Smoking breaches not dealt with

I approached the station guard and she said she couldn’t say anything because they would just tell her to ‘F... off’‘. 

I felt I needed to say something so I made him aware that it was not allowed to smoke on train platforms and he put it out and I thanked him.

This follows on another incident when travelling on a train to Newcastle on which a man was smoking and drinking. A woman made him aware it was unacceptable and she was abused.

At the next station the woman told the guard on the platform and she was told rather aggressively ’what do you want me to do?’ The woman didn’t need to be told that it was up to her to ring the police. Surely it is up the guard to reassure travellers and to ring ahead to the next station so that police are waiting there.

Why do we have rules if they cannot be enforced? No wonder people do not stand up for what is right and are hesitant to get involved. I’d rather not have any signs if there are no consequences.

Julie Knott, Mortdale

Re “Sand shift for beach units’’ (Leader, March 30).

It is a little selfish of the current residents to object to the state government selling off unproductive social housing to build more. The government looks at the whole scheme not just the individual sites.

The state government could ask council to re-zone the land to have a level of consistency with the Novetel. However, we all know everyone would have a heart attack if that happened. So why not ask the council to zone the land half of what the Novotel has to be 3:1 FSR and 25m height.

With the money made from the sale of units on the property you could build about 50 townhouses on government land next to Leppington railway station.

In the end 50 brand new townhouses versus 30 small units in a 60-year-old building is a better outcome for the government and provides more social housing than currently exists.

The only loss here? Is that the 30 or so residents who live on the beach will need to transfer to other social housing.

Labrynth

I note with much amusement that corporations can be fined $500 for littering from a private vehicle, bus, train or ferry ("Tough test before ’Tossers’ are fined" (Leader, March 30). Must be a small business to be worried by such a small fine.

Gary Frances, Bexley

Re “Smiles all around for Socceroos’’ (Leader, March 30). It’s good to see at least one organisation appreciating the great spirit of Kogarah Oval! Shame on you Peter Doust! Stand up to Greenberg and Baird for the fans of the club you represent!

Jeff Hanson 

Recently while walking home from Rockdale station I crossed the traffic lights on the corner of Watkin and Frederick Streets, Bexley without obeying traffic signals. 

There was no traffic coming in either direction so I proceeded to cross the road. All of a sudden I heard a siren and turned around to see a police car turning into Frederick Street and and an officer telling me to stop (the police car did a huge turn over double yellow lines).

The police officer got out and told me the conversation was being recorded and then asked was there any reason why you crossed the road without obeying the traffic control signals to which I replied no.

I thought at least I would be given a warning however the police told me I would be receiving a fine in the mail. 

While I admit I did the wrong thing by crossing without obeying traffic control signals, I wondered why this police officer wasn’t dealing with real crimes! 

Honestly, how many of us sometimes cross without waiting for the green signals.  We all do! 

name supplied, Rockdale