Today's letters: Ottawa road safety — slower is not always better

Friday, Oct. 18: Flexi posts can create traffic problems, says one reader. You can write to us too, at [email protected]

Published Oct 18, 2024  •  Last updated 0 minutes ago  •  2 minute read

Some Ottawa roads are replete with flexi-boards. Photo by Errol McGihon /POSTMEDIA

Flex posts can be a traffic danger

Re: Ottawa’s traffic flex posts drive us nuts. But they work, Oct. 8.

This story was disappointing, as I have come to rely on the Citizen to be first to shout that the emperor has no clothes. Instead, you have followed the mania that chants slower speeds mean more safety, even if it means distracting the drivers.

In Manotick, where the hilly and winding roads are generally too narrow for separate bicycle lanes, the flex stakes lie in the centre of the roads, forcing drivers to lurk behind a bicycle, looking for a moment to pass before the next flex stake or blind corner. In a village largely devoid of sidewalks, this heightened danger is also shared by pedestrians.

Article content

Brian Schacht, Manotick

Tips for everyone, or for no one

Re: Tipping point, Canadians push back on gratuities, Oct. 11.

According to the survey, 77 per cent of respondents agreed with tipping at restaurants but only seven per cent were in favour of tipping in retail stores. My question is “Why?”

I have been in shoe stores where the clerk has gone back to the storeroom a dozen times because the shopper couldn’t decide on the style, colour, size  and so on. On many occasions, the shopper would depart without buying anything, leaving a very tired and frustrated clerk who would repeat this scenario many times during their shift. Even if the shopper did buy something, most retail clerks are paid minimum wage with no commissions.

A server in a restaurant may also work hard but a tip definitely makes the job much more palatable. I always wondered why the amount of tip is dependent on the price of the meal. Is it more difficult to carry a $50 steak than a $20 hamburger?

Also, many restaurant meals have gone up in price nearly 50 per cent in the last few years, which results in the server making 50-per-cent more in tips (along with the increase in their hourly wage). In a fair and equal society, either everyone should get a tip or no one should get a tip.

Article content

Les Shinder, Nepean

More gratitude for Alex Munter

I would like to thank Alex Munter and pay tribute to his years at CHEO and his contribution to pediatric health care.

He is a good example of someone who keeps a low profile and does things for the right reasons; he is certainly not a glory-seeker. What a remarkable man, refusing pay raises and donating 10 per cent of his salary back to the hospital.

Best wishes in your new job, Alex. All of us would do well to take a lesson from you.

Joan Tye, Ottawa

Recommended from Editorial

1. 

   Today's letters: Neil Collishaw fought for tougher smoking rules

2. 

   Today's letters: Don't blame boomers for millennials' plight

Article content