The live link made from Qormi during a recent edition of the PBS programme Tista’ Tkun Int exposed all of Rachel Vella’s enjoyment at being seen even when she is not there. No fewer than three vans were seen in one of the backdrops with her face stamped right across the body. Assuming that there is a limited version of these vans – there might be more however – one wonders how many such vans someone like Raffaella Carra’ would have roaming across Italy. But then, Carra’ would not be so full of pride as to have her face plastered on vans. She is famous enough not to need them. Anyway, if Tista’ Tkun Int must have such vans, maybe a simple logo of the programme would have been enough.
n Mellieha is very popular with tourists, particularly those who prepare to self-cater. Many visitors hire a car to give them freedom to drive around when and where they please. But they did not get very far in Mallieha on Thursday. The main street was closed to all but essential delivery traffic, in both directions, as a huge crane straddled the street in connection with work being carried out in a private residence. The problem was that tourists found it extremely hard to find another way out of Mellieha because there were no diversion signs to help them.
n Although there are signs telling drivers to switch on at least their dimmed headlights once inside any of the tunnels that have been built on the major road arteries, the majority insist on keeping them off. The continuous white line inside the tunnels also prohibits drivers from crossing over from one lane to another, but this rule restriction is blatantly broken time and again. A warden or two just outside the tunnels will help curb this abuse which, after all, is extremely dangerous.
n Whoever came up with the idea of having a low roundabout at the intersection leading to Paceville or St George’s Bay did not realise that drivers in the outer lane would have to swerve into the inner lane – and in so doing risk crashing into the car on their left – rather than drive straight on to Spinola Bay. The idea was to organise the traffic flow in this dangerous intersection, but a better effort was expected. Perhaps the installation of traffic lights there would have served the purpose better.
n A visit to the recently restored museums in the Citadella, Gozo, will leave one pleasantly surprised. Not only have the museums themselves been restored, but the attendants are very cordial and well-informed about all the exhibits. On buying a ticket, one is treated to an in-depth account of the section of Maltese history with which that particular museum deals, be it the times of the Knights or prehistory. It is all made to seem very natural and the attendants show a genuine interest in what they are talking about. Needless to say, this is a very welcome change from someone who sits at a desk, barks out the price to visitors and refuses to accept anything but the correct change!
n It seems that PBS journalists analysing the newspapers every morning cannot understand simple English. On two occasions in the past weeks they misinterpreted what was written. In the first occasion, they thought that The Malta Independent and In-Nazzjon had a different story with regards to the value of the cigarettes seized by the Customs Department. In actual fact, TMI referred to the value of the last haul whereas In-Nazzjon referred to four hauls. In the second occasion, they said that TMID had picked up a Tista’ Tkun Int story of a long-lost relative who was finally found, when in fact it was TMID which helped establish the family reunion. No wonder PBS needs a major overhaul.
n The playground in Santa Lucia is extremely well-kept. The area is big enough for children to spend a couple of hours playing in a practically traffic-free environment, and the variety of facilities available makes it all the more pleasant. What is lacking though is a public toilet which would complete the whole set-up. It was a pity to see an elderly person helping a young boy who was with him relieve himself against a tree. The man gave the young boy a bad example, but on the other hand there was little he could do.
n Safety on building sites should be a priority for all the workers. Yet one continues to see many of them not wearing the safety equipment that could save their lives or reduce injuries. It could be that their employers are not providing them with such equipment, but there are also cases when workers simply refuse to put on helmets or harnesses while doing their duty.
n The feast of San Girgor has come and gone. What one could notice was that the religious side of it has not remained as popular as it used to be in the past, whereas the more mundane part of the celebrations grows year after year. The number of people who gathered in Marsaxlokk for tombola parties and an early dip was by far bigger than the number of people who followed Archbishop Joseph Mercieca in the traditional procession in Zejtun.
• A woman phoned in to say that the smoking ban in places of entertainment should not have been postponed. She said her daughters return from discotheques literally smelling of cigarettes and she has to wash their clothes twice or three times before the smell of cigarettes is removed. She fears that all the smoke that her daughters are inhaling when they go to such places will cause them health problems in the long-term and urges the authorities to introduce the smoking ban as soon as possible and be very strict once the new regulations come into force.
• Some people think that because they have been regularly appearing on television they are born presenters. One of them is Frank Bonnici, whose programme It-Tieg on NET TV might be informative but needs someone to present it in a more decent way. His line of questioning is, to say the least, pathetic and he needs to dramatically improve his communication skills. One other thing: he should also remove his sunglasses from the top of his head while interviewing people. It may look cool, but it also shows a lack of respect.
