Speed limit compromise call

A reader says the UAE should implement a nationwide policy on buffer zones. Other letter topics: Mumbai's best street for eats, re-registering Sim cards and Olympic sports.

A reader says the speed-limit 'buffer' system should be standardised across the UAE. Delores Johnson / The National

Regarding Speed limit 'buffer' abolished (August 7), Abu Dhabi seems to have gone from one extreme to the other.

The 20 kph margin was way too high in my opinion - when driving in the city on a 60 kph road, that's a 33 per cent margin) - but no buffer at all will cause problems, too.

In my opinion, a small buffer of 5 kph or 10 kph is necessary from a safety point of view.

We have all been in situations where we temporarily need to speed up to avoid trouble and make way for others to change lanes.

Taking that buffer away totally is not the right solution.

What's more important is that the buffer should be uniform everywhere in the UAE not just in the city as suggested in this article.

This is very important because confusion causes accidents. Drivers need to be 100 per cent sure what the rules are, and the easiest way for that to be the case is if one rule applies everywhere.

There should be no difference between highways or city roads because, especially here in the UAE where most roads are three lanes, it's sometimes difficult to tell whether you're driving on a city road or a motorway.

I sincerely hope the authorities decide to keep a buffer that applies everywhere in the UAE.

Ziad Q, Abu Dhabi

Dress code is a vexed issue

How should women dress? In the light of the rising number of assaults on women, this question has been a subject of much public debate in India in recent days.

There seems to be a clash of views between those who are deemed conservatives and those who are known as defenders of the rights of women. One group advises them to dress "carefully" or "respectfully". This way they can avoid becoming the victims of sexual violence.

The other group says that what women should wear is a matter of their personal choice and the sexual crimes against them are all about men's mentality. According to them, the existing laws are not sufficient to protect women.

Admittedly, women who wear skimpy dresses do not intend to invite sexual harassment. At the same time, though, wearing revealing dresses certainly attracts the attention of many men who feel distracted.

There are a lot of men in society who have not yet attained that level of piety to enable them to control their animal instinct to the extent of being indifferent to such "provocations".

I think responsible women should acknowledge that they can still live with dignity and honour without bold clothing.

Muneer Ahmad, Abu Dhabi

Name the games for the Olympics

No kicking football out of the game (August 6) made me wonder if football should be an Olympic sport, even with restrictions on athletes' age.

What about basketball, with its millionaire American players? And what about the wealthy tennis athletes? Should they have age restrictions, too?

In this context I must say I enjoyed the witty article by Chuck Culpepper, Murray's win is far from grand (August 7).

In Rio de Janeiro in 2016, surfing and wakeboarding should be included, not golf.

Marli Tirelli, Dubai

Mumbai street is the world's tastiest

Street feast after the fast (August 8) brings back memories.

Mohammed Ali Road in Mumbai is the most awesome place anyone can ever go for having food. Not a single street vendor's dishes taste bad.

I have known vendors there who have been in exactly the same spot for the past 45 years, selling exactly the same thing - and their clientele is enormous.

If you go to Mumbai, you must visit Mohammed Ali Road, it's an experience you will never get to see elsewhere - a chain of restaurants on four wheels along the streets.

You have to stand to eat from plain steel plates, but those mouth-watering, incredibly deliciously foods will blast your taste buds for life.

Moiz SA, Abu Dhabi

Re-registering Sim a simple process

If you need to re-register your mobile phone number ('Register Sim or be cut off,' du users told, August 5), Ramadan is the time to do it.

When I went into the Airport Road Etisalat office, it was quieter than I have ever seen it. I was directed to the third floor, then to the copier, where I took a copy of both sides of my Emirates ID.

I had already filled in the re-registration form, which I had downloaded from the Etisalat website.

I was given a number and there were only two people ahead of me. A 10-minute wait, then five minutes at the counter and it was complete.

It was a good experience. I suggest you do it now because it will be different when the rush comes.

Jeremy Weeks, Abu Dhabi