Show greater consideration for our senior citizens

EDITOR: Our Senior Citizens deserve due respect and recognition. They have served our country well and would have been in many instances an inspiration.

While I do recognise that there are programmes carried out to take care of our senior citizens, there are two areas that I need to highlight that needs some urgent attention.

Many of our senior citizens and younger ones have to travel in vans regularly. For the others who are not senior citizens have to travel daily. While, we appreciate their service in commuting persons to and from Kingstown, the loud music and uncomfortable seating can be very uncomfortable to say the least. We know that many persons will like to be entertained while travelling and nothing is wrong with that.

However, the loudness of the music can be uncomfortable and dangerous to the ears. The heavy bass many times even shakes the vehicle. This can be painful to endure for a considerable length of time. The sad thing is that many of our senior citizens have to endure this. Often times if they ask to have the volume reduced they are sometimes insulted. The type of music played sometimes is sickening.

There are hardly any vans that play consistently good gospel or even reggae at a controlled volume.

These types of music while many young persons may like it along with the loudness, the van conductors and drivers have to be aware that they are serving not just the young persons but persons of varying ages. We need to have some respect for our senior citizens and when they travel in vans at least lower the volume and even have a change of music. Senior citizens travel daily in vans so have some respect for them and also the other passengers who have to endure this boom boom in their ears with such ‘slack’ and uneducated songs.

We are living in modern times and times have changed. It is the technological age where many businesses and services are conducted using technology. So with the changing times our utility companies have gone as they say ‘paperless’. This can work well for many persons, but let us recognise and remember our senior citizens for many of them are unable to use the technology effectively. Some many have neither Internet nor smart phone and as a result cannot receive their bills via e-mail. They have to resort to old ways of written bills.

In this regard the utility companies for the ease and comfort of our senior citizens let them use the old way and also make it known to them. After all we have to recognise them and show them respect. Some may not be that privileged to have a child or grand child living with them who is dependable to do their business, so they come to town to do their business. What is also noticeable is the removal of senior citizen lines in many banks and other institutions.

It is not too nice to see many of our senior citizens standing outside in the sun and rain waiting to be served and what is even worse is that they may be on their feet for a considerable length of time.

Please let us consider, respect and recognise our senior citizens. Every day we live we are getting older and would one day require the same or similar courtesy. As we know all lives matter, whether young or old. May God bless us all.

Kennard King