I’m a member of an old Wollongong family, and I have never experienced or heard of the sort of rudeness that I’ve had to endure of late. Whether it’s the frustration of school holidays or whether the people involved are the ubiquitous “out-of-towners” (i.e. people who just don’t know better), I’ll never know, but the one thing I do know is that I’ve had enough.
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I’ve been stared at across car parks (and, no, I didn’t cut anyone off, or take anyone’s parking space), had people blaring their car horns at me on the roadand tailgating me when I’ve been doing the speed limit along the expressway.
You can put it down either to falling standards (“Did your mother ever tell you it’s rude to stare?” etc.), or to something more sinister (such as “Are they going to mug me?”).
Perhaps the more sceptical, liberal-minded might say I’m paranoid.
I think people are getting ruder, and it isn’t just me. People just aren’t behaving the way they ought in a civilised society.
Matthew Nicholson, Avondale
Last week I visited David Farmer to ask him why he rubber-stamped the grossest act of vandalism that Berkeley has ever seen.
He confirmed that, as an artwork, the Prawn rated zero with those few employees who were involved in the general discussion around the Prawn.
Wouldn’t the Prawn have looked perfect in the new foyer of the newly refurbished Berkeley Community Centre? What a wasted opportunity to shine, Mr Farmer.
Why don’t you do the right thing at this late stage, and give Berkeley a new Prawn, exactly replicating the beloved original? It would be easy, much easier than ruining it. Then have it placed, respectfully, in pride of place in the foyer of the Berkeley Community Centre.
Rebuild your broken fences, Mr Farmer. Work to regain the trust that you smashed when you wantonly smashed the Prawn.
Martina Thiele, Berkeley
After watching on TV the recent accident when a pram was left unattended and rolled off the platform onto train tracks, I’d like to suggest that pram manufacturers or those who own prams, attach a strap to the handle and slip the other end onto their wrist, freeing their hands but keeping the pram safely attached.
John McCallum, Mount Keira
I wrote to the Illawarra Mercury about wasted expenditure in Wollongong City Council and provided the example of intersection of O’Briens Road and Jacaranda Avenue in Figtree.
This work is still not completed two months later.
The double lines to the intersection in Jacaranda Avenue have not been replaced, so motorists turning from O’Briens Road into Jacaranda Avenue have no idea where the centre of the intersection is.
Consequently, there have been several near head-on crashes already and numerous drivers have hit the kerbing as evidenced by the tyre rubber from impact with the kerb.
The statutorily required solid line on the asphalt at the intersection for the stop sign has not been replaced and the stop sign on the left-hand side of the intersection is still missing.
This situation is an example of poor road safety and the sole cause is the redesign of the intersection by Wollongong City Council.
Lyn Read, Figtree