Readers' Best Comments

Royal Mail has paid out 130,000 in compensation as complaints over post soar to 50 a day in Lothian.

Privatise!

Conservative Colin

Privatisation won't change anything, it might even make it worse due to profit margins and workload.

Phil MaGlass

I've got to the point where I don't send anything remotely important without it being recorded.

Muz

Whenever I have tried to make a complaint I have been told that it is the sender of the mail who is the customer, not the receiver, so the sender must lodge any complaint. But usually the sender doesn't know about the problem! .

Duncan in Edinburgh

In the 1960s being a postie was worth something. You were smart in your uniform, wore a proper hat, polished your badges, pressed your trousers and wore a shirt and tie because you wanted to and you were proud of your service to the community. Not now though.

Sedov

I have complained online. I got a civil response, at least. And you know that the matter will be raised with the postie. If you ask the postie, he or she will just shrug.

Spathiphyllum

I buy and sell stuff on eBay quite a lot and I've never had any of the stuff I've sold/bought go astray. However, I have had the "we tried to deliver, but you were out" note through the door when I've actually been in.

Hmm?

If you think the Royal Mail is bad, try the US Postal Service. Any complaints go totally unheeded. At least RM is being exposed.

Benjamin

Also being exposed is the city council for scrapping free bus passes for pupils living more than two but less than three miles away.

As the buses on which these passes would be used on would be running anyway, I wonder if the bus companies would consider free travel for say under 12s?

JulesF

A bit of exercise will do them no harm.

malcyh

Parents get tax credits, child allowance etc and they scream and shout demanding FREE travel as well? If you can't afford children, don't have them !

Road Raga

I would rather my council tax money was spent on getting children to school safely than paying for those over 60 to get to work.

Peekay

Free transport for all kids could go a long way to doing away with the biggest congestion problem of the lot – school runs. You can see the reduction in traffic levels when the schools are out.

JFW

Sticking with schools, a primary has been promised an extension but there's no guarantee when.

What is the bleeding point in writing to parents to tell them that an extension is approved sometime from 2014 onwards. None of the kids will be at the school by then! You might as well write to the children themselves as it is likely to affect the choice of school for their children.

Steven P