What is it that makes the country's Administration take ever so long to put right situations that are glaringly seen by others as getting out of hand? One such case is the situation, at night, at St George's Bay, where hundreds of language school students gather to enjoy themselves in a way that seems to have exceeded acceptable limits.
The language school business is a most welcome part of the summer tourist trade and, surely, no one would want to do any harm to its growth and future prosperity but, clearly, this does not mean that students should be allowed to turn one of the island's prettiest bays and its surrounding area into what has been described by people in the tourist industry as a slum.
A first-time visitor to the bay at night may get the impression that it is a harmless one-time beach party but it is far more than that, as Ian De Cesare and other correspondents have said in letters to the editor in this newspaper. Mr De Cesare, who until recently sat on a government tourism consultative group set up by the Prime Minister, is well versed on the industry and his views ought therefore to be given careful consideration by the government. Indeed, they should be acted upon without undue delay.
What, exactly, is happening at St George's Bay at night? Mr De Cesare puts it this way: "Youngsters drinking alcohol, singing loudly and some having sex in public view continues to be the order of the day. Hours of drinking on the beach results in many urinating in our roads, just next to our five-star hotels..." Another correspondent, Andrew Farrugia, wrote: "The stench, while walking along the pavement from one side of the beach to the other, is unbearable. The as-phalt covering the road shines with urine".
The crowds keep growing and the students end up drinking in the street. At 4 a.m., the students, obviously very tired, make their way to their residences, leaving behind a trail of litter.
Is not all this utterly disgusting? Should it not have been stopped when it appeared that the situation was getting out of hand? Mr De Cesare said the group on which he sat had recommended that the beach be closed at night to prevent further abuse. However, it looks as if the authorities were not quite favourable to taking such a step as it might have given the impression that Malta is a police state. Well, one understands the authorities' concern in this regard but surely if the security guards there are unable to control the situation some other action would have to be taken in order not to allow the situation to get out of hand.
As Mr De Cesare said, "the alternative to closing the beach is to allow the area to be used by a number of belligerent, under-age mostly inebriated children allowed to run riot, fouling our street with urine and generally making St George's look like a slum".
Once the authorities were foolish enough not to foresee the sheer degeneration of the place, when all the indications were clearly pointing to it a long time ago, the least that can be done now is for them to step in and stop the rot.
And should not the school operators exercise greater control on their students? Would this be entirely beyond the call of their mission? If yes, it does not sound right.