Road to ruin for dumped bikes

I got my first (second-hand) bike at about 10 years of age in 1960 (“Cycling’s dirty secret; 300,000 bikes a year dumped in landfill”, May 12). The truth is that people these days want new. I see people put bikes out on the verge with a sign saying “free” or “help yourself”, but all that goes are the wheels, rendering the rest of the bike useless. The consumer mentality is stimulated by manufacturers and retailers who pander to the desire for new. Therefore, more waste of things that could be reused. Garry Feeney, Kingsgrove

Volunteer Anthony Kimpton, working with Revolve Recycling in Alexandria, which has saved almost 11,000 bicycles from landfill.

I can’t recall my parents buying me a two-wheeler, and if my memory serves me correctly all the bikes I ever rode were hand-me-downs from Dad. In his youth my father participated in road cycling events and there were several frames, wheels, tyres and tubes that enabled me to repurpose my own set of wheels. New Malvern Stars and Speedwells were beyond our reach and I was happy to back-pedal into Dad’s youthful past. Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook

Driven insane

Well, I must say I’m not surprised (“Almost everyone passes the driving test in Inverell. In Willoughby and Ryde, most people fail”, May 12). Last Saturday evening, for the first time in almost 30 years I drove in Sydney city. There were many atrocious drivers; buses proceeding against orange lights and blocking intersections. Cars crossing two lanes to then cross back again merely to move forward five spaces. Cars not giving way to pedestrians who had green walk signs. Cars ignoring the meaning of a “Give Way” sign and pushing into streams of traffic, and the double-parking to wait for potential passengers. The majority of cars with bad drivers had a little white label on their car that I first thought indicated that the vehicle was an emergency service vehicle of some sort. Regrettably the sign, in all cases, read “Uber”. I deduced that learner drivers in Sydney learn less from the motor traffic handbook that they do from watching other drivers, or more ominously, their teacher-parents. Peter Butler, Wyongah

Living room

What a sensible suggestion (“Priority call for three-bed unit quota”, May 12). However, it is not just families who would be attracted to these larger apartments. We are retirees who moved to a three-bedroom apartment seven years ago and I can assure you many other couples living in stand-alone houses would consider the same if they were available. We loved the fact that we could move into an apartment that gave us practically the same indoor space as our Californian bungalow but with all the modern conveniences you would expect in a new apartment in a boutique block. It would need to be mandated, however, as developers can use that same space for two smaller apartments and have a bigger profit. Mary Lawson, Marrickville

Voice silenced

David Marr made a brief but poignant reference to the Voice referendum when interviewed by Peter FitzSimons (“I’ve been embarrassing my family all my life: the Insiders outsider”, May 12). It made me realise that I had neither forgiven nor forgotten Dutton for his role in the defeat of the referendum. Many voters hold him responsible for the shameful outcome and believe his primary motivation was personal gain. I suggest that Dutton’s role in preventing constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians is reason enough to keep him out of the Lodge. Graham Lum, North Rocks

The late Alan Ramsey throughout his long career as a journalist gave credit to David Marr as the most prolific and intelligent writer and debater in Australia. Marr is a gifted rational, intelligent and amazing human being.Mukul Desai, Hunters Hill

Discrimination rife

Thank you for your editorial (The Herald’s View, May 12). It’s a shame that discrimination is still rife in the way that pregnant women are treated at work. While big businesses usually have the wherewithal to cover the workloads when women take maternity leave, small businesses find this very difficult. Small business owners will be wary of employing women of childbearing age because of the disruption to the running of their work. So discrimination will continue to occur. Pamela Shepherd, Balgowlah

Fair solution

In the 1960s I was able to train to become a teacher debt-free, provided I undertook to teach in a state school for three years (Letters, May 12). Maybe a similar scheme for trainee nurses, teachers, and allied medical students to undertake five years’ government service in return for a HECS-free education should be introduced. This would overcome both staffing shortages in these professions and the debt burden on young graduates. Maureen Lysaght, Terrey Hills

Note of nostalgia

Diane Armstrong has her aerogrammes (Letters, May 12). A couple of days ago I stumbled upon an air-mail pad that I haven’t used since last century. Do any readers remember “onion-skin finish”? David Gordon, Cranebrook