On the dot

The façade of the Santa Maria Addolorata cemetery is indeed impressive, as seen from the roadway. However, as one approaches the doorway arches, it is evident that the ornate Gothic stonework is in dire need of repair. Is it possible that there exists no craftsman capable of reproducing this intricate type of design? Or are the authorities waiting until the whole structure falls to pieces?

Noise

Last Tuesday, church bells in a particular parish were already ringing before 6 a.m. Fireworks were still going off until shortly before 9 p.m. One would have thought that the inauguration of the American President was being celebrated. Noise pollution is irritating to everyone, especially the elderly, the infirm and those who have young children who will not settle down when there is continuous noise.

Flagging

How often are national flags flying outside government departments or other buildings lowered to be washed? That this is the rainy season, and that sometimes the rain is tainted with dust or soil, are not good excuses. A tatty, dirty flag is an insult to the nation.

Greenery

The Magħtab dump looks as bad as it ever did - like the sick relative of a table mountain. Could we not give nature a helping hand by manually beginning its greening? Until vegetation takes over the area, we could follow the example of countries that planted marram grass on sand dunes to stop the sand shifting.

Slowly

How often are the internet messages on the Go Mobile website customer care page attended to? A client informed the company of a complaint she had about her cellular telephone and after a week still had not received a reply. Obviously, she was unable to call in with her complaint.

Captivating

A Melita client called the company to lodge a report about a faulty landline. The system informed her that she would be served within one minute - yet four minutes later she had still to speak to a company representative. Moreover, the hiatus was filled with noisy, repetitive advertising; talk about captive audiences!

Lighting

A faulty street light that has been reported in the new extension of Sacred Heart Avenue, St Julians hasn't been replaced yet. It has already been reported a number of times to the relevant authorities but to no avail. Is it such a big deal to have a street bulb changed?

Transport

All parents who have children of school age who travel to and from school by vans or mini-buses must be wondering whether all the mini-buses used for school transport purposes conform to EU regulations. Do they still carry too many children? Do they have seat belts? Are they adequately supervised?

Hogging

A motor mechanic workshop in Birkirkara Road, St Julians has changed its line of business from repairing vehicles to that of a factory manufacturing garage doors. Industrial equipment is used to the detriment of the neighbours who wonder whether such a situation is acceptable in a residential area.

Missing

A recent issue of Mondadori's Guida TV indicated on its cover that the magazine Starbene was being offered free. Locally this was not made available by the distributors. The same thing has happened with British newspapers that usually have a stand-alone magazine. It also goes without saying that samples that are attached to covers and made available on the continent are not imported "to save on freight costs".

Flights

In Ireland, much ado was made of the fact that the City of Derry's airport's first scheduled international flight was launched when Ryanair added Alicante in Spain to its direct flight timetable. This service is due to begin at the end of March. This is more than enough time for Air Malta to set its public relations wheels into motion and make sure that Malta gets a slice of the "more value and choice for everyone in the region" mindset.

Skipping

It is obvious that the notices indicating skips as being solely for domestic use are being ignored by certain shops and businesses. The temptation to offload anything from vegetable waste to unusable car parts proves too great for some and that is exactly why householders end up having to place their garbage bags at the foot of skips, rather than around them.

Defeating

Comments have been made about the enforcement action being taken by the government to stop unauthorised use of public land. Alas, such positive action is being marred by comments on which ministry/parliamentary secretariat should be commended and on the provenance of information leading to such action. What a sorry situation!

Blocked

The road close to the US Ambassador's residence in Attard continues to serve as a bottleneck to traffic during the rush hour and, yet, the Malta Transport Authority either could not care less or else is impotent to do anything about it. At least, it should prove it still exists and come up with some sort of a public explanation.

Worrying

Comments made by the judge presiding over the jury of a man convicted of the brutal murder of his former girlfriend is indeed worrying. Would a spokesman for the courts or for the Justice Minister have the courage to stand up and put the record straight, without any ifs or buts?