THE EDITOR: Contrary to press release from Tobago Express to the media, I want to relate my experience travelling Tobago Express and BWIA from Thursday April 17 to Tuesday April 22, 2003 and would like you to publish my letter. Thursday April 17 I confirmed two tickets to Tobago on Tobago Express Flight TB 1562, departure time 4.10 pm. At approximately 3 pm I received a telephone call from my travel agent letting me know that this flight was now cancelled and we are now on a BWIA flight 298 to depart Piarco at 9.15 pm for Tobago.

My wife and I arrived at Piarco BWIA terminal at 6.30 pm and checked in with the BWIA agent, to be told by her that there is no such flight as BWIA 298. I argued with her that this information was given to my travel agent by BWIA. After checking with her supervisor she told me that I was right and that I was on BWIA 298, we were given departure tickets and told to go to the Tobago Departure Lounge. BWIA 298 which was to depart at 9.15 pm left Piarco at 11.10 pm. After being in the aircraft for approximately 30 minutes, Captain De Freitas announced that the delay in leaving was due to ground crew not being able to find the Tow Truck to pull the 737- 800 jet aircraft out. We arrived in Tobago at my destination hotel at 1 am Friday April 18, 2003.

Tuesday April 22, 2003 I confirmed two tickets on Tobago Express flight 1531 to Port-of-Spain departure time 11.15 am, at 11.15 am flight 1529 had not arrived. Shortly after noon I checked with Tobago Express again about flight 1531 and I was told that we would now be on a BWIA flight 296 departure time at 4.15 pm and that we should proceed to the Departure Lounge and wait for an announcement. We never got an announcement (21 passengers) the BWIA flight departed without us. After numerous complaints by all passengers left behind a BWIA representative came to the Departure Lounge and told us “I am so very sorry, but we forgot you were upstairs in the Departure Lounge, again I am very sorry” BWIA had to bring an aircraft from Barbados to Crown Point Tobago to take us to Trinidad. We arrived in Trinidad at 7.45 pm. Thursday April 17 to Tuesday April 22, 2003 we spent approximately 16 frustrating and stressful hours in airports. Tobago Express and BWIA should be ashamed of their performance and a public apology to all stranded passengers should be extended.

HAROLD J STAUBLE
San Fernando

THE EDITOR: John Alleyne — Motivator and Exemplar. The late John Alleyne would be remembered for many reasons — sportsman, journalist, referee, President of the TTFA and SFA, tennis player, table and lawn tennis and coach with a sense of commitment and dedication to whatever he did. Sports in this country, and south moreso, benefited from his unselfish service to whatever aspect he committed himself.

I remember him as a referee lecturer and my examiner at my first referee examination in 1967. Since then, I would be inspired, criticised, encouraged and motivated by John. I learnt so much from his assessment of my refereeing (not always in the best tone of voice), his objectivity which saw him critical today and complimentary tomorrow and his downright honesty and integrity. He was always able to defend what he did. John could never have been accused of being a racist. He was interested in performance and cared about nothing else. His commitment to youth and their promotion in sports saw him take a south youth team to a tournament in Guyana when the then Trinidad Football Association refused to send a team. His team won the tournament!

John was an exemplar. He was always known as the “one to take work first and give out after”. He would ensure that for every fund raising event he would take the first fifty tickets and then ask you how many you wanted. His portion would be sold for sure. It was John who introduced the Honduran style opening to Football — a queen heading each team. It was he who insisted on lights for night football which saw Skinner Park as the first floodlit facility in our country. He led the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association, Southern Football Association, Referees Association and San Fernando Tennis Club for many years.

Few of us knew that he was a national table tennis champion who represented Trinidad and Tobago at the Inter-regional level of his day. It was John‘s downright honesty that led him to say it as he saw it. He was an excellent journalist for many years up to his retirement. In writing this, I must also highly commend FIFA Vice-President, Mr Austin Jack Warner who attended the prize-giving function of the South Football Association in 2000 at Presentation College, San Fernando and pledged financial support to John. He later launched this at a function at Crowne Plaza and has been honouring same ever since, another fine example of appreciation of the work done by John Alleyne. Efforts made to have Skinner Park renamed in John’s honour, unfortunately, never materialised. Many young sportsmen owe their success to his openness and support. I certainly learnt more than refereeing from John Alleyne. May his soul rest in peace.

LENNOX SIRJUESINGH
FIFA Referee

THE EDITOR: Every year at the height of the dry season, fires rage through empty and un-occupied parcels of land bordering with the Old Orange Grove road that runs through the heart of the residential area of Trincity.

I have been living in Trincity for 35 years and every year we have to complain about these fires which pose a danger to residents who live on the windward side. These un-occupied parcels of land remain covered in high para-grass and bushes, year after year. It is evident that the owners of these lands are merely speculators waiting for the opportunity to make a killing when the price is right. In any other well-ordered society the owners of these lands would be penalised for creating a fire hazard in a residential area. I understand that this can never happen in Barbados because their Environmental Authorities would simply bulldoze and clear up the land and send the bill to the land owners. It is high time that our Environmental Management Authority should do likewise.

ELLIS MAINGOT
Trincity

THE EDITOR: Please allow me the opportunity to highlight this problem that the residents of Caparo River Road, Mamoral#2 have been enduring for all these years. We are a farming community and we need water generally, but in particular during the dry season we desperately need water. I personally have called WASA on countless occasions and expressed my woes and all I get were promises.

Imagine this community is just a few miles away from the Navet Dam. We are poor people so no one cares. Water is supposed to come once every week, ie on a Thursday, so most residents have sacrificed and purchased four to five water tanks, that for the most remain empty except for rain. I hope by publishing this letter some one in authority will take up the plight of this poor community. Remember water is life and our right.

STEPHEN TAYLOR
Mamoral

THE EDITOR: The readjustment of the WASA CEO’s salary to $36,000 per month can lead to an increase in the water rate! That is the interpretation of a somewhat veiled threat to consumers. While that may be necessary we are still in a situation where rates are paid without service by domestic consumers.

Thanks to the National Self-Help programme, domestic consumers (now) have water connections. Before that, a $500 fee was paid with little or no connecting service. The need to attract the best minds to turn around fledgling companies and economies, must be met with an appropriate renumeration package and that is the norm among the corporate culture. The WASA CEO is not unique in this millieu. He states quite interestingly that he had to learn Deutsch in order to excel in engineering.

While some have no quarrel with that, the manner in which the salary was hiked (and the time of that move) is the problem. This is where the trend of hostage-taking falls in. For the few, it is affordable to find means to fight crime when it suits them. Even though they are available the poorer class suffer and that is the same scenario. Because of crime the haves need to protect themselves from those who, note well, are unnecessary have-nots or who choose to be poor through unwillingness to engage in honest work. People involved in the politico-corporate world seem oblivious to the strappings that have an invidious effect on juveniles!

JEFFREY M JOSEPH
Fyzabad