IN response to the article 'Locals fear a student ghetto' printed in 'The Citizen' on March 29, we wish to voice our thoughts on the attitudes towards students expressed by the rest of society.

Residents of Golgotha Road complained that buses were too busy, but the frequency of numbers 1,2,3 and 4 buses would be greatly reduced if it wasn't for students, as these are services specifically laid on to enable students to get to and from campus.

Any student would gladly give up their seat for a disabled or elderly person. We have witnessed students offering to give up their seats and being answered with a sarcastic comment. This is typical of the kind of response we, as students, are subjected to on a daily basis.

The number of cars per house is a reflection of modern day society, not 'multiple occupancy', as the article suggested.

An average family with teenage children could easily have three or four cars per house. The lack of parking spaces is apparent in all areas where the only option is on street parking, students are in no way solely responsible for this problem. Students bring a lot of business to the area. Local residents would find that their city couldn't be as lively and thriving without us. Would residents prefer rows of derelict houses, havens for vandals and squatters, as their neighbours? Where else are students expected to live? Shall we hibernate in the now empty fields surrounding the university? In conclusion, we are fed up with the category 'student' being used as a derogatory term, we are still people and have the right to live in he area where we work.

Decent students