On the dot

Whatever happened to the road-signs co-cooperative? There are areas where there is a great shortage of road signs, such that one may end up going round in circles. This is especially so at night, when visibility is low and there is a dearth of street-lamps. Areas such as Kirkop, Gudja, Żurrieq and Żejtun are difficult to get to and out of, unless one knows the area thoroughly. Why is it that the practice of marking road surfaces has been discontinued?

Palmistry

Some people assume that "domestic garbage" includes anything and everything. Skips are loaded with broken down furniture, bathroom fittings, and even car replacement-parts. The latest fad is getting rid of palm tree fronds without bothering to enclose them in wrapping that would not allow any pests to fly off and transmit diseases to other plants. This is irresponsible and selfish.

Waterlogged

After summer recess, Parliament is all set to tackle the problem of illegal boreholes and their effect on the water table. By that time, of course, the aquifer would have been further abused by people who are now aware of the projected move, and who will probably try to stockpile water, thereby drawing more and more saline water into it.

Wheelers

It is apparently illegal to act as one's own "agent" in order to sell a car, by parking it somewhere conspicuous with a "For Sale" sign. This means that the new batch of signs read "full extras", "twin airbags", "low mileage" and so forth. Car dealers who park cars for sale along the roads of their businesses do not even need to resort to such tactics. Motorists and passers-by always assume, unless there is a telephone number on the notice, that the nearest car dealership is doing the selling. Further proof of this are notices with the establishment's name placed somewhere on the car.

Outages

For some reason, there appear to be more power and water cuts during the summer than during the winter time, with this summer probably breaking some kind of record when it comes to the sporadic cuts here and here. One ISP tired to make amends to the clients by offering a month of free downloads - however, business and households that have had wastage because of the cuts have been offered no compensation.

Dogged

Animal welfare is a funny thing. Dogs are removed from owners if they are found to be suffering from hunger and cruelty. Yet they are allowed to remain in residences that double up as breeding kennels, provided that they have adequate food, bedding and a controlled temperature. The moral combined stories is that if you intend keeping dogs as a means to an end, rather than as members of the family, it pays to nurture them, for you never know who might come calling, and when.

Neglect

The management of STMicroelectronics at Kirkop make sure that their establishment and its surroundings are kept in a pristine condition. Alas, the same cannot be said for the areas immediately to the left and to the right of the boundary lines of the buildings and grounds of this place. The whole area is in a shambolic state - and this actually appears worse than it is, when compared and contrasted to the aforementioned immaculately tended place.

Racket

How true it is that construction or carpentry work, or indeed any other work that produces noise, cannot commence before 7 a.m.? In summer, when many with the window open, people are often woken up as early as 6.30 a.m. by workers seeking to get some work done before the heat kicks in. This means that besides the aforementioned noise-generating occupations, there is the added inconvenience of supermarket-destined trucks being loaded, with all the accompanying noise of forklift trucks, powerful engines and loud conversation.

Rubbished

In order to save on garbage bags many people are using cardboard boxes for rubbish that is later thrown into skips. Unless these are taped shut, they tend to open and spill the contents into garbage trucks when the skips are up-ended by collector. The fact that trucks are not regularly hosed down means that there is a bed smell emanating from the vehicle, that may be sniffed from quite a way off as the trucks approach and leave, and for several minutes after the trucks have left the area.

Driven

Most youths want to learn how to drive a car, even though they may not be able to afford one for the moment. It is a pity to see that some driving school instructors are making a killing out of this, charging youths exorbitant prices for a series of lessons. It is a well-known fact that not everyone passes the examination the first time around - and this further exacerbates the financial burden for the youngsters.

Leftovers

Several people feed stray animals by placing food upon opened plastic bags. This is well and good, because it solves the problem of plates and bowls being taken away each time by unscrupulous people. However, it would be better if the feeders removed the plastic bags after the food has been eaten, because these tend to collect at street corners, or, worse, inside porches or driveways. When people are on vacation, this is a clear sign that a house is unoccupied.