There was a time when the Sicilians, each time they saw a boatload of Maltese people disembarking from the ferry and rush to buy things that were not available in Malta, used to say Eccoli, i morti di fame (Here they come, the impoverished people).

We were their favourite customers, as we would buy anything they could sell us, and they must have made millions of liri (the euro was still not even thought of) from the thousands of Maltese who used to cross over to purchase all they could find from the open market and the shops close to the harbour.

It was a time when the importation of products was restricted, and there was so much deprivation that receiving a chocolate bar other than a Deserta, or whatever it was called, was considered as a treat, a gift to treasure, a luxury.

It was not only chocolate. It was also toothpaste, pasta and all other foreign products that were not allowed entry into Malta as the then Labour government believed that they would have led to unemployment with the closing down of local factories that produced the same products – which were, of course, of a much poorer quality.

And so, a trip to nearby Sicily meant paradise for the Maltese, and the best presents they could have brought for their loved ones was a bar of chocolate that tasted of real chocolate, or a kilo of pasta that did not taste of string. Who does not remember people arriving in Malta with chandeliers and other bulky items?

Thankfully, those times are over. Or are they?

Footage of how the Maltese are behaving in a particular supermarket that has regular offers of discounted prices on a selection of items has brought back memories of those days. This footage can be seen on youtube.com, and was filmed by one of the customers.

It shows tens of people queuing up at least one hour before the supermarket opens, at about 6am, and then, once the doors open, rushing, pushing, running and shoving their way through the corridors of the said supermarket until they locate the items that are being sold at a special price. And there the battle begins to grab as many of the items as possible – for mummy and grandma and, why not, for sister and neighbour too – before they finish.

If you don’t believe this, just enter the words “bbq fever Malta” on the said website’s internal search engine, and check for yourselves.

No wonder that people who go to the supermarket at 8am find that the items advertised as being on sale at discounted prices never find any left.

This kind of behaviour might be amusing, but at the same time it exposes all the weaknesses and inferiority complex of the Maltese people. What used to happen in Sicily more than 20 years ago is still happening today – in our own land. It is a shame, a real shame.

Foreigners clicking on the said footage will probably think that we are still “morti di fame”, as the Sicilians used to say about us. Although two decades have passed since the liberalisation of the market, and five years have passed since Malta became a European Union member, we still have not got rid of certain instincts that have distinguished us throughout the ages.

Politicians can speak of achievements and success, and they can say that the country has moved forward. But when something like this happens it brings us down to earth with a bang.