LETTERS: NY drivers, Super Bowl tickets and more

NY drivers worst? That's no surprise

As a driving-school instructor, it comes as no surprise to me that at least 20 percent of drivers in New York do not know the rules of the road . In addition to witnessing the horrifying actions of other motorists on the road, I teach the pre-licensing class to permit holders who wish to take the road test.

There is no written test given at the conclusion of the pre-licensing class, but there should be. People who attend my classes may or may not be absorbing what I am trying to teach them. If someone is just sitting in the class daydreaming or maybe does not even understand much English, I may not know it, or even if I do, there is not much I can do. I am required to issue the certificate at the end of the class. If I refuse to issue one, I may find myself in trouble with either the driving school or the state.

I firmly believe that the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles should require a passing grade on a comprehensive written test at the conclusion of the pre-licensing class. Passing the written test to receive a driving permit is not enough.

John J. Daffara

St. James

For average fans, Bowl access denied

It's great news for the tri-state area that the 2014 Super Bowl will be played in New Meadowlands Stadium, but what does it really mean to the average football fan? Nothing. There will be few if any tickets available for the average fan , while the NFL sponsors, industries, players, media, contest winners and online scalpers reap the benefits that the average fan is denied.

You probably have a better chance of hitting the lottery than being able to buy a Super Bowl ticket at face value. Landing this big event will mean millions of dollars to the economies in the tri-state area, and nothing exceptional to the football fan who would like to buy a ticket.

Wayne Mortak

West Babylon

New copter routes create new victims

The good news about the proposed rules that will require helicopter flights between Manhattan and the East End to fly over Long Island Sound is that the FAA now claims the right to regulate helicopter routes and mitigate associated noise complaints . The bad news is that the proposed mandatory routes disproportionately increase the burden of helicopter traffic over the East End. It appears the transition area from the Sound is the area between Shoreham and Baiting Hollow. We hope that our elected officials realize that the new proposed regulations need more than just a little tweaking, they need a major overhaul.

Sid Bail

Wading River

Editor's note: The writer is first vice president of the Wading River Civic Association.