The following was heard and seen at Valletta Waterfront on a weekday at around 8 pm.

Two elderly English couples stopped by the tables of a restaurant on the promenade and one of the ladies said to the waiter “It took us nearly half an hour to walk from where we could find a parking place. Is there no parking place close by?” Yes, he said, but it is too small. It is unlikely that she appreciated that remark because she was quite large; but that was not the waiter’s fault – a waiter only brings the food, it is she who eats it all. The lady said “This is the third time we came here, on the previous occasions we did not find a parking place so we gave up and drove away”. I park my car anywhere and sometimes I get a ticket; next time take a taxi, was his advice. It was one of the gentleman who responded to that with equal sarcasm – “ With the price of your taxis we rented a car for a week”.

Then they asked for a table for dinner on the promenade and were told that all the tables were reserved. In fact although many tables were empty they were put together and blocked off. One of the gentleman asked if they could at least have a drink at one of the tables and promised that they would leave as soon as the diners arrived. He was told that they could have a drink inside the premises. This seemed to be the last straw for the gentleman and he retorted that they had come here specifically for the view of the bastions and not to sit inside a bar.

They moved a few metres away from the tables and just sat on the stone steps admiring the view. Probably it was against the rules for the waiter (?) to serve them drinks there, so he did not offer. They stayed there for nearly 45 minutes, then they decided to go back to St Julians. The reserved tables were still vacant when they left and there was still no sign of the diners.

The above was recounted by a Dutch couple who were having dinner there. Nobody is accused. Nobody is defended. Only some business was lost. Hopefully it was lost only for that evening.

All the parking space from the bottom of Crucifix Hill right to the first entry point onto the promenade was vacant and blocked off (for taxis?) when there were no taxis and no cruise liners berthed and none were expected that night.

R. DEBONO