Firm hand needed to rein in wayward language students (1)

The magistrate who recently presided over the arraignment of two French students/tourists felt he should ask them whether “they had enjoyed their night out”! The coy response of the two accused only contributed to the courtroom charade.

I refer to Young Revellers Damage Car (August 13). There are no prizes for guessing what the “first part” of their night’s entertainment consisted of.

As for the second part, their inebriated state must surely have qualified them for a cameo role in the yet-to-be released movie Hangover 3.

The article in question made no mention of how compensation for the damage they caused was to be effected. What about the court costs? If it were left up to the owner’s insurance company to cover the damage (less deductible, of course), then would this not end up being detrimental to the owner, as well as to the Maltese motoring public at large?

On a recent Sunday in Gozo, a trio of student tourists had to be asked to respect the place in which they were carrying on rather loudly, chattering and giggling while slouching in the church pews with their bare feet propped up on the pew seat in front of them.

On the ferry crossing back to Malta a group of them staked out their places on the upper deck by piling their knapsacks on top of every available table. They then all proceeded down to the cafeteria to purchase snacks. Having devoured same at their “reserved” tables, with legs propped up on tables, they then lit up in spite of posted signs stating that smoking was not permitted anywhere on the vessel. Also, shirtless individuals of the male variety were seen being served in the cafeteria, despite posted signs requiring appropriate attire at all times.

But then perhaps these rules are for Gozo Channel personnel to enforce.

Groups of these student tourists are usually attended by guides/chaperones (their t-shirts do say “staff”), however, these give their charges free rein, or spend much of their time flirting with one another or with the students themselves.

It never fails. Hardly a day passes that some exasperated, irate citizen does not resort to venting his/her frustration at the bad manners, outrageous behaviour, misery and outright disregard for law and order that this class of “seasonal tourist” unleashes on the Maltese public.

Is it not time for the courts to make an example of some of these miscreants? Deprive them of a couple of days of freedom; impose a curfew if necessary, or require the surrender of travel documents, only to be returned upon serving out their punishment, such as doing community work.

The lessons learnt as a result should have an effect on the perpetrators themselves but also on others of their ilk. Merely slapping them on the wrist and telling them “to not do it again” has obviously not worked.

Or are the concerned citizens of the likes of Sliema, St Julians and Swieqi being pushed into forming their own neighbourhood vigilante committees?