Write to the editor

I was disgusted to read in your sister paper the Gulf Daily News about the new anti-smoking drive being launched in the kingdom.

Tobacco retailers are being encouraged to import packets of cigarettes with horrific images of diseased organs to make people aware of harmful effects of smoking.

While I agree that smoking is a dirty habit, it is a personal choice and putting a few pictures on the packet isn’t going to deter anyone.

Furthermore, I believe that this new campaign ostracises and discriminates against smokers. If you’re going to suddenly put warning signs about the dangers of things, why stop there? Why not put pictures of morbidly obese people on every fast-food wrapper, pictures of drunk people vomiting and making fools of themselves on every bottle of alcohol and pictures of mutilated car crash victims on every seatbelt?

Jeremy Fisher,
By Email.

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Whatever happened to good customer service? It’s as though the concept of being nice has completely flown out the window along with manners, especially since the start of Ramadan. 

While entering a popular hypermarket I encountered a store manager who was quite rude. I was dropping off my shopping bags at their customer service desk, following the rules, and was stopped from entering for having a camera on me.

I asked security if I could quickly run in as all I really wanted to purchase was a loaf of bread. I would be in and out within minutes and didn’t want to leave the expensive camera at the customer service desk.

He asked me to wait and checked with the store manager who then approached me without a ‘hello’ or ‘what seems to be the problem?’ and just said no. He then proceeded to tell me that I wasn’t allowed in with the camera and that was final.

It was quite late in the evening and I did not feel like arguing so I had to leave my camera behind. I was back to pick it up as quickly as I left it. I understand that it’s against the store’s policy, but why couldn’t he just ask me in a courteous manner? Instead he made me feel like a criminal smuggling something into the outlet.

To be honest, I didn’t even feel like shopping there after that as he made such a scene that people were watching me as they entered. 

Managers especially should be diplomatic – a ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’ could go a long way from losing a loyal customer.

Sincerely,
Miss Shopping Etiquette.

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The new rule on baggage for Saudi Arabian Airlines is definitely against the interests of the customers. However, if the intention of the airline is to reduce the weight of the baggage then it is OK. The restriction of 32kg seems to be in line with those of the budget airlines.

In order to cater to the needs of a majority of the passengers, Saudia should seriously consider allowing three pieces of baggage instead of one. This will be less of a burden on the passengers. It will also help in facilitating better storage and transportation.

Mohammed Sadullah Khan, Riyadh,
By email.

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Migrant Workers Protection Society organised an Iftar gathering last Friday for 50 staff of SARCO in Barbar. A sumptuous Iftar and goody bags were generously sponsored by Bahrain Institute of Hospitality & Retail, part of Dadabai Group of Companies.

MWPS distributed bed linen and telephone cards. Fifty ‘shoe boxes’ each filled with a variety of items were also donated to the workers  by Year 3 students of the British School of Bahrain.

Marietta Dias,
MWPS chairperson and press spokesperson.