On the Dot...

Tigné Street, Sliema has been in a neglected state for a long time. The pavements are in disrepair and the holes there have caused several people to trip and fall, some of them even incurring serious injury. Several reports have been lodged with the local council but the situation remains unchanged.

Fire Walls

Reports in the British press indicate that, by 2010, new EU health and safety regulations will come into force, killing off certain pyrotechnic festivals and home displays of fireworks during national festivities. This means member states will have to abide by the same regulations, across the board, despite each country's different standards and, of course, festivals where fireworks are in order. Is this an issue in Malta?

Plan Talk

The time is ripe for Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg and Communication Minister Ċensu Galea to come clean on the fatal police shooting in Qormi and the near air miss over Żebbuġ. It is a wonder how they have the cheek to face the electorate and speak of transparency and accountability when the public has been left in the dark on such two serious matters!

Another Brick

Some university lecturers make it a point to draw the attention of the students in a lecture hall towards anyone who tries to slink in late. Yet, the students themselves understand that even a tutor may at times himself arrive half an hour late due to unforeseen circumstances. It is unacceptable, however, that the lecturer launches straight into his lesson without a word of apology - or even a greeting. Does it cost that much to be civil?

Time Lapse

Upon checking the time on helpline 195 at 1.30 p.m., a caller was surprised to be told that the Maltese version was half past one in the evening (is-siegħa u nofs ta' filgħaxija). This gives a new meaning to the phrase lost in translation.

Mind Matters

The lists of people standing for local council or general elections appear somewhat incongruous when one notices a tiny detail. It has become the norm for solely "professions" to be in the list against the candidates' names. Therefore, public servants, labourers, housewives, pensioners, etc have, by this rule of thumb, become non-entities ("persons of little consequence or significance").

Post Haste

The good news is that the Maltapost Naxxar branch has begun encashing cheques issued by the Department of Social Security, including pension cheques, on weekdays. This is to be emulated by other branches. But the bad news is that the queues will get even longer, if customers are allowed to incorporate settlement of third party bills, together with those needing solely postal services such as stamps or postal or money order. Will more staff be recruited to deal with this onslaught of work?

Shooting Spree

An e-mail ostensibly written by comedian John Cleese chastises Americans for not having a decent candidate. At one point, he says that, since they are not capable of producing a "majority" candidate, they are not mature enough to hold guns. Australia recently went further and made stringent restrictions on the ownership of guns. Riffling through the political parties' electoral promises one can find no such detail included. Why?

Bus Disservice

It is high time that route bus number 300, which starts from Senglea via Żabbar, and serves the Junior College, the University and now also Mater Dei Hospital is re-routed to start from Marsascala. Residents and students alike living in Marsascala are being forced to catch two buses. With the unreliable service extant on the direct route, if a resident misses bus 19 then s/he misses the 300 from Żabbar. At the very least, a direct bus from and to Marsascala every two hours would help redress the situation.

Warden service

It recently took wardens four hours to arrive at the scene of a traffic accident. The explanation given when pressed by the car drivers, whose patience had long since run out, was that they were many accidents to attend to. A restaurant that gives slow service, no matter the number of seated customers, would soon have to get its act together or lose its patrons. It's a pity the situation with wardens it not analogous.

No Name

Speaking of Mater Dei Hospital, why exactly does Opposition Leader Alfred Sant persist in speaking about the Tal-Qroqq hospital rather than refer to it by its proper name? It's almost reminiscent of when, in the bad old days, the state-owned broadcasting station Xandir Malta would not call the Leader of the Opposition - at the time Eddie Fenech Adami - by name.

Advance Money

Why is it that some self-styled car park attendants require that you leave the key of your vehicle with them? If the job is done properly, there is no reason why any car ought to be blocking the entry or exit of others. Moreover, the idea of leaving a set charge before one even parks is despicable.

Talk Shows

The political parties, all of them but mainly the two big ones, must understand that this is the time for the "arrogance of the electorate" rather than the arrogance of politicians. Which means they must put themselves completely at the disposal of all voters and journalists and not pick and choose whom to answer, about what subject and at what time.

onthedot@timesofmalta.com