Student 'robbed'

On a bus from St Julians I was sitting on the seat nearest the driver. Needless to say, the journey was rather hot and a bone shaker, but inexpensive and a short ride.

What I saw and heard took me by surprise as I did not think such goings-on could happen on our buses. This must be another reason why tourists are flocking to Malta, I said to myself.

Two young men who looked like foreign students alighted and one of them gave the driver a Lm2 note. The driver looked at the money and garbled something in Maltese like "see you in Valletta". What he really meant was that he had no change and would give it when they arrived in Valletta. I cannot understand why Valletta came into it, as the young man had asked for two tickets to Sliema.

This kind driver watched the two young men sit down and get off the bus in Sliema - and did not say a word or make a movement to give this young lad his change. Well, I must say it taught me a lesson in how to make a "quick buck".

May I suggest to the numerous language schools that they inform their students about our currency and about the importance of giving bus drivers the right change. It was not nice seeing a young man being robbed of his money.

Readers might question why I did not do something about it there and then. Well, I did not think I would obtain satisfaction and might even have got a black eye. I thought that the pen is mightier than the sword. So I urge the Malta Transport Authority to take note.