I should like to share with you the following short story, which is true:

During a four-day stay in Malta, where I had been to meet a friend from Geneva, I took the bus on route 40 from Sliema to Bugibba. At the Bugibba main station I left the bus, crossed the road and entered a shop to buy The Malta Independent, which I read each day with great interest. When I wanted to pay for the newspaper I noticed that my purse was missing. My first thought was that I must have left it in the bus I just used. Leaving the shop immediately I saw only the back of a bus on route 70 disappearing between houses on its tour to the next station. I had the bad feeling that I would never again see my purse, including a remarkable amount of money and my Master Card, since I had a similar experience in Germany 10 years ago.

Nevertheless I went over to the bus station and told my hard luck story to a group of bus drivers. Among them was a young bus inspector who had docked my ticket only 15 minutes earlier. He told me that he had seen a purse as described by me on bus 70 and had informed the bus driver. He went on immediately to inform a colleague who seemed to be a senior bus inspector. Both of them then started using their walkie-talkies to bus drivers and bus inspectors all over the island.

After 15 minutes the young bus inspector broke the tension and informed me that my purse was found. Since it would have taken a long time until bus 70 made it back to the Bugibba station the bus inspectors again used their walkie-talkies so that, as they dictated, my purse was handed from one bus inspector to the next who frequently changed buses. During the following time I was always kept informed by the bus inspectors at Bugibba station where my purse was at that time and in which bus.

Finally they informed me that my purse will be there in 20 minutes. And in fact about 20 minutes later another young bus inspector left an arriving bus and gave me back my purse, including all my money and my credit card.

I wanted to express my thanks to the two young bus inspectors and offered a reward which they accepted only very reluctantly. I asked them also to share it with the senior bus inspector or to pay a few drinks for him. When I left Bugibba bus station I met the senior bus inspector again and told him the end of the story. His answer. “Thank you, but I don’t want anything. It is my job to help you.”

Unfortunately I do not know the names of the two young bus inspectors and the senior bus inspector to thank them again through The Malta Independent. The incident happened on Monday, 19 May, between 5pm and 6pm.

Since I also read the political articles and reports in The Malta Independent always with great interest let me add the following recommendation: Send more young bus inspectors into politics and the Parliament of Malta. It might be that they are not as experienced as professional politicians to make speeches but they are honest, modest, helpful and take care of the money of other people, these young Knights of Malta. This could also be a good idea for my home country Germany.

Dr Reinhold Friedl

Oldenburg

Germany