The other day, I attended the interesting and stimulating ‘Icon Island’, part of the Valletta 2018 music programme. This should have been an enjoyable experience, which was seriously marred by the utter rudeness of certain audience members.

To my right, three people insisted on talking and laughing throughout (we were not watching comedy). A further group immediately behind me felt entitled to do the same.

I politely shushed them on several occasions to no avail. Eventually, I had to loudly ask them to go outside if they wanted to chat. Those closest to me refrained from further discourse but not the rest. Worse still, they took to their phones resulting in glare all around me when we were trying to concentrate on an intricate web of imagery set to live music.

Why do people who have no interest in what they have paid to see feel they have the right to disrupt the experience of those around them?

It is not the first time I have come across this type of behaviour in Malta. These were not children but adults showing no respect at all. Why do they come to such events if they just want to chat? What gives them the right to comment every couple of minutes and, worse, share social media titbits causing much merriment (and disruption to those around)? Where are their basic social manners? Would they behave like this in a church?

What is it about the Maltese that makes them so self-centred? Are they not taught common decency in school and at home?