A recent letter (Shameful Ambush By The Wardens At Luxol) reminded me of a similar ambush, this time by the police.

I have been going to the flee market at Qormi every Saturday for a good number of years. It takes place on a parking area where hawkers can set up their stalls. The residents have therefore to find a slot somewhere else. Also, visitors come from other areas. The net result is that the parking area is decreased while the need of parking slots goes up.

Usually, patrons park on the main road in front of the nearby supermarket. These, in my humble opinion, do not cause any traffic problem as the road is wide enough, easily taking two lanes each way.

It is true that there is a continuous white line right under the kerb which, I now learn, means “no parking”. The police do pass up and down every Saturday but, as far as I know, no action was ever taken against the offenders. Given the circumstances, we were always tolerated.

I had believed the police turned a blind eye for just half a day every Saturday as I think they do for special events like funerals, feasts, meetings and other public events. But this was not to be. Recently, two policemen came over without giving any prior notice, such as temporary signs, and booked the whole line of vehicles, from end to end. For them it was a very good catch. For us it was a shameful ambush.

In her letter, Angela Scerri suggested that whoever gave the order to the wardens to make their fine “catch” at Luxol should be sacked. Readers may like to suggest what should be done to whoever gave these orders at the Qormi flea market.