n The police are doing a good job when it comes to picking up youths who abuse of drugs. But an eye should be kept on areas that are frequented by children, both because teenagers could be lured into the habit, and also because of the problem explained above. Public places known to be a gathering point for drug abusers should be cleaned of used syringes more often so as to avoid any accidents that could have serious effects on the health of innocent people.

n No doubt, traffic lights are often useful for the flow of cars, in particular at peak hours. But one wonders what studies are being made before sets of traffic lights are installed. For example, a set that was put up at the top of Sliema Road, in San Gwann, was recently removed. This was because the flow of traffic was hampered by their installation, so much so that they were eventually pulled down. Has anyone thought how much such an exercise is causing the taxpayer?

n The trade fair closed its doors yesterday and one awaits the official figures with regards to attendance and sales. But it has become apparent that the event is no longer as important as it used to be in the past. People no longer wait for this annual fair to buy goods they need, mostly because these days there are special offers all the year round and a healthy competition, both as regards quality and prices.

n The number of mobile phones in this country is on the rise. One notices children as young as eight or nine sending messages or using their mobile. Should this be happening? Are they old enough to realise that mobile phones are expensive to run, apart from the fact that mobile phones themselves cost a lot? Parents should think it over a hundred times before giving their child a mobile phone.

n We have now managed to put up what a reader has described as a “Monument to Mazinga Robot”, in the St Paul’s Bay promenade, just behind the well-placed Sanctuary to St Paul’s Shipwreck, as one enters into Bugibba. Whoever thought that the rustic Maltese rubble wall could match so well with the design of this monstrous concrete block? Well, it’s there now for everybody to enjoy. Its purpose is a three-storey high staircase for people to go down to the promenade, but if you are over 60 you may not be able to use it to go back up so one still has to walk up the hill: it is easier on the muscles.

n Why is it that the daily programme L-Ghodwa t-Tajba on PBS always starts a few minutes late? Is it just pure negligence? Viewers get this unending monotonous tone with a list of the day’s programmes, but L-Ghodwa t-Tajba never seems to start. The problem for PBS is that at that same time Net TV and Super One start their transmissions with news too. And they are both more punctual.

n While watching television stations it is evident that abroad people using mobile phones get a much better deal when buying them and using them. The amount of special offers, brought about by competition, is extraordinary. In Malta, although we do have two companies involved in the mobile telephony system and the price of the service offered has decreased, we are nowhere near what mobile users get in other countries.To take Italy as an example, there the number of fixed line phones continues to decrease whereas the number of mobile phones is on the rise. This is all because it is less expensive to have a mobile phone than a fixed line. Should Maltese mobile phone users be getting a better deal from their respective service provider? We think so.