Thank goodness for honest people!
My wife is a workaholic in her office. Once in a while her concentration and vigilance over mundane matters take a back seat.
This was one such morning when she rushed to the nearest ATM facility situated close to our home in Athurugiriya. She punched the buttons on the machine requesting for the maximum six digit cash withdrawal allowed by that particular bank. Then, she took her card out from the machine, stored it carefully in her hand- bag, opened her car door and drove away. The cash she withdrew was obviously lodged neatly in crisp notes at the mouth of the machine untouched!
Nearing her office in Fort she realized her shocking mistake. Frenzied, she called me at home where I was leisurely going through the motions of my retired life. She shooed me off to the ATM machine to see if I could pick up any clues. Yours truly, playing Sherlock Holmes found nothing but a cash machine with no one around and no money to be found! In a flash I was prompted to check with my bankers in downtown Athurugiriya five minutes away.
The lady manageress was very kind and gave a patient hearing to my tale of woe. She questioned me further on my story and then a burst of joy and disbelief struck me as she revealed that a newly married couple had walked into the bank and handed over the full sum of the money. I was told that these young Samaritans of our society did not look rich or flashy but were down to earth and honest. What a change to realize and relish the thought that such people do still exist in this cut throat world.
We are yet hopeful of contacting this couple. Wherever they are, may the good Lord bless them abundantly and bless our citizenry with more honest people like them. Amarnath Paul Athurugiriya
I live in an apartment on Maya Avenue, Colombo 6. From 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., we are troubled and disturbed by buses that toot their air horns while plying on High Level Road. We suffer severe headaches and are prone to high blood pressure, because of this unbearable noise pollution.
Why aren’t the authorities checking this menace? The traffic is heavy during peak hours, virtually buffer to buffer, but bus drivers keep tooting their air horns. Where are they trying to go? The Police have turned a deaf ear. We urge the Government to prosecute these drivers who cause sound pollution. We hope, at least the newly appointed IGP will take some action.
Some time ago, the Government made a big hue and cry about air horns fitted on vehicles, but it died a natural death like many other issues raised by the Government. Soon we will have to visit the ENT specialist as we are very close to going totally deaf. It is no joke.
God help us to get rid of this menace. Brig. Neville Fernando
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