On the Dot

• It is high time that banks raise the limit to the amount of money that may be drawn out of ATMs to €1,000. This would encourage people to use the machines to draw money from their accounts, over two or three days, rather than having to enter the bank and wait in a queue, thus making room for those who have more complicated transactions.

Sequence

• High Street, Ħamrun, and the streets leading off it, are notorious for the way parking and driving interfere with one another. One example is the sharp left-hand turn into Annunciation Street, where cars are regularly parked on the right-hand side nearly up to the corner. To make matters worse, a pothole has developed near the entry into the street.

Swimmingly

Anyone caught during a heavy rainfall in Msida Valley, on foot or even in a car, cannot be blamed for thinking that his/her end has come. However, it is clear to see, from the recent happenings in Marsascala, that the whole rainfall conservation and drainage system of several towns and villages needs to be overhauled.

Seclusion

• Is it possible that there is no place secure enough in Gozo where those who have to serve a sentence in a correctional facility can be held? It is obvious that visitors are being punished, in a way, for the misdeeds that their beloved ones would have done when a journey to see them takes thrice the amount it ought to because of the ferry trip involved.

Switches

• It used to be the case that street lights remained on during the mornings after a storm, when lightning possibly interfered with the switches. These days, however, lights are often observed to be still on in certain locations despite the fact that the weather would have been fine the previous day and night.

Service

• It is high time that HSBC thinks about getting serving-number machines for its branches. As it is, in certain branches clients have the annoying habit of sitting down in the armchairs dotted about the reception area and claiming their place at the head of the queue when they “know” that their turn has come, to the chagrin of those who would have been standing up for the previous 30 minutes.

Sauna

• Arriva bus drivers assume that whenever there is a drop in temperature, commuters would appreciate it if they switched on the heaters in the vehicle to compensate for this. They remain selectively unaware that the passengers will have to face the cold again when they get off.

Sensations

• It is indeed pathetic to note that Valletta and Floriana held different and competing celebrations to mark the end and the beginning of the years. Had they combined talent, resources and even localities, the special event would have been exceptional and also a sign that the traditional rivalry is somewhat on the wane.

Supplies

Some educators, be they teachers, learning assistants or students aspiring to become either, see nothing wrong in spending their own money in order to make learning a more pleasant experience for their charges. It makes sense to purchase craft and stationery items at bargain shops. Perhaps the managements of these chains will see it fit to give discounts if the clients can produce proof of their profession.

Selfishness

• There are notices in clear view requesting the switching off of mobile telephones in certain places, including churches, cinemas, restaurants and lecture halls. Despite this, many people assume they are above following these suggestions or, perhaps, that they are too important to obey them. This means that the attention and the pleasure of the rest of us are spoiled when conversations take place in the middle of an activity.

Simplification

• With all the publicity given to the “special” New Year’s Eve bus tickets being sold by Arriva, one would have thought that they would be available on demand by anyone boarding a bus. However, it turned out that they were only available from selected outlets and within a set time limit. Could not some kind of rubber stamp have been given to inspectors stationed at different termini to facilitate matters?

Senseless

• This point has been raised here before but it bears repeating. The Ħamrun/Sta Venera police and wardens covering that area should make it a point to patrol the main artery in Ħamrun during rush hours. Close to Sta Venera church, in particular, delivery trucks can often be seen double-parked opposite a self-service store. It is senseless setting up a task force if such things are allowed to slow down traffic, including buses, of course.

Storage

• Whatever happened to the regulation that gas distributors would have weighing scales, whether they are itinerant or stationed at a specific place? These are supposed to be used whether or not the client has doubts about whether the cylinder has been filled with the requisite quantity of gas, so as to preclude arguments. It is clear, judging by complaints by people who are convinced the cylinders are under-filled, that this is not being done.

Substance

• On December 27, it took a customer enquiring about a glitch in the service, 26 minutes to get through on Go’s freephone, from a landline, after which he rang off, as well as another six minutes waiting for an answer from a mobile phone. Special offers and donations during charity campaigns do nothing to assuage the frustration of customers who are paying for a service they do not get.

Stockpile

• During Christmastide and Eastertide, many charities hold jumble sales as fundraisers. It is evident that more funds could be collected if these are held, say, once a month throughout the year, provided volunteers are available. There is always someone clearing out a house, someone who has received unwanted gifts or someone who has good quality items to donate to a cause they believe in.