Mailbag:

I’m glad our city representatives are heading to Washington to try to secure some funds for dredging Newport Harbor (“Daigle, Kiff head to Washington,” March 12). I have read countless articles on how important the bay is to the community and, just last year, Congress gave us more than $17 million for the upper bay area. It’s always stressed how important this is to preserve the natural habitat for many birds, fish, plants and other wildlife.

I live in Newport Shores, and my house backs up to the Seminuk Slough. This area, much like the upper bay, is rich in plants and wildlife and is in dire need of being dredged. I have been told the cost to get this done is just a fraction of what the upper bay costs. We are running out of time. If you take a look at our estuary at low tide you can hardly even paddle a kayak around parts of it because of the sediment buildup.

Are we waiting for this wetland to turn into a meadow? I found it ironic that, in the last couple of days, my representative, Steve Rosansky, makes headlines about taking six years to fix up his run-down house. Yet I have not heard one peep from him in representing our bay over here.

Terry Johnston

Newport Beach

O.C. traffic court a hassle

I am writing from Chico, a healthy 500 miles to the north, about my Orange County experience. Forgive me, I have no other outlet to vent my frustration with your own bastion of inefficiency — the Orange County traffic court.

I cannot speak to the ins and outs of the O.C. lifestyle, but, oh, how I can describe the mind-numbing inefficiency of your fine court.

After being cited in Huntington Beach while visiting in August, I sent in my $25 fine, clearly marked as such on the citation. In November, I then received a bill for $350, less the “$25 already received.”

After attempting to call into a clearly overburdened system on eight different occasions, but never speaking to anything resembling a non-recorded human voice in the 30 minutes I was put on hold, I then received a threat to revoke my license. I take from this that it is my duty to drive the nine hours from Chico to Santa Ana to discuss a $25 moving citation.

To make a long story short, I sent in an appeal fulfilling everything the court directed me to do (during my ninth call).

Recently the venerable Judge Paula Coleman sent me an Orange County love letter stating “defendant ordered to pay in full...($325).” In her benevolence, my license will no longer be suspended, as long as I contribute my share to the court (or is that road maintenance?) fund.

Chris Seibert

Chico

What happened to customer service?

I am continually surprised by the lack of customer service many of us experience on a daily basis. It can be at your local grocery store, bookstore, boutique, you name it.

Case in point, my husband took his car to a tire store to get a tire replaced. They did not have the specific tire he needed so had to return the next day. When he went back, the tire was still not available, so he told the service representative he would come back the following day. When he arrived, they replaced the tire with the wrong type.

OK, not a life-threatening event. They agreed to change the tire and that should have been the end of the story, but what happened here is the type of service that has become all too common. While he was standing at the front desk waiting to be helped, the gentlemen behind the counter shouted back at him, “Be right with you, boss.”

My husband stood there for at least 15 minutes watching this same employee work on a coffee pot!

Apparently the coffee was much more important than helping a customer. We are constantly reminded of the problem with unemployment, and while I don’t dispute there is a problem, you’d think that those of us who do have jobs that deal with the general public would make it our No. 1 priority to ensure the customer is taken care of in a timely manner with the utmost courtesy and respect.

When is it going to become clear that the general public will quit going to establishments where employees are lazy, products are low quality and the service stinks? I understand, working with the public can be difficult at times, but if that is what you signed up to do, do it! There are plenty of people out their willing to take your place if you are not willing to take that extra step!

Juli Hayden

Newport Beach