Exotic animals should never be kept as pets

I was glad to read that Sharjah is taking strong action to crack down on exotic pet ownership (Ending ownership of exotic animals, March 9).

Exotic animals are unpredictable and incapable of being tamed. The tragic toll of attacks by exotic animals in private homes is recorded in a database on the website of the non-profit advocacy group Born Free USA. It currently records 85 human deaths from 2,124 incidents.

Animals such as monkeys and tigers may be cute when they are young, but they grow to become strong and aggressive. Compounding the risk to the public, many animals are carriers of diseases that are communicable, and can be fatal, to humans.

Stronger laws and increased public understanding of these issues are necessary and I applaud the steps being taken to end exotic pet ownership once and for all.

Kate Dylewsky, US

Rule breakers must be fined

It was interesting to read Road layout changes suggested for safer driving in UAE (March 11).

Everybody should have the freedom to go from A to Z using whatever mode of transport they choose. And everybody who commits a traffic offence should be fined or required to do community service.

We need more police patrols on the roads to catch those who do not adhere to the rules.

Matthew Litty, Dubai

Gender equality fuels progress

Rym Ghazal simply keeps amazing me with her honest and straightforward opinions (There are men who need to be told to 'shut up', March 11).

I am one of those rare males who admires the call for equality between men and women.

We know from history that nations can only develop by liberating those who are oppressed due to their ethnicity, religion, gender or social ­status. I am convinced that societies can only rise once they recognise the important role that women can play.

Karim Rushdy, Dubai

I would tell a man to shut up if he treated me as lesser. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect.

S Harger, Dubai

Education will help stop falls

I refer to Sharjah families take action to prevent more balcony deaths (March 12).

I think education is the most important factor in regard to child safety, and this seems to be lacking. For example, we see too many cars carrying children who are not in safety seats or wearing seat belts.

G Bau, Dubai

Attire ought to be appropriate

I would like to join the debate about appropriate work attire (Formal or smart?, March 11).

If you are doing a boring job and you don’t deal with the public or go to client meetings, you should be allowed to dress casually if that will help you enjoy your day.

Why wear a shirt and tie if you work in a call centre? But if you have to meet clients or the public, you should dress up.

Chris Reid, Dubai

Look at Apple’s Steve Jobs. He never wore a suit and invented the most amazing brand.

Khurram Qureshi, Dubai

It all depends on the nature of your job.

Bankers have to dress well because people need to trust them. The thinking is that if they can’t take care of their own appearance, how can they take care of your savings?

But you wouldn’t expect an engineer to wear a suit and tie if he or she was on site in the desert.

Waqas Bukhari, Dubai

Assessment is not a bad thing

I want to comment on Warning on entry tests for pupils (March 10), about the requirement for children as young as three to undergo academic assessment.

Not all schools do a bad job in this area. My family has been in Dubai for almost 11 months. When our children had to undergo their assessments, it was performed in a very professional manner at Deira International School.

The assessors took into account the fact that we are from The Netherlands and the children’s English is not yet very good.

Assessment in itself is not wrong, it’s the way it is done.

Christina Toebast, Dubai