Market mentality backwards

Your article concerning parking woes at the Jean-Talon Market reflects your journalist Patrick Lejtenyi’s concern for his two-ton bucket of metal and his god-given right to sit in his car smoke a cigarette, eat a doughnut, roll down his window and demand a fresh tomato [“Market-style democracy,” Jan. 23].

How come he didn’t interview any residents or activists who are trying to make the market more user friendly as opposed to car friendly? Denigrating citizens’ attempts at direct democracy is also a pretty disappointing position for a supposedly alternative paper to take.

The market is served by two separate metro lines and four bus routes, yet market management encourages cars to not only traverse the market but actually to be served from them. It is something I have never seen in any other public market in North America or Europe. This sort of Orange Julep service mentality accompanied by the usual courtesy and good grace of Montreal drivers is what has residents pissed off. Twice last year I was honked at because my three year old was not moving fast enough - not on the street but actually in the market.

Being a five-year resident of this neighbourhood, I have seen the market become progressively more popular, which is great, but I’ve also witnessed a management team that reflects a very ’50s mentality - cars first, people second. I hope the Mirror will be a little ahead of the curve and recognize that citizens are becoming increasingly more critical of cars and their indiscriminate use. Residents of the Jean-Talon Market area have had enough.

» John & Maeve Commins

VLT vice

By now we all know the evils of video lottery terminals, which is why opposing the Frigon plan to pull most of them from bars is such a ludicrous idea [“To the defence of VLTs,” Jan. 30]. Peter Sergakis’s statement that people playing video poker “are older people with nothing to do,” is exactly the reason that these things should be banned. The province cashes in at the expense of lonely, low-income gambling addicts who spend their welfare cheques on swinging bells. Making the machines slower or “less hypnotic” won’t change a thing.

» Christine MacDonald

Relationships and restraint

Regarding “The wedding cynic” [Sasha, Jan. 16]: did Sasha give “One Messed Up Dude” wise advice? I think that if he takes her advice to explore his desire to be with other women, even when he’s happily married he will completely mess up the life of a loving couple.

One can be young enough to know everything. I think I’m not old enough to think that I have all the wisdom I need.

Is balance in life not absolutely essential for a meaningful and enjoyable lifestyle? What’s the use of a mouth that’s open without closing it at the right time - or for that matter, a mind that’s not closed on something that’s not wholesome? We have positive and negative pulses in life, and these have to be balanced for better insight, understanding and positive results.

What false and cynical advice it seems to fight restraint, even some sex restraints! What chaos the world and human relations will land in without some restraints to acquire balance? That balance in body and mind humans need to survive!

Restraint from overindulging is essential for real enjoyment and a life that spells out full satisfaction. If you deeply love your partner in life, you can and will retain your desires at times. After all, the greatest victory is the victory over oneself. It also builds character, as I see it.

If there are no self-restraints in our life, the world will land in a mess. So let us seek wisdom rather than smart talk in our search for real life and a better world.

» Ambrose W. Hibbert

Exile Omen

Regarding his recent dispatch, I think that this town in Iran called Esfahan is a great place for “Omen” to stay put indefinitely [E-mail, Jan 16]. After spray painting his asinine name all over Montreal landmarks, he has moved on to a better place - unlike the “Canadian war machine,” which is hell-bent on war with Iraq.

Why the hatred for Canada? Did he rack up too many tickets for graffiti and now has to hole up in the desert? Maybe if we’re lucky, Jaggi Singh will go and stay with him. Just one caution, Omen, don’t get caught defacing their streets, you might just lose a limb!

» Stephen Playford

Praise for Nagano

Thank you for your well written and thought-provoking story on Kent Nagano [Cover, "Super conductor," Jan. 23]. Juan Rodriguez bridges classical music history, the pop music connection and a profile of a dynamic personality all at once, breathing much-needed life into the struggling world of the symphony orchestra.

Nagano refers to Shoenberg’s Germany and how people "had become so self-obsessed and the gap between educated music and the common people had become massive." Shoenberg’s writing of Pierrot for common people has parallels with a man who loves surfing, martial arts and fast cars, as well as being a fabulous conductor, working with a modern orchestra. Bringing pop acts to perform with an orchestra is a good idea, but too often the symphony takes a back seat to the star. There is a wonderful lack of novelty when it’s the conductor, and not the guests, who is bringing the experimentation to the music.

» David Redmond

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