Fish out of water - a tragic waste of life

he 45 whales dying on the shores of Tamil Nadu, India is rather strange. It is said that if a whale accidentally enters the shore, it will be extremely difficult to get back to the deep waters as the difference in pressure will affect their ability to return.

We have learnt that whales are social mammals and that they travel in groups. There have been instances of whale deaths due to ships hitting them or due to increased pollution caused by dumping toxic waste into their habitat. We are mostly responsible for the ecological imbalance and extinction of several species. The care for our environment, be it on land, air or water has not been a high priority of ours and it is high time that we change that. Different whale species could become extinct in our lifetime if no immediate steps are taken.

In this day and age, modern gadgets are available for every single thing. We should be using technology to protect marine life. They are a part of our ecosystem, so this should be an important matter to everyone. From Mr Eappen Elias Dubai

Well-read, well prepared

M an is a creature of habit, so if he keeps on doing a particular activity every day, sooner or later, he develops a habit for it (‘Mohammad flags off #uaereads campaign’, Gulf News, January 13). It becomes an integral part of his life. But he has to sincerely do it, day after day, until the time when it comes effortlessly to him like breathing, eating and walking.

Therefore, the long term planning by the Dubai authorities to make reading a habit is the right approach. Overnight, nothing is achieved. The results will show in due course, once the ideas are implemented. Corporations, universities, schools and parents will have to wholeheartedly support this initiative to make it a grand success.

The success of this initiative will make the nation well-read. A well-read nation is an aware nation and an aware nation is a prepared nation. From Mr Nasir Zaidi Dubai

Could be solved easily!

T he Gulf News report about the man unable to retrieve money from the bank hurts me (‘Man struggles to recover salary lost in failed ATM transaction’, Gulf News, January 14). I didn’t find any reason to believe that the Indian expatriate was making a false complaint. It is a technical fault, which needs to be solved by the bank. Now the poor worker is penalised for naught. Since it is a small issue, it can be easily be settled by the bank without giving it public attention. From Mr Sunny Joseph Mala Kerala, India

They have proof

T his is not right of the bank. The CCTV footage should be foolproof. From Ms Babitha Vasanth Dubai Facebook comment

A quick resolution

T he bank could resolve the issue within minutes. It’s unacceptable. From Mr Hassan Naqvi UAE Facebook comment

It takes time!

I t takes time and I urge him to be patient. Banks often don’t run the ATMs, it’s usually a third party. The money’s not lost, but it’s usually wiser to withdraw from your bank’s ATM. In case the machine is faulty and more than a couple of people were affected, it’s going to take a while – usually a maximum of 90 days.

I learnt all this the hard way, too. And yes, it’s within the Central Bank’s jurisdiction. From Mr Tony Atemi Olonyi Abu Dhabi Facebook comment

Waiting too long!

T his happened to me a few days ago at an ATM. The bank told me that despite coming to a resolution, it will take 60 to 90 days to recover the money. Why should it take so long? From Mr Shahab Gul Dubai Facebook comment

Help available

T he same happened with another bank and my friend has been struggling for the last three months to get his Dh2,800 back. Thankfully, chances are good that he might get it in the next few days as he reached out to the Central Bank of the UAE. Anyone with this problem should contact them, too. From Mr M. Mohammad UAE Facebook comment

His case is worse

I has the same issue at the end of last month. I used a different bank ATM from the one I have an account with to withdraw Dh5,000, and I had the same experience. My transaction was cancelled, but I got an SMS from the bank that the Dh5,000 had been deducted. I called the bank and they said to wait for an hour and recheck and if not, call back.

I waited but nothing came back into my account so I called the bank. They said it will have to be disputed and will take a minimum of 14 days. I was shocked because it was the end of the month and I had payments coming up. The next day I went to the bank and complained to the customer service. First they said that it would take 14 days normally, but after sending lots of requests, she mailed the complaint herself and mentioned that I could not wait very long. Luckily, within four days I got the amount credited!

I wish the man could get his money back as soon as possible. From Mr Ishrat Lukman Dubai

Cameras curb incidents

T hrough the years we have seen cases of house help committing illegal acts in their employers’ homes. There have been several instances of ill-treatment of infants and babies in the absence of the parents. Setting up CCTV cameras at strategic locations is necessary when you have people working in your home to protect both the maids and the employers.

With the help and use of technology, I think it’s the best possible preventive measure available to curb these problems, especially when both parents are working. From Mr K. K. Singhal Dubai

A growing problem

D epression is a big problem in the world today, as so many people suffer from it at some point in their life (‘Community report in-depth: I’m so broken, that I can feel it’, Gulf News, January 12). It’s mainly, I think, due to lifestyles and pressures in life building up as we work like robots to pay for bills and expenses. It has become a big thing in the world and it’s getting bigger day by day. From Mr A. J. Malik UAE Facebook comment

Is your manager scary?

O ne of the reasons why employees cannot apply problem solving skills and see other options when faced with challenging situations in the workplace is the organisation’s corporate culture. In other words, how they are being trained to work in the office. Because their deepest learning habit is to create fear and then react from that fear, it shuts down an employee’s ability to make choices. It paralyses their ability to assess strengths and weaknesses of each option and make the right choice.

Maybe they have been taught to believe that fear is normal and natural in business management. Fear from achieving the department’s objectives, fear from speaking with the line manager. Fear in the workplace is a learnt habit and very soon employees will generate fearfulness at the slightest perceived threat.

Fear has absolutely no value to our wellbeing. You don’t even need fear to respond effectively to the unexpected encounter of an unexpected outburst by your line manager in the office. You need the cool, calm and concentrated focus of the situation to respond effectively. It’s not your duty or your manager that scares you, it’s what you do with them in your mind that generates the fear. From Mr Ali Al Aradi Manama, Bahrain

Editor’s note: Is there a news report that you feel strongly about? Something that has to be addressed in the community and requires resolution? Email us on readers@ gulfnews.com. You can also post a comment on our Facebook page or tweet to us @GNReaders.