Drive for a safer airport
Dear Sir,
I have noticed many cars parking dangerously on the side of the approach road to Hamad International Airport, waiting to pick up passengers from arrivals. This is dangerous and also forbidden by law.
From my travel experience in the United States, I suggest that the airport authority provide a convenient and free-of-charge “cellphone parking lot” closer to arrivals, where drivers can wait in their cars until the arriving passenger gives them a mobile call to pick him up from arrivals.
Airport authorities must also halt the illegal business of private taxi drivers who quietly and stealthily approach passengers in the arrivals hall.
These drivers mostly target passengers who walk out of customs looking lost.
Some passengers may consider these drivers as legal and hire them. A few others may think they will be able to save some money or to avoid queuing for taxis outside by accepting their “illegal”  offer.  But what these passengers don’t realise is that they are most probably unsafe, definitely unlicensed, and do not insure passengers against theft and accidents.
I travel every week and wait outside the arrival hall to be picked up by my driver, yet I get approached by these touts all the time and I feel uncomfortable about this situation.
The authorities must stop these touts and illegal taxis from operating at the airport.

MM
(Full name and address supplied)

Washed out at car-wash queue
Dear Sir,

Going to a car wash is the most time-consuming thing in Qatar. Even on normal days, it takes at least four hours in the queue for your turn and if it’s the day after a rain or a dust storm, you should be extremely lucky if you can get your car washed in five hours.
Most of our quality time, which should be spent with the family, goes totally wasted waiting in the car-wash queue.
Just imagine how many man-hours go idle and unproductive in a day just waiting in a queue to get your car cleaned in Qatar! Is there a solution to this? Why should washing a car be just a torture here!

Biju S Kumar
(e-mail address supplied)