West End Extra - Letters: Freedom

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West End Extra - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 22 June 2007

The illusion of Freedom

• I WAS pleased to see last issue’s news coverage of campaigns to preserve the Freedom Pass, which allows older citizens concessionary travel on London Transport services (I say set the dogs on those who want to take away our Freedom Pass, June 15).
But what also needs pointing out is that you’re now only allowed to have the concession if you let London Transport track and keep a record of all your movements.
Freedom Passes are now only issued in the form of an electronic card which is specifically linked to you, and every individual journey you make is logged on your personal record by the computer running the Oyster Card system.
What would you feel like if you were told: if you’re a Londoner, and you’re elderly, and you’re poor, then you’re not allowed out unless you wear an electronic tag. Well, that’s effectively the situation now.
ALBERT BEALE
Little Russell Street
WC1

• TALK about absurdist comic-tragedy. We have surpassed the French playwrights big-time with politicians like Gordon Brown talking about giving billions of pounds in aid to Third World countries while pensioners over here have to beg to keep their Freedom Passes.
The only reason the Pope has pulled out of the ‘impoverish the West by rebuilding the Third World’ policy is because of the Third World’s turnaround on abortion.
Funny that!
So let us bring politics closer to home and, if necessary, change our politicians to do so.
SANDRA SHEVEY

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, West End Extra, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@westendextra.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Wednesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number.
Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

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