Disco music on the buses (2)

I have just returned from Malta and am one of the last to stick up for the Maltese bus drivers as, with some exceptions, they are either bad-tempered, ignorant, bad drivers or just plainly seem to hate passengers. I met many of them last week.

Last Monday, though, I observed some passenger behaviour. Many Maltese just give the driver a coin without a word and expect him to guess the fare, even if the choice is other than 47c. Quite a few will not bother to collect the 3c change.

Some tourists who can speak neither Maltese nor English expect the driver to understand their garbled interpretation of a destination. So please remember that not all bus drivers are bad.

If you don't want to be short-changed, I suggest that you note the relevant fare (after all, there are only three), hand the driver one coin if you don't have the exact change, state your destination and tell him the value of the coin that you tender. There is then no excuse for shortchanging.