• The Malta Independent recently carried a report that the bus schedules listed on the website run by the Malta Transport Directorate did not carry the correct times because 5.60am and other similar times do not exist. Since the article appeared, the ADT has taken the trouble to correct all their listings. Well done.
• A driver who uses Telgha t’Alla w Ommu on the outskirts of Naxxar noticed that work has long since stopped on this stretch. It’s true that the road is now open, but it still needs to be completed. It looks very shabby. The surface is not smooth and drivers have to be really careful because there is a patch of uneven tarmac near the roundabout at the top of the hill which one has to drive round in order to avoid it. The tarmac at the bottom of the hill is pretty much in a similar poor condition.
• Why do we have to include politicians in all that we do? Last Saturday week, before Malta played against Serbia Montenegro in a match for the rugby European championship division III A group, the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Carmelo Abela, who is also the Opposition’s spokesman on sport, was led by Rugby Federation officials to meet the players. Was this really necessary? We would have said the same had it been a government representative who was involved. Do we really need to have politicians around us all the time?
• The central part of Sliema is totally chaotic when it comes to traffic. In recent weeks Rudolphe Street has been partially blocked to cars because of work being carried out in front of Sliema police station. Tonna Street has been dug up and left without being resurfaced. Despite all this, traffic is still passing through this stretch to the great inconvenience of residents because of the dust that is generated. Many other streets in this area are blocked without warning by building equipment and cranes. No wonder that traffic jams are the order of the day.
• More than two months ago, the Malta Sports Council advertised for applications for the post of Press Officer/PRO. Since then, applicants have not even received an acknowledgement, let alone a call for an interview. Some applicants have called the council to enquire why they have been left in the dark, to which the reply was that the applications were still being dealt with by the interviewing board. How’s that for efficiency?
• A resident of Parilja Street in Santa Venera called in to say that workmen have marked the tarmac and pavement with orange fluorescent paint to tell drivers not to leave their car parked in front of a plot that is being developed. She said that a simple no parking sign or removable cones would have been enough. In the event, these orange marks will remain even when the work is done.
• The stamps issued by Maltapost to mark Malta’s accession to the EU are in 16c and 28c denominations. This means that they will inevitably be used for mail to foreign countries – Europe, Australia and the United States in particular. It would have perhaps been a good idea to have had a 7c stamp for local mail to mark this momentous occasion in Malta’s history.
• The Broadcasting Authority has accused Smash TV of “racial hatred” because one of the candidates for the EP election passed certain uncalled-for remarks. One must, however, point out that such action should have been taken before the election, not afterwards. As the BA said in its statement, such comments were made as far back as 29 April. So why wait until the election is over to take action?
• Participation in adult education classes is satisfactory. But a greater effort is needed to attract more adults, particularly pensioners, to take up such courses. There is no end to how much one can learn in a lifetime. Such courses also help older people to remain active while at the same time improving their knowledge.
• Now that summer is – finally, one should say – here, open-air parties are held regularly, almost every day but mostly during the weekend. A piece of advice to all those young people who spend the night out: do so without risking injuries to yourselves and others. The best thing would be to avoid drinking alcohol, but, if you want to do so, then do not drive.
• The same goes to those using jet-skis and other fast vessels around our shores. Enjoying oneself does not mean endangering one’s own life and the lives of others. The regulations stipulating the distance from the shore where such vessels can be driven at speed should be maintained at all times. Police and AFM patrols can help, but there is a limit as to how large an area they can cover with their resources.
• New roads are being laid in San Pawl tat-Targa, limits of Naxxar. Yet it is extremely inconvenient for the residents to pass through these days, also because a new stretch of what is to become an important artery literally slices through several roads. This means that residents have to jigsaw-puzzle their way across.
• Last Wednesday, the only exit from the heart of Qormi was blocked by a van – which had the name of band printed on it – just because there was some activity going on in the square. People who wanted to leave the town had to use “no entry” roads to find their way back out of Qormi. Did these people have a police permit and, if so, should such a permit have been issued?
• Another summer inconvenience is connected with feasts. Some important roads are blocked for several hours while the decorations are put up, and this in the afternoon and evening, not during the night when the traffic flow is less. This leads to a lot of dangerous reversing and U-turns, also because there are no signs warning drivers that there is a dead end.
• People travelling from Gozo a few days ago complained that a Scammel truck carrying waste material made the trip with them. The car deck was fouled with a nauseating smell which permeated onto the upper decks where people simply had to hold their noses to survive. Should such trucks be allowed to travel on regular trips between the two islands?
• The skip underneath the Regional Road bridge in Birkirkara Road, St Julian’s disappeared overnight. Residents say that it was convenient for them to use this skip, and that they were careful not to overload it. Yet the powers-that-be, probably the local council, chose to remove it. The residents think that it should be put back sooner rather than later.