Good morning dear and honorable readers and welcome back after the nice and warm holidays. I come back writing my columns with full of what I call frozen issues on my agenda. These issues must be handled and dealt with seriously rather than having them sit on shelves inside officials' offices.

Many of the issues which I will talk about today deal directly with the daily lives of citizens and expatriates and they can be so pressing to the authorities if not dealt with and resolved for good.

The first issue is the flying pebbles or stones following the fall of two or three inches of rain. The majority of people including nationals and expatriates have been affected by the flying pebbles on all main highways right after few inches of rain have fallen.

It is for sure a lucrative business for all auto glass shops when rain comes down, and I am sure owners of those shops pray day and night so that Allah will make it rain cats and dogs. Some car owners have automobiles worth more than 40,000 Kuwaiti dinars and for sure they would not want their front windshields broken or shattered by the flying pebbles thrown by some irresponsible contractors. I have been in the United States for almost 6 years and I swear to God that never during my stay I had encountered a flying pebble or had my car's windshield replaced. The roads there are smooth as silk and people can sue the county or the city in case that sort of thing happens because people in America pay too much taxes and that money goes for the construction of the best roads and infrastructure. Here in Kuwait, if that happens to anyone, who is to blame? Your best bet is to rent a car or use public transportation.

The second issue is the thousands of rain-made holes. You drive along and find a little distance away well-like holes in the streets. You try to avoid them by zigzagging, but end up hit by the car on your left or your right. Should we accept the fact of driving straight and have to fall in one of those well-like holes and have to fix our cars every day? Or to go with the fact of avoiding such holes and try not to hit any nearby car? It is hard to imagine or resolve this issue.

The last issue I would like to elaborate on is the issue of domestic workers and their rights to keep hold of their passports. By law, the worker is entitled to keep hold of his or her passport as this document is a property of the national of that country and no one has the right to keep that document. So many laws have been issued regarding this issue but still many sponsors and companies believe they have the right to lock up the passport of the workers so that they cannot escape. I hope one day these strict rules are implemented for the sake and best interest of all parties concerned.

Till the nest article insha Allah

By Talal Al-Ghannam

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