Last August, Balluta Bay in St Julians had earned the dubious honour of being the third most polluted beach in Malta. One wonders whether, since then, it has risen or fallen in this negative hit parade - and whether Xgħajra and Mistra Bay, which had pipped it at the post, have found other positions in this table of shame.

Parking Slot

Every time there is a ceremony at the Office of the Prime Minister, the surroundings - including Ġilormu Cassar Avenue - are declared no parking zones from early morning. This last happened on Friday for the swearing in of the new local councillors. Pray, could they not have found their own parking place as all the rest do every day?

Public Silence

It has now become amply clear that the authorities - whoever they may be - have decided they need not inform the people exactly what led to the fatal police shooting in Qormi and the near air miss over Żebbuġ. One wonders what was the real aim behind the decision to appoint a parliamentary secretary for information and public dialogue. He is expected to do what exactly?

Public Resignation

It used to be the practice for people occupying public posts to resign on the election of a new Administration. Did it happen this time round? Were any resignations accepted or were all incumbents confirmed in place? Do the people have a right for such information?

Sum Totals

Examination season is with us once again. It would be interesting to find out whether the reason for the glitches, which last year caused students to be given the wrong results, for their Matsec examinations, has been found and ironed out. It would be a pity were the same thing to happen this year.

Paper Weights

The aim of the people who try to earn pin money through delivering magazines and leaflets to households is to get rid of these as quickly as possible. As a result, they still shove publications inside letter boxes where other flyers are already jammed or throw them on porches where others have been bleached by the sun and ruined by the rain. This is both pollution and a waste of resources.

Calling Home

The companies that are involved in mobile telephony occasionally come up with schemes aimed at making people subscribe with or switch over to their company. Sometimes, this also involves purchasing a new cellular telephone in order to avail oneself of the offer. It would be a good thing if the discarded phones were to be collected for fund-raising campaigns.

High Five

Go Malta landline offers a service where, upon finding a number engaged, one can dial 5 and be informed of when the number is free. This does not always happen as people who are tired of waiting often call the number again - and get through.

Electoral Fever

Just before the general election many people at many workplaces were heard making veiled threats to others, based on one or other outcomes of the results. Now that the new government is in gear, one would expect these silly people to put their nose to the grindstone; we have lost enough collective man-hours as a nation as it is.

Grid Locked

Every so often there are talks about how it would benefit Malta to be connected to the European electricity grid, or to have wind farms, or to make the best of solar power. One would appreciate knowing which option, if any, is foreseen during the current legislature.

Parking Meters

In areas where 120-minute restricted parking was introduced, one only sporadically sees the "clocks" that were given out some time ago, visible from behind windscreens. The rest of the drivers who park in these localities know they will not be fined, even if they do not comply with this regulation, because nobody bothers to see to it being followed. This means that residents think they have been taken for a ride, literally, as well as figuratively, and that the pole-erecting exercise had just been an election-related bluff.

Colour Coded

It is patently obvious that some people have been employed in certain positions that require no qualifications, simply for their political affinity. However, when it comes to the pool of top people, it would be a pity were the same criterion followed since this trend would obviously lead to biased decisions in the long run, as well as a mini brain-drain.

Stamp Duty

Philatelists are always on the look-out for beautiful stamps to add to their collections and, of course, local stamps feature highly in international collections. It would be a good idea to issue stamps each time a film, or parts of one, is shot in Malta because this would also rope in cinema aficionados as potential buyers.

onthedot@timesofmalta.com