‘Selfentitled’ students may rue proctor furore

KIERAN Ford’s letter (ODT, 26.9.18) reveals an alltoocommon mindset in our society — that of the deliberately and perpetually offended.

He recites a litany of ways in which student life is made difficult by the city and life in general. In this he echoes the bleating of a coterie of students which believes the world owes them more respect, and who would happily vilify the proctor for his action.

Nowhere in his letter does he mention any student transgression, nor any caring concern displayed by the proctor in removing potentially incriminating bongs from the scene.

Let’s face it, he did them a favour. Despite numerous pieces of advice, these offended young people persist in leaving their flats open to real offending.

How shortsighted and juvenile.

The possible, nay probable, result of the furore engendered by the proctor’s intervention will be that minor infractions will be handled by the police, to the students’ detriment.

I’m sure the student majority will eventually grow up emotionally and will appreciate the care and nurturing the city provides, regardless of the misplaced support such letters as Kieran’s indicate. Terry Dooher Andersons Bay

METHINKS some people protest too much.

Privacy is important, but have you clever people thought that your proctor may be helping?

Doesn’t a conviction for smoking pot stop you from going on that wonderful OE you’ve been dreaming of? Ian Morgan

Oamaru

Cycleways overdue

RE your cycleways editorial (ODT, 25.9.18). I’m quite surprised you ran, what I interpreted as, a ‘‘thumbs down’’ opinion of the project.

If, fiveorso years ago, a careless, inahurry female courier driver, delivering a package to the Cumberland Street entry of the hospital, hadn’t knocked a school of dentistry professor off his bike and under the wheels of a passing truck, it (the new cycleway) may not exist.

If cyclists had been legally able to use footpaths, he would still be alive. If throughtraffic, especially heavy traffic, could bypass the central city, he would still be alive.

To be frank, Dunedin’s traffic configurations, including ‘‘Barnes Dance’’ intersections, are a total mess, designed by idiots in nappies. I. Williams

Dunedin

[Abridged]

Clean water essential

WHAT a wonderful experience it is visiting and fishing the large glacial lakes in the Mackenzie Country.

What is not so great is the sight of so many livestock with unhindered access to both the lakes and their tributaries.

One would have thought the Hopkins River at the headwaters of Lake Ohau would be recognised as one of the most vulnerable ecosystems. Yet the large numbers of freeranging cattle within this river basin and the far reaches of this lake just doesn’t seem right. I guess that is why the leaseholder has a locked gate to stop public access?

And then there were the large flocks of sheep with unhindered access to places like the Ahuriri River, Otematata River and lakes Benmore and Aviemore.

Quite clearly many of our leaseholders have learnt nothing from the campylobacter outbreak in Havelock North caused by livestock faeces and the current issues with water quality in our lakes and rivers. Terry Taylor

Dunedin ..................................

BIBLE READING: Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other. — Ephesians 4:32.