A towing celebration

On Sunday, September 5, at about 6 p.m, during the weekend of the feast of St Gregory, in Sliema, I was completely amazed at what was happening before my eyes. At least 12 cars, legally parked in legal parking zones, were mercilessly being towed away.

I approached two of the three policemen who were supervising this unwarranted towing exodus and asked them why this was happening.

They shrugged their shoulders and I was told it had nothing to do with them as they were acting under the instructions of the parish church.

The policemen duly pointed to not more than a couple of unnoticeable, unprofessional signs, placed here and there, which stated that there was to be no parking in Norfolk Street after 3.30 p.m. The signs had apparently been displayed on Saturday afternoon and were endorsed by the Sliema police station.

I was also informed that the police had taken down the car registration numbers earlier in the afternoon and had tried to contact the owners of these cars, some without success as the owners were not at home when the police phoned. What if the owners happened to be away on holiday, or away for a long weekend, their minds at rest that their car was parked legally and safely in front of their homes and were unaware of the parking time restrictions set up to make way for the statue of St Gregory? The reply I got from the two policemen was: "They should have read the Government Gazette!"

The local parish/church committee, local band club committee, local council, or whoever was responsible for inconsiderately requesting permission to clear the street for the procession and incurring this unnecessary, financial burden on those unfortunate, unwary citizens, should perhaps have turned their attention to the absolutely drunken revelry which was taking place at the end of Norfolk Street! This was a poor excuse for a street disco - permits for which were requested and given.

I don't think that any of the above was what St Gregory the Great had in mind to celebrate his feast.