Despite what Elon Musk says (Keep on trucking: a swipe at rail as Tesla unveils electric lorry, 18 November), there is still a crucial role for rail freight in transporting long-distance consumer and bulk traffic in a safer low-carbon way that reduces road congestion and road damage. Also, 136 lorry platoons already exist and are called freight trains. So, during road safety week (20-26 November) we should remember that last year heavy goods vehicles were almost seven times more likely than cars to be involved in fatal crashes on local roads.
Philippa Edmunds
Freight on rail manager, Campaign for Better Transport
• One of my best-loved films, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, is now unwatchable by me for the stereotypical portrayal of Mr Yunioshi by Mickey Rooney (I like Apu from the Simpsons. But I can see the harm in stereotypes, 18 November). My father’s critical perspective was influenced by the heroine being a call girl, but then he’d been through a war against, among others, the Japanese.
Jenny Powell
Storrington, Sussex
• Interesting to see a Conservative MP, Damian Collins, apparently referencing Uber as a benchmark for exploitation (UK athletes ‘have fewer rights than an Uber driver’, Sport, 20 November). Just came off the tip of the tongue, I guess…
Sonia Michaels
London
• Further to recent letters (20 November), in the 50s in London we had “milk and a dash” at the Lyons Corner Houses – definitely the forerunner of lattes. A lot cheaper, too.
Rosalie Trayner
London
• Hurrah! A campaign to rescue Italian words from English mispronunciation. May we add to the list “bruschetta” (broo-sketta, not broo-shetta) and “ciabatta” (cha-batta, not che-a-batta)?
Bernadette Newman
London
• Did Theresa May and her husband not go to church on Sunday? There was no photo of them in Monday’s paper.
Susannah Wight
London
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