• Rather as if the state of the pavements is not dangerous enough, festa organisers often render pavements even more dangerous. Two large holes in the pavement near Stella Maris church, Sliema, used for holding poles have not been filled in properly. One is covered in loose stones and the other with a cracked plastic cover. Which entity can be sued if someone is injured, tripping over these makeshift covers? The church? The festa enthusiasts? The local council?

Driven

• It is patently obvious that if Arriva ticket inspectors are given an induction course not all of them comprehend what is being said. One of them gave a passenger a lot of hassle, insisting she show him the receipt for her swipe-card top-up, which is something one tends to discard. The other inspector, however, realised that if the card were swiped again it would indicate that payment had in fact been effected.

Division

• There is huge damage in a section of Notabile Road, on the side behind the aqueduct, corner with Brighella Street, in Birkirkara. This street is used as a shortcut to other sections of the locality by many cars. It should be fixed as soon as possible.

Deviation

• A pothole that appears to be growing larger by the week is the one in Annunciation Street, Ħamrun, just around the corner from St Joseph High Road, a few metres down from the zebra crossing. It is especially important that this area is resurfaced soon, considering the one-way system in the area.

Demand

• Go Mobile executives have a huge sense of humour. To compensate for the lack of service encountered by customers, they are offering a free gift that involves sending 100 texts in one weekend. It would have been more feasible, and more customer-friendly, to offer them three free messages daily for a month.

Driving

• A new website is devoted to informing motorists where traffic snarl-ups obtain, such that they may take different routes. However, since not everyone has access to the internet, why is it that major bottlenecks are not reported on the media, not necessarily in the news bulletins, but even as flash items? This, in part, would alleviate the worries of those whose family members are late arriving home.

Downloads

• The number of times clients were not able to avail themselves of the eight free mygo messages due to glitches in the system does not seem to be taken into account. These are never replaced. Some mobile telephone system subscribers actually joined Go Mobile to obtain these, seeing that they prefer sending messages to making calls.

Dull

• It has been scientifically proven that the witticisms, humorous analyses and questions raised during late-night comedic radio and television shows actually impact the trends of how people view and talk about politics. One would say that in Malta, this study has no bearing at all because politics are inevitably discussed on the media in an excruciatingly boring style.

Downtime

• What is the use of laying down new paving in Valletta pedestrian zones, only to have town taxis and motorised bicycles passing through anyway? Moreover, shop owners are often seen splashing dirty water into drains or dumping it downhill along the streets if there is a slope. No wonder the stones are already stained.

Dressy

• The “no swimsuits” signs appearing here and there appear to apply to women only and not to men or children. Why else would youngsters in beach attire be seen accompanying adults in banks and other places without anyone batting an eyelid? Why would shirtless men be seen roaming the streets of Sliema and Valletta?

Directions

• Several students at tertiary levels of education and older take on part-time jobs to help themselves and their families financially. Some of them do not own cards or even motorbikes, so it would be a boon to them were public transport to be available, even on the hour, for longer periods.

Districts

• A lot of fuss is being made about the “possibility” – and not the “probability” – that Malta would have its first female European members of Parliament. The things women vote for, however, are more tangible: the possibility to have time-sharing jobs, flexitime and teleworking, whenever and whenever this is possible, and not just in selected workplaces. Some basic things are more important than grandiose others.

Dropping

• It would be interesting to find out how many hunters and trappers actually consume the birds and other animals that they catch. How many mount them as trophies and how many, as has been said, use their hobby as therapy.

Destiny

• There are several buildings serviced with lifts, where each household that avails itself of the service is asked to pay something towards the upkeep of the common areas. Some of these expenses include lift servicing, as authenticated by a signed form given by the person doing the testing. Yet, is not each lift supposed to have, inside the cabin, a sheet that indicates the month and the year when the test was done as well as when the next is due?