Conduct unbecoming

On July 3 I was driving along Ix-Xatt ta' l-Imsida heading towards Triq M.A. Vassalli. As I turned the bend and stopped at the traffic lights, a police officer (one of two standing near the bill boards) indicated that as soon as the lights turned green I was to pull over.

Upon enquiring what the problem was, he informed me that I had crossed the white line that routed traffic either to Triq M.A. Vassalli or Rue D'Argens.

I pointed out that a car carrier was blocking the innermost lane of Triq M.A. Vassalli. This was affecting all traffic heading towards Guardamangia, which was affecting all other lanes.

I asked the officer to simply cross the road and have a look for himself. He promptly answered that he was not interested in the car carrier but in my crossing the markings on the street. When I pointed out that if the carrier were removed many people would not have to cross the line, he went into a speech covering topics ranging from the white lines to bumper-to-bumper accidents right down to injuries. In the time this police officer and I had our little discussion his colleague had booked around three other people.

A short while later, the car carrier was still motionless in Ix-Xatt ta' l-Imsida and the two officers were considerably occupied issuing tickets to others.

I think the superiors of these two officers should explain to the two police officers that one makes one's ticket quota not by using such trickery. I think they should also be reprimanded, especially when one considers the unnecessary hassle all those who were issued a ticket will have to go through.