assured a technician would contact me within 24 hours, it is now over a week with no response.

My neighbours were more fortunate and did manage to make a time when a technician would be available - but that’s not until February 12 by which time they will be long gone back to Auckland.

I also spent $250 with a local technician trying to alleviate the problem, unfortunately without success.

We, along with many others, have now been with an unsatisfactory reception situation for many months but are still paying Sky’s expensive fees for something we are not receiving and are unlikely to do so for many months to come. Judging by the people I have spoken with there must be thousands experiencing this dilemma.

In my view the situation is so unacceptable that Sky should offer a heavily discounted subscription fee until the situation is resolved or show some real initiative to demonstrate their commitment to great customer care by providing the service free until this issue is resolved.

However I expect the outcome will be, “Customer service – yeah right!”.

Bary Williams, Sunnyhills.

Hail rail

Welcoming “digital nomads” is one idea to increase tourism, but the real winner would be a massive investment in rail.

Thankfully the trains are back on today and as soon as you get on you realise what a wonderful way it is to travel. How good would it be to get to Napier, Tauranga, Rotorua and New Plymouth by rail?

The 2000s have brought a massive universal love for trains as a cleaner, greener, beautiful travel option. Roads are always talked of as being funded but the truth is while each car pays a bit in registration and petrol all the passengers pay nothing towards roads.

By contrast rail, which is always described as “subsidised”, has every passenger counted and those aged 5+ have to pay. Fund rail nationally, New Zealand will reap the benefits in so many ways.

Samantha Cunningham, Henderson.

Selfish parenting

I totally agree with correspondent Lorraine Kidd re some parents putting their needs before their children (Jan 29).

In our local supermarket recently, the mother in front of me was showing off her new tattoo and said she was having another one the following week. The teller said what lovely nails, “Just had them done.” Her son asked her to buy some bananas for his lunch, the answer: “No I can’t afford them.”

Wendy Galloway, Ōmokoroa.