Paul Philbrow, Ryde:

Network Rail weakly attempts to justify swathes of motorway-style steel-sheet crash barriers across two Ryde bridges on grounds of safety and concern for well-being (CP 08-11-24).

By that argument, we should erect impenetrable steel barriers along our sea walls and cliff tops. 

We would lose our sea views (and visitor revenue), but we could justify it by invoking the demigod Safety-At-All-Costs.

Walks along Appley and Puckpool would not be the same, or have the same amenity value — a tall wall of steel is not generally considered beneficial for one’s state of mind — but they would be “safe”.

Read more: Isle of Wight rail bridge walls from Network Rail "need replacing"

Perhaps it has all been an administrative error. 

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After all, the plating is not 4ft (the common de facto standard for the past 150 years) as reported, but is now 1.8m. 

A planner in a mainland office, who had never been anywhere near our town, mistyping an instruction on their keyboard? 

It is easily done. And the new height is certainly a mistake.

Read more: "Riff raff at the top" should pay for doctors and nurses to park

Perhaps the steel sheets are intended as a cheap, temporary fix to sign the work off quickly.

Perhaps the change in loading capacity from three tonnes to 40 tonnes, flags that the traffic on Monktonmead streets is going to change in other ways, to warrant the new height and materials!

The design was submitted on behalf of Network Rail by a giant multinational corporation called AECOM. 

Yet, this is Monktonmead, Ryde and not a freeway around Dallas, Texas — which is where AECOM is headquartered.

Is this vandalism the same paternalistic faux concern for Island residents claimed earlier this year by ExxonMobil?