• Refuse collectors in some localities should be more careful not to leave rubbish on the ground during their rounds. Photo shows refuse that remained on the ground after the bags were collected from Wegħdiet Street, in the Laqxija area of Birkirkara. This included meat infested with big flies.
Gallop
• Another accident has happened involving a horse and a vehicle. This time, the animal crashed into a car, seriously injuring the driver. This does not come as good news to all those who have to put up with horses being exercised along residential streets as early as 5.30 a.m.
Guns
• The hunting season may have closed some time ago but gunshots can still be heard in the Marsascala area and, occasionally, at Tal-Virtù too. Is it a part of the duty of policemen and wardens on the beat to check for these things?
Garbage
• One wonders whether there are actually any “polluter pays” laws in Malta. Early in the morning, beach cleaners can be seen picking up garbage that selfish people would have left behind. This may be dangerous, especially in the case of barbecue coals still smouldering under the sand, broken bottles and used syringes and prophylactics.
Gargles
• It is a pity that there are people who put money above and beyond anything else. In several countries there is a “dram law” that prohibits bar, tavern or restaurant owners from allowing people who appear drunk to be served with more alcohol. Whereas it is true that some persons purchase alcohol from supermarkets or carry it with them in hip flasks, the fact remains that one may often see people stumbling out of shops the worse for wear.
Grouches
• A new policy forbids the engines of Arriva buses to be kept running idly for more than four minutes. Like computer screens, they will be programmed to shut down after that interval. One hopes that, meanwhile, any passengers on the buses will not be blocked in a vehicle with the door shut in case an emergency should arise before the driver returns for his shift. An open door would allow the air to circulate, however slowly.
Games
• With the proliferation of different methods of smoking, it is obvious that there are different types and flavours of tobaccos available on the market. How many secondary and tertiary school teachers are aware of this? Most appear to be under the impression that tobacco can only be smoked and associate certain smells only with chewing gum and other sweetmeats.
Grounded
• Jaywalking is often the cause of accidents. Doing this while texting is even worse. Given that certain drivers also use driving time to catch up on their telephone calls, one wonders whether mobile telephones ought to be prohibited on the road. In the New Jersey town of Fort Lee, there is an $85 fine for anyone caught walking and texting simultaneously.
Grizzly
• A seafront shop close to the Msida parish church engages a person throughout the year to dress up as a character from a range of greeting cards and other merchandising items to dance on the pavement. This, especially at periods like Christmastide and Eastertide and Valentine’s Day, is supposed to attract potential customers. Unless the person has regular breaks, this is surely a case of health and safety gone out of the window.
Grumbles
• Every year, parents complain that school Sports Days happen towards the end of the scholastic year, when the heat would already have set in. Children are advised to take baseball caps or hats and cold water but, nonetheless, many of them end up sunburnt and dehydrated. One hopes things will change.
Guesses
• We are informed that of the 118 low-floor buses that Arriva has purchased from the outgoing fleet some are being used for training. One wonders what, exactly, this means. Is it training in new routes that replaced the old ones and left some areas bereft of a regular service? Is it training in customer care? Is it training in how to keep a vehicle clear of interior and exterior decorations?