On the dot

• The obelisk at the entrance to Blata l-Bajda is still missing some of its stone cover, towards the base, at one of the corners, weakening the structure. Now that the rainy season has officially begun, it would be pertinent to know whether there is any danger of it collapsing.

Policing

• There is a policeman stationed on duty every morning near the War Memorial, in Floriana, exactly where the buses exit Valletta to begin their trips. Is his brief to stand there and do everything but direct traffic? Seeing that the aim of his presence ought to be to direct buses and stop the flow of oncoming cars or vice versa, if he does not do that it’s just a waste of human resources.

Abandonment

• An Isuzu van with the hind wheels missing and the roof a fragile conglomeration of rust flakes has been abandoned in the parking lot to the right-hand side of the PBS buildings in Guardamangia for months now. The front wheels have collapsed under the strain. If the owners cannot be traced it ought to be removed by the authorities.

Repetition

• Another vehicle that has been abandoned is a maroon car that has been standing for some weeks now in Triq il-Palazz l-Aħmar, Sta Venera. One of its side windows is open and on the pavement there is a car battery, which may or may not have been removed from this vehicle.

Obstacles

• Many cars in Spinola Road, St Julians are parking illegally behind cars parked legally. Most of these cars belong to restaurant owners, their staff or patrons. Sometimes, it takes quite a while to track down the owner and this is especially annoying in an emergency. Some vehicle owners have the decency to leave a note at least but most do not. Wardens should pay a visit and reap the benefits of this discourteous practice.

Loving

• The idea behind the “Love” sculpture in Spinola Bay was to have the word reflected in the water. However, this effect has been nullified due to the selfishness of two boat owners who have berthed their seacraft exactly where the reflection falls. Should there not be a buoy barrier to stop the original idea being defeated?

Temperamental

• The heat must have addled the brains of the driver of the 4.30 p.m. bus from Żurrieq to Valletta on September 10. When a foreign man got on at Marsa and handed him a €5 note, the driver repeatedly yelled: “No change. Down!” The young passengers sat down anyway and the driver leapt out of his booth and continued the tirade. The passenger got up again and offered the driver the money again the latter snatched it from him and gave him handfuls of 1c and 2c coins as change when he undoubtedly had quite a few €1, €2 and 50c coins in his cash box.

Sufficiency

• It was a different story, however, on the Sliema bus number 64 on the same day, at about noon. An elderly British lady presented the driver with a €20 note and when the driver shook his head, a passenger handed him 50c, paying her fare. Immediately, a youth offered her his seat. At this point, one wonders whether age, locality and nationality have any bearing upon how foreigners are made welcome, or otherwise, on our buses and, consequently, our country.

Dirty

• A lot of fuss had been made about dog mess and it is now illegal for owners not to clean up after their pets. However, despite a lot of talk, nothing has been done about horse droppings, which are far more copious and smelly. Certain areas are notorious for the all-pervading smell, which is worse when the sun falls on the droppings. To make matters worse, this muck sticks to wheels of cars when the roads are narrow and the mounds cannot be avoided.

Pavements

• The paving going up the right hand side of St Christopher Street, Valletta, from Mediterranean Street up to St Ursula Street, is perfectly laid. However, people tend not to use it since the passageway left by parked cars is not wide enough. The right hand side, however, is still uneven and cellar gratings make the problem worse. Wide vehicles have been known to hit pedestrians with their side-mirrors. When will this situation be rectified?

Drugged

• It is to be noted that it has become illegal to possess Mephedrone, sold as “plant food” but actually a recreational drug commonly known as “meow meow”. This has happened after the publication of two legal notices and way after these columns had pointed out the danger associated with this substance, namely, side effects such as arrhythmia, hallucinations, panic attacks, nose bleeds and even death.

Nursing

• There seems to be a general feeling among the people that nurses following directives issued by their union will simply not neglect their life-saving duties in case of an emergency, directives or not. That is to their credit. The same cannot be said for the president of the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses. Most of the time he comes across as always on the warpath and unwilling to compromise. Union members should do something about it.

Sweeping

• Why make sweeping statements but then have cold feet? The European Commission reports that five internet sites with a Maltese connection selling online tickets for cultural and sporting events were deceiving clients and violating consumer protections laws. If Brussels is certain about that it should name such irresponsible businesses. That too is consumer protection!