What 'day of rest'?

Sunday is, or should I say was, our day of rest, and so were feast days until the petards became so loud that they invoke people to sin rather than adulate the saint being feasted.

And I don't mean the swearing and the binge drinking by the people in attendance.

I can give you an example of what I mean. As I was enjoying a pleasant breeze - sitting on the roof reading a book - one evening last week, the barrage started. It must have been around 7.30 p.m.

Luckily, because I could see the smoke on the barge in the bay as the petards were being hoisted, I was not taken by surprise by the stomach-churning explosions, but it was still unnerving and painful on the ears.

Of course I had to abandon my roof, which meant switching on the air conditioners - pushing up my electricity bill further, but not before I had some pretty nasty, evil thoughts like wishing that "they (the guys launching them) get hoisted by their own petards".

Now I don't usually wish ill to anyone, even enemies, so it does take me by surprise that the petards manage to bring out such venom, even if I did not really mean it.

And I shocked myself by swearing inwardly (I would not like to repeat the words that came to mind, this being a family paper) at the selfish, insensitive, ignorant people responsible.

A couple of years ago Labour Party deputy leader Michael Falzon wrote to the editor of this paper to complain that I was prejudiced in my comments regarding the exaggerated noise during the Stella Maris feast.

I had commended Sacro Cuor for their restraint, and Mr Falzon had implied that my judgment was coloured through the fact that the latter happens to be my parish.

I had of course only stated the truth, the Stella Maris and St Julian's feasts had driven us crazy, whereas we had relative peace during the Sacro Cuor feast.

However, hot on the heels of the Curia's Environment Committee's damning 'big bangs' report on festas - and the release of the salient facts to all parishes asking for restraint - this year, Sacro Cuor spoilt their previous good record and shattered our peace and their reputation, when it comes to restraint.

We had repeated very loud bangs all evening with hardly any lulls last weekend, and of course the 8.a.m. 'alarm call'.

The murtali - I believe they were tas-salut - were being hoisted from a barge in Sliema Creek to ensure that all the residents in that part of Sliema and Valletta, especially, got the full blast.

The problem caused by noise has been increasing steadily, but when it gets to the stage where we cannot enjoy the fresh air on our balconies and roofs almost all summer, cannot get much sleep and, not to mention, peace and quiet, it is really about time something is done.

The situation now is unacceptable. Besides the festa petards, people have to put up with noisy air conditioner compressors, building works on Sundays and feast days (the supposed days of rest) barking dogs and late night parties.

Of course one huge lacuna is that we have no one directly responsible for the health and safety aspect, where it concerns the domestic and building environment.

Someone has to take that responsibility for this ever-growing stressful public harassment.

MEPA does not want to know, when it comes to building-related noise and safety, backed by the Environment Minister George Pullicino, and the Health and Safety Authority's remit only covers Health and Safety at Work (HASAW).

The police have a m'hemmx x'taghmel attitude, "mhux il-festa, sinjura?"! Or "Ghandhom il-permess... mhux ahna tajnihulhom, il-Kunsill." (A permit has been issued...we did not issue it, the local council did). Or if not the council then it was MEPA, or whoever, depending on the noise complaint, did grant a permit. This is the now familiar and perpetual pass the buck syndrome.

As for the politicians, they are all embroiled in their local festa, or building development 'politics'.

Besides, it is no use turning to our MEPs because they too have to abide by their party's 'imbroglio'. The good news is that at least the Church is making efforts to disentangle itself from the mess.

I get so much mail on the subject of noise, MEPA and other matters that I could fill quite a number of pages. But I have picked two letters, which I think embody public sentiment on the issue.

The first is a copy of a letter sent to the Police Commissioner. As it is in Maltese, I shall translate and give you the general gist.

The writer appealed to the Commissioner to take action on what he called "a serious inconvenience and the failure to uphold the law of the land".

The gentleman shares my dread of weekends and midweek feasts, because rather than a time for rest it has become a time of stress, unrest and sleep deprivation because of the selfish actions of others.

The complainant lives in San Gwann in an area where there are three venues where music is played. Two are wedding halls and the third is a disco.

The wedding halls have permits to play music until 1 a.m. and the disco until 4 a.m. Although recently even these time limits are being abused... "what chance for sleep?" the correspondent complained.

"As long ago as 2001, together with other neighbours, I was a witnesses in a police prosecution against the Liquid Club (the disco).

"This took place after several reports I had made and a letter to the then police commissioner.

The courts decided in favour of the club and the noise continued as before."

Let me digress for a moment here, to point out that when the police take action, they are frustrated in the courts, which hardly motivates them to take action. So the courts also need to get sensitive to this issue.

But back to the letter. The failed court case did not deter the aggrieved resident. He still kept up his complaints with the police, the minister responsible for the police and the local council. He also kept me posted because of my anti-noise and the right to peace and quiet campaign in The Sunday Times.

He has written yet again because the problem has grown, "due to, it seems, the increase in events in these venues".

At the end of June he phoned the Birkirkara police station twice and registered a formal complaint for "action to be taken against the owners of Il Cortile and the Liquid Club for playing loud music in the open air, which deprived us of our right to rest, on June 28 and on Saturday, July 1.

"Although the police promised that they would take action to see that the sound volume was lowered, the music remained as loud as ever.

"To add insult to injury the noise continued until 4.30 a.m. and 4.10 a.m. respectively. And this was not the first time this year that we have had to suffer this inconvenience.

"I understand that these establishment owners have to make a living, but I also have the right to rest and sleep uninterruptedly.

"My question has been and remains this: how can our laws not only allow people to cause a nuisance to others, but that the permits for these abuses are actually sanctioned by the very same people whose duty it is to safeguard everybody's rights?

"And it is not just the noise from loud music, the petards all week during the festa season between 8 a.m. ending after midnight are also a big nuisance."

This gentleman is so incensed by our authorities' inability to guarantee our right to peace and quiet that he is prepared to take the issue to the European Parliament.

He can be assured of my support, as can the young mother who lives in Mosta and who sent me the second letter: "I have a six-month-old baby boy and he is very sensitive to loud noise. I am absolutely dreading our Santa Marija feast next month.

"The authorities have no idea what I am going to have to go through, trying to console my terrified son while the festa 'thunder and lightning' animation takes place.

"Someday, hopefully in the near future, the loud bangs will be banned for good."