Guides, the law and law breakers...

Journalists and correspondents alike have criticised tourist guides time and again. They say we are unprofessional, our language is not up to standard, we work only for the money (may I ask who doesn't), we are not qualified enough, we have a cartel, the law is there to only protect us, we are irresponsible, we shout at the clients and last but certainly not least, we earn Lm65 a day!

A number of people have also amazed me by saying some or all of these things and then also state in the same sentence, that they too should be guides; my question would be "are you not ashamed to be associated with these opportunists?"

I have patiently read all that has been written and tried to shrug all this off but the crunch really came when Fr R. Valente wrote to The Times (October 17). Many of your readers are given the impression that he is the victim. However, I appeal to you all to read his article again, you will then realise that he tries to use guides and the so-called bad and expensive service we provide as a poor excuse to continue with his illegal activities.

No matter how bad my guiding may be or how much I overcharge or how terrible my English is, this still does not give Fr Valente the right to break the law.

And to just put records straight the exorbitant difference of hiring a guide for five full day tours is only Lm5 per student for the entire week. I hardly think that this would make the poor parents of these foreign students bankrupt!

Anyone is welcome to ask me questions personally. Kindly address any correspondence to mutg@hotmail.com or 90 St Thomas Street, Floriana.