Life hangs in balance on unsafe footbridge

Footbridges at several railway stations on the Howrah-Bandel line and the Sealdah-Krishnanagar line are in a perilous condition. Most regular passengers are afraid of using the footbridges as it seems that the structures cannot bear the weight of too many people at one go. Instead, people walk across the railway tracks even minutes before a local train arrives. Recently, a media report highlighted the hazard at Belghoria station. We request the railway authorities to immediately start repair work on footbridges to ensure passenger safety. Those that are damaged beyond repair must be pulled down.

Bhupen Bose, Dum Dum Park.

Lack of cell sense

On December 29, I attended a panel discussion at Nandan where Professor Amartya Sen was one of the speakers. Annoyed by the constant ringing of mobile phones, Dr Sen requested the audience to switch off their cell phones till the discussion concluded. However, 10 to 15 minutes into his speech, once again, the ring of a mobile shattered the calm in the auditorium. This time, Dr Sen repeated his request in a harsher tone but in vain. Throughout the programme cell phones kept ringing every now and then. Why attend events like concerts and discussions when one doesn't even know basic courtesies'

Prantik Sanyal, SP Mukherjee Road.

Pricey miss at multiplex

My recent experience at 89 Cinemas left me disappointed at the manner in which a multiplex of repute functions. On Sunday, we went to watch a 4.15 pm show of a new release. We purchased the tickets well in advance and waited patiently for the hall doors to be opened. As time passed by, the queue outside lengthened. The doors were finally opened at 4.10 pm. The crowd moved in a single file and we could make it into the hall only at 4.26 pm. To our surprise, we found that the movie had started at exactly 4.15 pm and we had already missed the first 10 minutes. When I asked the attendant about the delay in allowing us in, he simply ignored me. The incident makes me wonder how the management of the multiplexes can be so callous in their approach, particularly when we are paying such exorbitant rates.

Nisheeth Bijawat, Park Street.

Service smokescreen

I went to the Dalhousie branch of State Bank of India on December 15 for a demand draft for Rs 300. This branch is fully computerised; yet it took them an hour to issue me the draft. A signboard on one of the walls read 'No Smoking'. Yet four staff members were smoking openly. When I told one of them not to smoke inside the office as it was suffocating for the customers, he dismissed my request.

S.K. Rungta, Moore Avenue.