Subway Letters, Feb 24: ‘We’d Have Enough Vegetables If We Stopped Greed’

Readers are irritated by shortages of fruits and vegetables in supermarkets.

This has led some of our contributors to suggest rationing popular items like cucumbers and tomatoes.

Elsewhere, the debate over the censorship of Roald Dahl’s books continues and it has also been suggested that the BBC should end the ‘puerile’ program The Apprentice now that it is in its 17th series.

Read on to see what got people excited the most…

■ Shopper Lisa Fearns was prevented from buying 100 cucumbers at a Lidl store due to fruit and vegetable rationing in Britain (Metro, Thu).

The personal trainer was filling her cart so she could make detox drinks for her business. How greedy of her. The fact that the cucumbers are for her business makes it even worse, because if she had bought them wholesale they would have been cheaper. Surely wholesale is the right way to go about this? Ray, Romford

■ Every week I buy my 98-year-old mother a cucumber, lettuce and a bag of tomatoes for lunch. This week she has to make do with just tomatoes because the shelves at Tesco are empty. If everyone just bought their usual supply of fruits and vegetables, we could all have some. Jacque, Essex

■ Having been turned down for 100 cucumbers, Lisa Fearns wrote to Facebook friends: ‘I didn’t like their cucumbers’. Is this just a case of sour grapes? Geoff Hall, Croydon

■ When will this country face the truth? The fruit and vegetable shortage is mainly a result of Brexit. In France, supermarkets don’t seem to be going through what we are. Peter Reynolds, Nottingham

■ Regarding MetroTalk’s discussion of publishers removing references to gender and appearance in Roald Dahl’s children’s books, I am a senior citizen and have always been an avid reader. My children and grandchildren grew up reading books written by various authors, and we all became law-abiding, non-racist humans.

My concern is for all children and teenagers who spend hours playing games full of violence and graphic detail, where imagination is not needed. Surely these books have nowhere near the bad influence that these so-called games do? Linda, West Midlands

■ In addition to Aziz’s letter (MetroTalk, Tuesday) about the 20 mph limit being a lifesaver, wouldn’t it make sense for speed limiters to be mandatory on all motor vehicles except emergency services? Saving lives on freeways and main roads could, if nothing else, reduce the burden faced by A&Es. Peter VesseyWolverhampton

■ While I agree that the 20 mph zones are safer, I question whether a gas or diesel engine running an extra minute per kilometer makes our environment less polluted. Tim, Haywards Heath

■ Becky from Bristol (MetroTalk, Wednesday) says robot waiters are being tested at the restaurant company I work for because of ‘low hourly rates and my employer’s resistance to raising pay’, rather than of Brexit.

No, Becky, people in the UK don’t want these jobs. The hospitality industry is no longer that underpaid industry. Businesses are now offering rates above the national minimum wage, and what’s more, recent – ​​and upcoming – legislation means waiters can keep all of their tips. And I worry about understaffing everywhere, Becky, which is why I mentioned the understaffing of the NHS. Peter, Hammersmith

■ It is not written in stone that any line of work should be done by hand rather than by machine. It’s a matter of economics. Andrew Turek, London

‘Okay, we’ve seen enough – the BBC should fire The Apprentice’

■ There comes a time when every game show sees its day, and that’s evident with The Apprentice. Listen, BBC, and put Sir Alan Sugar’s TV show out of its childish misery. John NightingaleRedbridge

Should we shelve these rotten jokes?

■ I sent an email to my supermarket about the lack of vegetables for sale. They said lettuce would know when they had more stock. I said I wanted salad, not sauce. Tom R, Sidcup

■ My son got a job at a swimming pool. So far all they have managed to do is clean the pool and maintain the trampoline. They really hit rock bottom… Martin LawrenceCroydon

■ I was very fond of agricultural machinery. Am I a former tractor fan? Jeremy, Dartford

■ I’m getting worried about calendars. Your days are numbered. HG, Maidstone

And another thing…

■ I’m afraid to join the MetroTalk cart wars, but some parents treat carts like battering rams. There is a blind curve at an intersection where I live – you have to be careful at red lights because drivers speed to pass.

My heart is in my mouth when I see parents crossing, buggy first, when their light isn’t green. I see buggies pushed into traffic between cars. Only a part comes out on top if it’s a buggy and a car. Joseph, by email

■ Regarding the MetroTalk letters about dogs needing to ‘go’ before going for a walk, most can be trained to perform simple tasks such as ‘sit’ with a single command word. With the addition of an extra consonant, this can be modified to increase Fido’s repertoire for the amusement of his friends and peace of mind for the rest of us. Robert McNulty, Manchester

■ A large part of England’s smart motorway network was hit by a two-hour software glitch on Wednesday (Metro, Thu), prompting calls for roads to be closed. Not having shoulders on highways where traffic is flowing so fast is irresponsible. I saw a car broken down in a fast lane. It’s scary trying to avoid it.

The same happens if someone breaks down in the slow lane with no shoulder. Those behind will have a hard time avoiding it, especially if the highway technology is faulty. Paul, Elstree

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