The plastic barriers that we sometimes find on our roads are not strong enough to withstand the water pressure when it rains heavily, and very often end up creating a hazard. Yesterday week, the barriers on the Regional Road before one enters the tunnels closest to Paceville moved with the heavy rains and drivers had to be on their maximum alert to avoid them. Luckily, there was no major accident. But these plastic barriers should be filled up with water to make them heavier, and therefore less likely to be carried away.

Last week’s signing of agreements between the government and the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses, and the Union Haddiema Maghqudin, was described as “historic”. What was also “historic” was the fact that the Department of Information first announced that the signing was a “full press coverage”, then said the event was open only to photographers and cameramen, and later reversed the decision to “full press” again. Something must have gone wrong somewhere.

The idea to have thousands of trees planted in Mellieha over this past weekend, largely to make up for the 3,000 that were vandalised last May, is welcome. The public participation as well as the support given by certain entities was tremendous. One now hopes that the area in question will be monitored so that what happened last May will not be repeated.

The heavy mist – or perhaps fog – that hit the Maltese islands over the past days was something that we do not experience that often. But it would be good to remember that when it happens, drivers should switch on the headlamps of their vehicles to make it easier for other driver to see them. The visibility in such circumstances is very limited and therefore every little thing would help to reduce the danger.

Sometimes one wonders why producers of television programmes bother to hold competitions with people who phone in. Last week, there were several occasions when the most trivial of questions were not answered correctly. Why do people who simply have no basics of general knowledge phone in? In spite of all the spoonfeeding by the presenters, they are unable to answer the simple questions they are asked.

Last Saturday, a lady called out to a man who was parking his car in front of her home not to do so because the rubbish truck would otherwise not pick up the rubbish she had left in the parking space. So drivers who sigh in relief when they see a parking space now have to check whether the rubbish truck has already passed or not? Ridiculous. The man parked his car in the available space anyway. When he returned to his vehicle 30 minutes later the rubbish was still there…

Unbuilt plots of land now have to be surrounded by boundary walls. It would be perhaps a good idea for these walls to be painted, thus adding a touch of colour to our drab urban areas. Local councils should come up with a competition for the best kept boundary wall to push such an idea.

Contributions, including photos, to odds & ends are invited.

Call 2134-5888 or email: [email protected]