Many people love dogs, but there is a sizeable population who are sick of pampered pooches and their oblivious owners (“Dogged push for pets to travel on public transport”, September 17). Paws on tables, hairs on chairs, snaps at passing pups and leads tangled around tables. And that’s just at the cafes. Dogs in shops, endless barking outside shops, poos on the pavement, wees on the walls. We’ve stayed silent until now. Oh owners, consider our feelings. You love a fur baby, but we just hear and see a dog. Please hear our pleas to keep dogs off public transport. Jan Christensen, Balmain
Travelling along – should they have an access all areas pass?Credit: iStock
Clover Moore puts forward an interesting argument for allowing pets on public transport. The article alludes to the fact that in many overseas countries pets are allowed, and it is quite normal to see pets on public transport. Once my husband and I travelled from Brussels to Amsterdam in the middle of summer. The train was quite crowded, but we did find a carriage that was less so. There was a lady, seated, with a dog on the seat next to her. I asked if she could move the dog so that at least one of us could sit down. The answer? No, I have a ticket for the dog, so the dog stayed seated, and we stood. If we could be allowed to take pets on public transport, there are going to have to be some ground rules set about where these pets can sit. Mia David, Wollongong
I understand the need for pets, and it is important that those with health issues be permitted to travel on public transport with their companion animals and seeing eye dogs. However, as someone who regularly uses the inner west bus routes I think the elderly and disabled should be considered before there’s a change to the rules to allow people and their pets on all modes of Sydney public transport. Buses are often late and sometimes crowded, especially during school terms. Many travellers, especially the elderly and disabled, require walking sticks and frames. Some passengers have shopping trolleys. Also, there are designated spaces for mothers with babies and young children in strollers and prams. To add people and their pets into the mix (in such an enclosed space), could be asking for a disastrous outcome. Carolyn Gerrish, Dulwich Hill
Nothing new
Reading about the railway refreshment rooms (“Train food has long history of going off track”, September 17) took me back to when Schweppes glass-bottled soft drinks were sold at these platform establishments and the purchaser would receive a paper token which could be handed in with the empty bottle for a sixpence refund. Return and earn is nothing new. Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook
Killer heat
As a concerned healthcare professional, I write supporting “Why the heatwave could kill” (September 17). Extreme heat, particularly for vulnerable populations, demands our immediate attention. This spring’s scorching heatwave serves as a warning sign of the impending summer; it brings home the reality of the UN chief’s recent warning that we’ve transitioned from “global warming” to “global boiling”. Elderly citizens, infants, pregnant women, and those with pre-existing conditions are at grave risk during heatwaves. Heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke can escalate swiftly, leading to hospitalisations and fatalities. Heatwaves claim lives quietly, especially in sweltering homes exacerbated by the heat island effect in urban sprawls. The urgency of addressing heat’s health repercussions cannot be overstated. Dr Michelle Hamrosi, Surf Beach
Poor rich man
Like Jacqueline Maley (“Rinse and repeat: why the shame cycle won’t wash”, September 17), I feel sorry for the billionaire Tim Gurner that he remains a billionaire rather than a multibillionaire – if only his tradies increased their productivity by another 50 per cent. AI might help him make more money in the future and his dream would come true with 50 per cent unemployment. Breathtaking! Mukul Desai, Hunters Hill
History rewritten
From an architectural point of view, Leo Schofield is correct about the significance of Willow Grove (Letters, September 17). Through a social and cultural lens, the place was of extraordinary value to women, the nursing profession and Parramatta communities. As the Burra Charter tells us, buildings are read in their environment, not as a pile of bricks. The government is quite right to forget about creating a fake Willow Grove in some random location, after the absurd decision to demolish it for a museum which should have been built elsewhere. Judith Coombes, Lilyfield
In the early 1960s, I used to show my visitors around Harris Park to show them all the houses similar to Willow Grove. I believe there’s one left. It’s been turned into offices. Barry Riley, Woy Woy
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