Madam, - Mary Pentony's letter (October 10th) is timely. A work colleague was on the Drogheda train into the city centre this morning and fainted. Not one person offered her a seat. Are we so wrapped up in ourselves in Celtic Tiger Ireland that we've forgotten common courtesy and manners? - Yours, etc,
STEPHANIE McDERMOTT, Trinity Square, Dublin 2.
Madam, - Is it just my impression that the very basics of courtesy and professionalism are fast disappearing in the retail world? It is unusual to be greeted with anything more than ambivalence in so many establishments. Being treated as a mere intruder is commonplace.
And this problem is not restricted to face-to-face encounters. Many phone calls to businesses - which have spent money on advertising and promoting themselves - are often dealt with in a very similar fashion.
In an era when so much emphasis is being placed on innovation and competitiveness, it often crosses my mind that the basics need to be restored in the first instance. - Yours, etc,
PAUL McMENAMY, Ballycullen, Mullinahone, Co Tipperary.