Readers sound off on F train service, customer service and Paul Whelan – New

Brooklyn: An event is scheduled today at the Palace Hall on McDonald Ave. and Ditmas Ave. in Brooklyn. Hundreds of people are expected to attend. Being that the event is hosted by an institution located near McDonald Ave. and Kings Highway (Mirrer Yeshiva Central Institute, 1795 Ocean Parkway), many guests will go to the F train for quick, easy and cheap transportation. When they arrive at the station, they will be informed that there is no F service, no shuttle bus and no way to get to the event.

According to the MTA Plan-a-Trip, the trip would take a minimum of 47 minutes, including 28 minutes of walking time to and from the B68 bus. This is unacceptable — and this has been going on for most weekends for the past two and a half years already. We understand that work has to be done, but there needs to be a shuttle bus.

A couple of weekends ago, Q train service was suspended from Stillwell Ave. until Prospect Park. This is very similar to the current F suspension to Church Ave. as can be seen on any map. The Q had not one but two shuttle bus routes replacing the service, a local and an express. Why does the F not get even one shuttle bus?

If this continues, I will stand by the stations during the weekdays and get petitions signed by thousands of people. For me, it’s worth the time. I work on Sunday and this disruption of service adds 45 minutes to my commute each way. Ezra S. Shain

Manhattan: Businesses in the U.S. are complaining about the cost of customer service sites where you speak to a human. They complain about minimum wage and yet almost every site is based in Asia, where the wages are considerably less. I have to stop dealing with businesses like Macy’s, where it is impossible to speak to a human being. Jim Baumann

Manhattan: On Friday, I visited Bed Bath & Beyond on the Upper West Side across from Lincoln Center. It was a most unpleasant experience. There are very few employees and if you do not know the store, you cannot shop there. Checkout is also a nightmare. It is only by a computer, so you had better know how to use it. Shame on you, Bed Bath & Beyond. Roberta Horowitz

East Northport, L.I.: Back in late 1978, the Daily News had the headline “Ho Ho Ho!” Late one night, a woman had triplets at New York Infirmary hospital, with the births starting before she got to a delivery room. The family name was Ho. I was working at NYI (which later left E. 15th St. and merged with Beekman Downtown), a then very young assistant manager of housekeeping. We were all very happy there that night and later heard that the mother and babies were all doing well. FYI: New York Infirmary was founded by the first woman physician in the U.S., Elizabeth Blackwell. Ron Troy

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.: The true spirit of Christmas is not found in reindeer, Santa Claus or tree decorations. They are secular signs. The true spirit of Christmas is the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ, who was born to die for our sins that we might become holders of the greatest gift of all: eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Jim…