This is in response to the column and the wave of letters on the issue of the behavior of passport officers at the airports.
Indeed, the writer has done a good service to people traveling to and from the Kingdom. No society can flourish and prosper if there is no check and balance in there. All societies are a mixture of good and bad things, but in the case of Saudi Arabia, our expectations are totally different.
I am a witness to many incidents involving mistreatment of passengers by the airport officials.
One such officer asked me to expose the face of my wife at the counter. When I protested and demanded for a female officer to check her, he threw the passport at me and threatened me to do as he said if I wanted my family to travel. I was forced to obey him.
The situation of the foreign airlines section in Riyadh is appalling. Westerners and non-Westerners are treated differently there. I have traveled to several countries but never found this bias in passenger treatment. The officers must be told not to look at the face or the dressing of the passenger but to look at him as a guest.
The hospitality of the Arabs has a history. Certain steps should be taken urgently, such as, one team of staff should not be asked to deal with more than three flights in a go after which they should get a break, the number of officials at one desk should be increased, and CCTV cameras should be utilized to observe any chaos and how it is being dealt with. Higher officers, who can then accordingly deal with the situation, must supervise these cameras. — Muhammad Mahmood Maroof, Tabuk
Motorists’ safety
Except for few safety conscious motorists, have others ever implemented anything of their own for their personal or their passengers’ safety. Did any one take seriously about wearing seat belt until it was made compulsory by law and a fine was imposed on those who are not complying with? The point I would like to make here is the number of dirty cars on the public road, which should be considered as a hidden danger. What really astonishes me is those behind the wheel are in absolutely clean dresses unlike the disgusting state of their vehicle they drive. Dirty cars contribute to accidents in more than just the obvious ways. Here are some reasons how a filthy automobile can get you into trouble on public road.
If your windshield, rearview mirror, side-view mirror, or back windows are full of dirt, bird droppings, insect remnants and other matters, which obstruct your view, they will cause difficulty for you to see the flow of traffic.
If you have kids’ toys are rolling around your vehicle, imagine the danger it can cause if one of those toys rolls under your brake or accelerator pedal while you are on the highway.
Moscow has imposed ban on dirty cars on the road. Recently, the Russian newspaper ‘Izvestiya’ conducted a survey for their view on dirty cars; 46 percent said if the car is dirty you won’t be able to read the number plate, 23 percent agreed that car on which it is written ‘wash me’ should be considered really dirty, 22 percent said if the car is dirty one cannot determine the make or color of the car and another 9 percent maintained that if a car is dirty the driver is invisible. Any way, who wants to be behind the wheel of a dirty looking car wearing a clean suit? — S.H. Moulana, Riyadh
Expat woes
This refers to the report ‹›Job security remains expats› major concern›› (June 9). I would like to highlight the following point from the report: “Despite long years of service, some of them have not got a raise in salary for years.”
I am a daughter of a hard-working expat. In the past few days, I have come across an increasing number of such threatening reports. We have been facing these threats since many years. It is not only affecting our peace of mind but also our daily routine and expenses. These negative stories and its affects not only disturb the guardian of the family but the whole family remains under pressure too. The consequences are alarming. We have to deal with not just a lack of job security but also low salaries. The role of expats in pushing the country›s economy forward and putting it on the way to progress should be awarded in the form of increments and above-average salaries, including medical benefits, etc. Expats have been serving this country since over 50 years but their work conditions and salaries are shocking. In fact, many of my father›s colleagues have been sacked without any ultimatum. They had sacrificed their family time by working over time and so it is their right to be prioritized and honored. — Areej Rana, Jeddah
