It is almost half past six in the afternoon and I am sitting here looking out the window at the thick, black smoke rising into the sky. For the past hour, the choking fumes had led me to shut my windows.

So much for clean, late afternoon air. I see children playing around outside, not caring about the polluted air because this is how it is every single day. I remember the authorities saying that those who carry out open burning would be fined.

I don't see it happening.

Or is the restriction only applied during the haze season? Would that mean we just have to wait till the air filters and masks come back, THEN it would be against the law to make a bonfire out of rubbish and dry leaves? How very nice.

Another thing that is nice is all those people who think they are the only ones breathing. Those who have no regard whatsoever for others who are their neighbours.

Please, stop burning your rubbish or whatever it is that you just have to burn on a daily basis. Oh, so it is the housekeeper who's doing it? Then tell them to STOP. It is not that hard.

I know trespassing is against the law, but what would happen if someone entered another's property for the sole reason of putting out the flames that pollute? Think about the environment. If you can't care much about it, then think about the little kids who breathe in the toxic air and harm their health.

And if you don't care about even that, then imagine what would you do if the fire in your yard came out of control and engulfed your home? Still want to continue open burning? How much more selfish can you get?

I just wish the relevant authorities would do something about it. And not just threaten the citizens with hefty fines, but actually di it.

- Choking on you

A Flying Golf Ball - you'd never expect it until you have experienced it while driving.

I've thought of previous opinions that were written about the flying golf ball issue - which seems incredible...but it's true, I saw it with my own eyes last Saturday (around 11.15am) while heading to the airport from Gadong. A golf ball bounced on the road right in front of my car.

Luckily it happened very fast...or else this might definitely have caused a serious accident if it had hit my car and I'd lost control.

Please, RBD Golf Club management, you really need to take an initiative to prevent this from happening.

- Concerned Golf Lover

May I suggest that BB create a page on a weekly basis on consumer affairs? On this page those companies and individuals who offer shoddy services or cheat consumers could be named and shamed.

Via this column, information could be shared between consumers. We could promote those businesses we feel deserve a mention and humiliate the 'crooks'. For instance does anyone else realise how poorly serviced some electronic appliances are here in Brunei?

By sharing information we can protect ourselves and put these guys out of business. They would, of course be able to respond and explain their behaviour, should they feel that they have been wrongly accused.

Either this or perhaps the government could establish a consumer affairs ministry to deal with the 'rip off artists' and 'con men/women' who masquerade as business people.

- Ripped Off

I would like to inform the authorities concerned that no official warning has been given to the public regarding the cycling event that took place on Wednesday morning, March 02, 2005.

Many main roads were closed especially around Jerudong International School. People had difficulty leaving the School not to mention most parents were unable to access the school area to pick-up their little ones.

This created a lot of anxiety for both parents and children. If the School had been informed about the cycling and the closing of roads, they could have informed the parents. (I believe UBD students and lecturers faced the same problem too). I would appreciate if the authorities in charge could at least inform the public in advance or close just one side of the road during any such future events.

Nevertheless, I must thank a few policemen for exercising some discretion and for politely explaining what was happening.

- K.Y.

I faced the same experience as Awang@semaun.bn regarding Front Office staff. I still remember making telephone calls to a government department on February 2 and 3, 2005 respectively (I strongly believe it is the same department as mentioned by Awang@semaun.bn) to get some information regarding our intention to run a co-operative shop in our kampong.

Beside the difficulty of getting through or the calls transferred to other sections of the department, at one time when the call was answered I asked the operator why it is very difficult to get through, a simple answer was given that she was very busy and was doing two jobs at one time.

She was apparently a receptionist cum telephone operator by herself as her colleague was on leave to perform the Haj. And furthermore.

So wake up Mr. Management and look into this matter seriously as it makes a bad impression not only on your department but also on our Government.

- or@ngbrunei.bn

I am an Intake 18 student who is unemployed. What I want to know is why our allowances have been delayed from January until February. I was waiting for it to repay my car loan and to renew my road tax and insurance.

This problem has been raised since I was still in school but action has yet to be taken.

We always receive our allowances by the middle of the following month.

Not only do we need to repay car loans but we have bills to pay as well as buy petrol for our cars.

Most of us are not yet employed and while waiting for a job we'd appreciate receiving the allowance offered to us, on time.

