We tend to make all sorts of little mistakes at one point. Leaving my car with the hazard lights on at the airport drop-off/pick-up zone for approximately five minutes outside a very quiet terminal at 11.15pm on October 27, 2015 cost me €23.

At the tribunal they insisted and clinically stated that I had broken the law. They hardly wanted to listen to my side of the story. I was picking up a friend who had two knee replacements and left the car with the hazard lights on for five minutes to help her with her luggage. They never allowed me to give them the documents, which I had taken with me to prove my case. All they were concerned about and insisted on was that I had violated the law and that was it. I had to pay my full fine.

I was made to feel like a criminal in a country where, as we are all very aware, rules are broken all the time. The authorities have been discussing the possibility of wardens being given the role of educators rather than simply handing out fines. Could I not have been given a warning?

At the tribunal, could not the fact that my ‘offence’ was a very minor one have been taken into consideration? I did not disturb anyone or the public peace. Nor did I cause any disruptions or problems. The place was deserted at that time.

What about the big fish who break important laws? Perhaps in Malta it’s easier to pick on the small fish.