I learnt driving at the Emirates Driving School (Driving schools are safety pillars, April 12). I was impressed by the high standards of instruction. My instructor was great. I think the issues of licensing and driving are deep-rooted.
While the driving school can play a part, I think the government needs to conduct more safety campaigns. In the UK, it took years to get where we are now regarding seat belts, drinking and driving, and so on. It takes more than a driving school.
Sarah Calderwood, Abu Dhabi
I agree that the standards of driving schools are very low. From experience with many people I have spoken to about their training sessions, the way the lessons are imparted is arbitrary, even the content of the lesson is arbitrary.
For example, when teaching students about emergency braking, one instructor told his class that the correct way to carry out an emergency stop is to stomp on the brakes as hard as possible so that the tyres screech. Quite the opposite is true.
The schools should be pillars of safety, but they are not and nowhere near it.
Dave Pryce, Abu Dhabi
Debt confession is courageous
Khaled Al Noobi's story is sad (My wife divorced me over mountains of debt, April 12). However, it must have taken some courage for him to admit his failings in this culture. I applaud him for that.
Name withheld by request
It’s very sad. It’s easy to get into debt. Every day the bank calls asking if we want money. Every day, we tell them we do not wish to take a loan; they keep calling.
Samantha Anderson, Dubai
I wish we lived in a society where simple things could make us happy. Money destroys everything.
Soad Elashrfi, Abu Dhabi
Budgeting key to saving money
Every person should prepare a budget, which will help reduce unnecessary expenditure (How to reduce your living expenses in the UAE, April 10).
The first step is to know where you are spending. People very often have no idea where their money goes. Preparing a budget will largely eliminate this phenomenon.
Be realistic and spend according to your income. Have a lifestyle that you can support. Sometimes it’s hard to avoid temptations, because there are so many of them here, but you have to do it if you want to save.
Stop competing with others. You should be proud of what you have. But this is something hard for people to fathom. Look at it this way: a large number of people can afford to buy expensive things. So you will probably be conspicuous if you have inexpensive ones. It’s guaranteed that most of your friends and acquaintances would not have those.
Matthew Litty, Dubai
House rent, transport and food expenses are inevitable. These take away most of our salaries. For the rest, you have to be extremely careful.
For many of us there is not much option. What do you do at the weekend? Stay at home? That’s not always possible. You will need some kind of relaxation. But for any recreational activity, you will have to pay. So how can you save?
Muneeb Ahmed, India
Yemen is not Pakistan’s issue
I disagree that Pakistan's stand on Yemen is contradictory (Pakistan's vote on Yemen 'contradictory', April 12). Pakistan should first consider its own security interests.
Having said this, the conflict needs to be resolved peacefully. We must learn a lesson from Syria. Yemen is already a mess. There is no need to make it more messy.
Khurram Qureshi, Pakistan