On the dot

Having tamper-proof identity cards is all very well; it makes for peace of mind. Incorporating a tiny logo in a corner to indicate that the holder would be willing to donate organs would make it even more comprehensive.

Fanned

In the large waiting room at Block 4 of the Inland Revenue Department, in Floriana there are three fans which are sometimes nowhere near enough to dissipate the stifling heat and body odours of the public. Moreover, when clients try to open the only window, it snaps shut unless it is held open. Incidentally, the middle fan is not at all steady and it could be that the constant vibration from the wobble is making it unsafe.

Parking

Car owners are being fined for parking in Church Street, St Julians. What is the point? It's simply a waste of space not being utilised. Attempts were made in the past by residents and restaurant owners alike to reinstate parking in this street, near the St Julians playing field, but to no avail.

Talkies

Some radio so-called DJs/ presenters have a habit of speaking to listeners on air as if they were in their private sitting room. They speak about people and events only they know about, keeping all the other listeners in the dark and, probably, not interested in any case. Attracting listeners is one thing; but this is more like turning many away.

Barriers

The fixed barriers at a point in Qormi Street, Ħamrun (across the street from the pet shop) recently proved their worth when they saved a young woman from serious injuries and perhaps even death. A jeep that had been involved in a collision with a bus crashed against them. The woman happened to be walking on the pavement behind the barriers, which were flattened and, consequently, removed. It is a pity that so far they have not been replaced.

Watered

It is a well-known fact that the cafeteria at Malta International Airport is patronised by people who do not use the other services. The management of the Mater Dei Hospital cafeteria assume it is the same with their establishment. Why else would a small bottle of water or soft drink carry such exorbitant prices (€1.60 and €1.95)? The concession holder must realise that people go there for medical appointments or treatments, or to visit sick persons, not for a social outing to the bar.

Derelict

The street leading from St George's Bay to the upper part of the street (where the entrance to the Institute of Tourism Studies is located) is filthy. Food remains, empty plastic bottles, empty cans, tissue paper and all manner of rubbish have been collecting there for ages. The place has not been cleaned since early June. Ironically, this is only a few metres away from a blue-flagged beach. Thousands of people use this street daily. A day's work by one or two cleaners would suffice to remove the accumulation of rubbish and a weekly stint would then be enough.

Learners

At about 8 a.m., foreign students are to be seen waiting at kerbs for the mini-buses detailed to collect them to take them to their English-language classes. Is it that the buses turn up late or do the students leave their host family residences well before the agreed pick-up time? Sometimes, they are still waiting, half-asleep in the sun, past 8.30 a.m.

Rubbish!

The public is constantly reminded of the purpose of different rubbish collection bins, be they at bring-in sites or on the beach. It is therefore galling to see that certain refuse collectors open the lids of the bins and, whether they are wearing safety gloves or not, pick up the items from different bins, only to place them in a single large, black refuse bag. This is done often enough for people to ask themselves why they bother to differentiate between bins in the first place.

Safety

It would seem that too many people forgo basic health and safety rules because, to them, the possible consequences are too remote to even consider. Is there any law which states that all the people on seacraft must wear a floatation device, even if they know how to swim, just in case an accident happens? We have seen this happen, again and again.

Watering

It must be torture for horses passing by St George's Square, in Valletta, to scent the water in the fountains but not able to get to it. It is not the first time that karozzini drivers are seen wiping their foreheads with a towel and drinking from water bottles. Meanwhile, their horses foam at the mouth and have coats glistening with sweat because, as the cabbie will tell you, "giving them water while they are working could kill them".

Scientific

The good news is that all science laboratories in state secondary schools will be upgraded during the summer recess as part of a €1.5 million programme funded by the EU. The fact that kindergarten and primary school pupils would be getting basic science lessons is also commendable. One hopes that some money will be left from this project to see to it that trees in schoolyards are pruned and that the soil is cleared of rubbish that would have accumulated during the scholastic year. It would also be a good idea to provide some schools (and government departments) with new national flags.

Papered

The University insists that the decision to change revision-of-paper rules, which students deem unfair, were approved by the Senate last year, noting that students are represented on the Senate. Would the University kindly say who were the students' representatives attending the said meeting? Then, such representatives could explain.