Two examples of exemplary service

WHILE we tend to complain whenever we are the victims of bad service, we rarely commend good service.

My wife and I have recently experienced particularly good service.

Following much deliberation, we decided to opt for a water meter. From the initial inquiry to completion of the installation by Yorkshire Water, we were the recipients of excellent service.

During the installation phase we were constantly informed of the progress and reinstatement and the clean-up on completion was meticulous.

Within one week of completion, we were reimbursed for the amount already paid for water by direct debit.

Secondly, on Good Friday, I was returning from the Yorkshire match at Headingley and I lost my Metro card on Leeds station. On contacting the Northern Rail lost property line, the duty officer promised to look into the matter and come back to me, which he duly did.

Although he said the card had not been found he would check again when he returned to duty Saturday and in the meantime if it was found it would be available in the ticket office.

I called at the travel centre on Easter Saturday and was delighted to find that my pass had been handed in.

In both of the above cases, the level of service was exemplary.

Teachers pay unsustainable

From: Allan Charlesworth, Old Earswick, York.

THE inflammatory language being used by the teaching unions is indicative of the juvenile way they are approaching the “defence” of their unsustainable pay and pension conditions in these times of austerity. They just do not get it.

Having already thrown their toys out of the pram by taking to the streets like yobs, they are now threatening strike action just as the examination season looms on the horizon.

Phrases such as “assaults on our national pay scales” and “taxes on our pensions” are indicative of their unwillingness to re-negotiate their public sector cossetting. Their position is one of regarding themselves as a special case.

Do teachers not realise that they have already lost public respect by their protests? The days of regarding them as a caring profession are gone.

Frankly, we are fed up of treating them as professionals when they behave like militant trade unionists.

Teachers have clearly shown they do not care about the disruption to the education of our children.

Why should we care about their pay and conditions?

Annoying changes

From: Peter Whiteley, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria.

THERE used to be a time when I knew where I stood regarding BBC news programmes, both national and local. First, we got international and national news, followed by sport and finally the weather. Sadly, those in authority at the BBC have decided that this logical sequencing of the programmes is wrong and have changed it.

I find this extremely annoying.For example: the other night the news section included the fact that some footballer had been involved in a car crash, but nobody was seriously hurt. How can that possibly count as international or national news, or for that matter sport news?

In addition, in winter, football seems to be the only game reported on, with the exception of rugby league, which occasionally gets a few seconds’ mention.

There are hundreds of other sports which never ever get mentioned. Why not?

Shed no more blood...

From: Brian Harris, Moorland Close, Embsay, Skipton.

MUCH as I love all things Spanish and Latin American, it is only fair to point out that the photograph of the Argentinian War Memorial you published (Yorkshire Post, April 3) for the 30th Anniversary of the Falklands War gives a misleading impression as it is not the full picture.

The superb artwork showing the islands silhouetted against the sombre South Atlantic appears neutral enough. The inscription at the base of the memorial is much more belligerent in tone, however: “The town of Ushuaia honours those who with their blood watered the roots of our sovereignty over the Malvinas. We will return!!!”

You can draw your own conclusions from the last Spanish verb (Volveremos) and the three exclamation marks that follow it. My own hope is that no more blood will ever be shed in attempts to settle this long-standing dispute.

Trust found wanting

From: Howard A Knight, Lyons Street, Sheffield.

BARBARA Stark (Yorkshire Post, April 7) suggests the UKIP leader Nigel Farage is a politician who can be trusted.

I have just listened to Mr Farage on Any Questions (Radio 4). After his tenth assertion as fact of something that was demonstrably untrue, I stopped counting.

Perhaps Ms Stark meant that Mr Farage could be trusted to give you an answer about which you are entirely justified in being sceptical about its veracity?

At best, more Farrago than Farage.