Our parents can't afford to pay for everything though we are still dependents. My question here is: When are we going to receive our allowance?

Is this going to be a regular happening? I do appreciate what has been given to us but still we want to know why there's a delay in payments - it's more than a year since the issue in concern has not been addressed. I hope the authorities would look into this.

- Disappointed Student

I don't know about anywhere else in Brunei, but I think Jangsak has the worst traffic jams in the morning. It usually begins at Jubilee Mosque right up to the Beribi roundabout!

I've noticed every morning that the Police always monitor the Beribi roundabout by providing cones and directing traffic.

However, I can't see how it has made the traffic any better by putting cones there. And as far as I can see, motorists are able to take care of themselves on that roundabout.

However the big problem that should be addressed is on the whole of Jangsak's main road.

We should have the authorities monitor the Beribi traffic lights too because that is where the traffic is at its worst.

- Annoyed Motorist

This letter is a stinker about a stinking affair.

I am an occupant of an apartment in Jalan Padang, BSB (a highly residential locality). The garbage bins on Jalan Padang are spilling over as the Municipal authorities ("Bandaran") have not cleared them for weeks.

No fewer than 50 to 60 apartment units in this locality besides other residential units are affected by this negligent and nonchalant attitude of those concerned.

I have personally taken this matter to the notice of the 'Bandaran' several times and on every occasion, I was informed that immediate action would be taken. But nothing is being done.

It has come to a state where living in this area is so unbearable due to the gusts of foul smelling stench emanating from the decomposing garbage. In addition to this, the flies breeding in the rotting garbage swarm into our apartment every time I open the window for some fresh air. This is considered to be a serious health hazard as the majority of the residents in this locality (who are doctors) would testify to this fact.

Due to this scenario, I would not be surprised if an outbreak of communicable diseases in the city; such as Dysentery, Diarrhoea, etc. would start.

The irony of this situation is that a substantial sum of our salaries is deducted monthly, as charges for clearing garbage. Yet, no action has been taken by the authorities concerned towards the welfare of the residents who are solely dependent on the services of the Municipality for clearing garbage daily.

It is also relevant and questionable as to how the public health authorities have allowed in one of the premises in the same locality for an open masonry construction (a sorry excuse for a garbage bin) to be in used with impunity. This too causes a fly menace as well as exudes constant unpleasant smell.

- A Victimised Occupant

I used to travel to Kg Perpindahan Mata-Mata Gadong because my mother and sisters live there. That is the earliest settlement as a result of a fire that ravaged Kg Pemancha Lama, Sultan Lama and Sg Kedayan.

The inner part of the Kampong Mata-Mata also is where the new perpindahan housing is located.

One of the reasons that I cannot not frequently visiting my mother is because of the terrible condition of these roads.

The road is so narrow and winding that whenever you encounter trucks or even an ordinary sedan car on your opposite direction, you have to be extra vigilant or your car will end up in a workshop. At this time it has become worse because most of the existing potholes are not repaired and new ones are sprouting up because of the frequency of heavy trucks plying the roads due to some construction around that area.

On behalf of the kampong people, I sincerely appeal to the road authorities to look into the matter urgently and also to construct an alternative road to cater to the ever-increasing road users of that kampong and for the convenience of the 'rakyat'.

- MHBI

I haven't been to the Museum for more than 15 years. On Feruary 19, 2005, I decided to take a visit to find out more about the history of Brunei.

On arrival, the infrastructure looked very nice and clean, therefore I continued to walk inside the main hall.

The first impression I got was that it was very warm. The air conditioning system did not seem to be working and I saw standing fans switched on. I've never been to any museum that uses standing fans in place of a cooling system.

Another thing that I realised at the Brunei Oil and Gas section was after reading all the items that were pasted on the wall and got interested was - that disappointingly the electronic explanation system buttons and picture lighting were not functioning at all.

And also, there didn't seem to be any upgrading done for the past 15 years.

I understand there is an Oil and Gas Discovery Centre in Seria, but it doesn't mean that we can just forget its place at the Brunei National Museum.

The Museum is the only place that represents and expresses our Brunei history to tourists all around the world.

Without a proper environment and functioning system, tourists will not have the patience to study or try to understand whatever or however good items found inside the museum.

- Museum Care