It is idiocy, but call it by any other name it is still as laughable.
K A BENFELL
Gonville
Numbers game
Don't know how you get on with modern technology, but trying to keep up and cope with even something basic like a landline telephone stretches my almost "geriatric" brain to its limit, and makes my head hurt.
We have a new house, and the phone and internet are connected via the fibre network. It all seems to work OK. The internet gallops along as fast as I can absorb it, and we can ring on the phone all over the world and talk for as long as we like for nothing.
Our phone number is different in that it doesn't start with 34 but is 281 3616.
The problem we have is that some people who could ring us to start with are unable to ring us now. To them it sounds as though we are engaged, but that should not happen, as the answer service should come straight on if we are talking on the phone
I don't know how many others are having trouble but have heard of one person who could no longer ring their work.
The answer to the problem took a lot of sussing, hence the sore head, but it is quite simple. All that has to be done is to add the prefix 06 to the telephone number.
According to my telephone "whiz-kid", the old system is gradually running down, and the connections now come from a multitude of servers, and because of that he had been adding the prefix 06 to his local calls for some time. It doesn't make it a toll call, costs nothing.
My advice for what it is worth is to add the prefix 06 to all your local calls. Hope this is helpful.
JOHN CARSON
Springvale
Nice surprise
My brother and I have been visiting family in Whanganui and were due to fly home to the UK on Thursday, July 13, from Whanganui to Auckland with Air Chathams.
Because of the weather, all flights that day were cancelled and we missed out flight to Auckland.
We booked a second flight for the following day, but had to cancel as there were no seats available from Auckland.
We then booked a third flight for Saturday, again from Whanganui with Air Chathams. We thought that an additional cost would be incurred for changing our flights, but Air Chathams did not charge us.
This was a pleasant surprise and rounded off a wonderful holiday.
When I visit the family again, I shall certainly fly into Whanganui with Air Chathams.
HILARY & PHILIP EVANS
United Kingdom
Abortion scars
G Scown is correct when he says that abortion is "not for the faint-hearted".
I believe it is an assault on the hearts of a mother, father and the community. It results in pain, sorrow, loss and regret. The mother heart is instinctively and naturally inclined to protect and nurture her children; the violence of abortion tears at her heart and leaves real and permanent scars. It is not a fact of life but rather a fact of death.
Surely offering support, care, love and help affirms life and hope for anyone facing a difficult or crisis-pregnancy. In our beautiful country we have the resources, commitment and people ready to do better than "rid" ourselves of these "difficulties".
Mr Scown claims that "abortion was legalised to try to halt the enormous damage done to women in backstreet clinics" and posits the fearful spectre of backstreet abortion as the inevitable and only alternative to "legalised abortion".
The truth is "backstreet" abortionists are generally doctors and health professionals.
The numbers of mothers at risk of dying from complications of abortion are in proportion to and a direct consequence of the number of abortions being performed.
Tragically the death rate is almost 100 per cent for the aborted unborn child.
The town of Whanganui should treasure every person, especially the small, the weak and the needy.
A nation is judged by how we treat our most vulnerable citizens.
JACQUI DE RUITER
National President Voice for Life
Oamaru
