D Monday, February 1, 2010 mail 17 Snowga: Members of the Y-8 yoga project practice Alsteryoga on the frozen Alster lake in Hamburg, Germany Picture: Reuters The Big Picture Go-slow has issues Green man: Do you wait for him? The new 30kmh speed limit in the city centre is a stupid idea for a number of reasons. When you drive that slowly it actually encourages pedestrians to take chances and jaywalk in front of oncoming traffic. I know this well from driving a bus through the city every day. Cyclists can easily exceed 30kmh and seem to be mostly red/green colour blind, yet the Garda mostly ignore them, choosing to harass motorists instead. The City Council has some responsibility for pedestrian deaths because of its bad planning skills. The high number of bars and nightclubs in a small area creates a problem with many drunk pedestrians every weekend. There are many issues with narrow pavements and inadequate pedestrian lights in the city centre. How many of the pedestrians that are hit were actually jaywalking at the time? The jaywalking laws are not enforced because the Garda cant be bothered and the legal system would probably grind to a halt if they did. DR With so many people up in arms over the naked body scanners, it got me thinking... Why not introduce them into the prison system? As the scanners can see foreign objects both on and in the body, it would act as a deterrent to prisoners and visitors who might be attempting to smuggle drugs, mobile phones, chargers (ouch!), guns, bowling balls, plasma screen TVs or whatever else they might be trying to conceal in their bodies. What does everyone else think? Steven Dublins best-read letters page Mailbox E-mail letters to mail@metroherald.ie with a name. Or text us. Text MAIL followed by comment and name to 53131. *Texts cost 30cent per message + standard network charges. SP. Opera Telecom, Hospitality House, Cumberland Street South, D2. Customer service number 0818286606 talk to us Permanent TSB may not have taken any capital from the Government but the increase in their interest rates is an indication that their cash reserve is not much better than AIB or Bank of Ireland. Increasing the interest rate will put more families at risk of defaulting on their repayments. More defaults mean more money needed for bad loans and can change a sound loan book to one with high risk, which will eventually increase the cost of the bank bail-out and will definitely prolong the recession. Brian can forget about recovery for 2010. Alex To John on accents being a Glaswegian living in Dublin for nine years, it annoys me hearing Irish folk trying to talk in a manc/ scouse accent because of the team they follow. What puts the icing on the cake with most of their so-called supporters, the nearest they have been to Manchester or Liverpool is watching Corrie or Brookside. Gerry Send us your txt In response to Johns text, I worked in England for years and when Im in a pub in Dublin watching a match I have to pinch myself to remind myself of where I am. These same grown men order their drinks with a Dublin accent. Cop on lads. Chris John, I too have noticed the English twang to the chants of Irish football supporters. I also hate when Irish people use British colloquialisms to describe rival supporters; scousers, mancs etc. Imagine if an English person called you or I a bogger or a jackeen? Luke To Buzza R who doesnt trust the motives of Scientology and actor John Travolta giving aid to Haiti. I would add any religious organisation to that: Christian Aid etc, there are always strings attached. ALF DC, I am a red-blooded male and I cant think of a better way to spend an evening than by fondling Beckhams Goldenballs. Just dont tell my boyfriend! Anon txt MAIL to 53131* The best pictures are in Metro Herald Haiti help: In answer to Lauren Steele from Howths suggestion about students giving 2 each, the Loreto schools, primary and secondary raised more than 8,000 from students and parents for Haiti. Im sure there are a lot more schools in the country that have done the same. PJ, parent of student Remember Paris: Graham and I have been to Paris several times, but the time we brought our best pals, James and Antoinette, with us was the best long weekend weve ever had! We rekindled some of the first trip we had when we were 18. The weather was awful but we didnt let it dampen our spirits at all. But the best-loved memory of that holiday is when myself and Antoinette decided to give escargot (snails!) a try one evening in Montmartre, to the horror of our boyfriends. Katie Sexton, Finglas Stranded: Magical Maldives, soft silver beaches, bright blue lagoons, exotic cocktails within my reach I wanted to be marooned. Ann McHugh index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html