Letters: Travelling at 20mph isn’t answer to safety problem

It would appear that Mr Fiddimore would be in favour of having more 20mph zones in and around Edinburgh and gives some facts and figures to make his case. I believe that Mr Fiddimore may have taken these figures from an article that appeared on the internet a few days ago, however he fails to make any mention of the fact that accidents in areas with 20mph zones have actually increased in recent years whilst at the same time there has been a slight decrease in accidents in areas that still have 30mph zones.

If Mr Fiddimore is so keen on 20mph zones does he want it applied to the motorist only or would he like to see it applied to all transport? I am led to believe the new tram could soon be travelling through the city streets with a top speed of 45mph. How can we allow a tram to hurtle through the city streets possibly at 45mph whilst at the same time asking motorists to slow down to 20mph?

The same question should also be applied to the railways. If a train is passing through stations or close to where large populations live then should a speed reduction to 20mph be mandatory? This might go some way to reducing the numbers killed on our railways each year.

Alastair Macintyre, Webster Place, Rosyth

No goodwill while Christmas shopping

I WAS humoured by your reader Shona Mitchell’s letter re Boxing Day sales (News December 29.

I am a stroke victim and was using my local supermarket electric buggy on the Wednesday before Christmas. I stood to the side to put my purchases on the belt and a wee lad, about eight or nine, was sitting in the buggy. I asked him politely not to play with the controls.

When I turned to put my shopping on the belt, the wee boy’s dad had put the  separator bar across and busied himself putting his shopping up. I told him I’d not finished with my own shopping yet and tossed the separator bar back a bit.

He obviously thought I was throwing it at him (I wasn’t), then he said to the boy, “I’ve always told you to be nice to old people, but not her!”. To which I replied, “Peace on earth and goodwill to all men – but not to you!”

Then I burst out laughing, thinking he’d do the same. He had the grace to blush the deepest shade of red, then mumbled to his son about  joining another queue.

J Burgess, Craigentinny Road, Edinburgh

Blinkered thinking beggars belief

In over forty years of contributing to newspaper letters pages, I’ve never come across such an inept, intolerant, arrogant and downright insulting non-argument as that proposed by Greens councillor Gavin Corbett.

Overlooking his use of the illiterate description “climate change denier” (think about it, councillor) his contempt for the views of others is a disgraceful attitude for an elected  representative.

Mind you, hysterical intolerance is par for the course among Greens: their national leader, Caroline Lucas, once declared that flying to Spain was equivalent to stabbing someone in the street.

Councillor Corbett comes close to matching that detachment from reality in his hilariously clumsy attempt to connect drunken revellers with two of your other correspondents who were merely exercising their right to express a point of view.

That such a blinkered thinker should be authorised to make decisions affecting the lives of others makes me thankful not to be living in  Edinburgh.

Robert Dow, Ormiston Road, Tranent, East Lothian

Does Salmond want oil or wind turbines?

Please let me try to understand the energy/climate change strategy of our First Minister, Alex Salmond!

He has been recently reported to be claiming that Scotland’s oil and gas industry is a “sunrise industry” and will be a source of income for years to come. Last time I checked, oil and gas are fossil fuels which emit carbon dioxide when used.

Then, on the other hand, Mr Salmond tells us that Scotland must lead the world in carbon emission reduction by covering our unique landscapes with wind turbines.

Which is it Mr Salmond? Am I missing something?

GM Lindsay, Whinfield Gardens, Kinross