With reference to Chris Strickland’s and Sarah Kenyon’s reports of unpleasant experiences with Sóller taxi drivers, I of course find their reported actions unacceptable. Nonetheless, as a long-time resident of the Sóller valley, some 54 years, I must defend the majority of the taxistas. Recently I needed a taxi to take me a very short distance to the Ford garage from the centre, and I moreorless apologised to the driver because obviously on return to the taxi stand he would be the last in the queue. He replied graciously that he would be glad to take me anywhere at any time. This is not the only time I’ve had a driver take me pleasantly to a nearby destination.

Yours,

Elena Davis

By Ray Fleming

I t will not be possible to assess the outcome of the G8 meeting which ended yesterday afternoon, until the communique can be studied in some detail.
However, one positive result does seem to have been the agreement to press ahead with EU-US negotiations, on a far-reaching transatlantic trade deal. This plan to create the world’s largest open trade area was launched earlier in the year but needed the endorsement of the G8 to give it impetus. The financial and trading benefits for individual countries in the EU and for the US will be considerable and on a smaller scale, they will spread to countries beyond.

As the World Trade Organisation has discovered agreements of this kind are difficult to reach, sometimes taking years; Mr Cameron’s expectation that this one can be “wrapped up in 12 to 18 months” is very optimistic although, it is possible to see why he would like to achieve it.

The United States, has already warned that if Britain is not a member of the EU when the deal is signed, it will not be able to enjoy its benefits.
Both Mr Obama and Mr Cameron, have reasons to hurry; effectively the President’s power will end in a little over three years and the Prime Minister faces an election and referendum in two to three.

On this issue, they are engaged in a race against time.

By Jason Moore

YOU get the impression that some of our principal tourist resorts are becoming “lawless areas” where petty crime, loutish behaviour, excesssive drinking and lots more, are becoming a day-to-day occurence. In the Playa de Palma, I have seen young tourists heading to the beach with enough booze for a battalion, all in glass bottles. As I mentioned in this space yesterday, you can´t have an evening stroll along the promenade because it is littered with tourists drinking lethal cocktails of alcohol through straws out of plastic buckets. Surely this has to be illegal? If you walk along the promenade in Arenal, early morning, you would be shocked at the tons of discarded rubbish on the beach. It is time for the local authorities to act and restore some order, before tourists start going elsewhere. I do not want to be seen as a kill joy but enough is enough. The prostitutes which have become infamous in Magalluf, have now moved into Arenal, as well. The local government has appealed to the central government to change the law and give the local police more powers, so that they can act against the rising lawlessness in our principal resorts. The clock is ticking and action is needed right away. Majorca, has always been a family holiday destination but this state of affairs is being put at risk by this wave of crime and bad behaviour. It is a great shame that a fantastic island like Majorca, is rapidly becoming plagued by problems in our principal resorts.