Bad Impressions Open the Door to Harmful Aftermats

Bad impressions are indeed harmful and not easy to correct.  In Maltese we say, " Tini l-fama u itfaghni l-bahar" which literally means, 'give me a good name and throw me into the sea'.  That is if I have a good name I could face and overcome any difficulty.
Conversely it means that if I have a bad name or if I leave a first bad impression, I am lost even if I am not that bad.  People tend to inflate the bad side of things and could for example, turn a slight quarrel into a full scale revolt.

The lack of adherence to regulations and the outright breaking of the law with little or no visible action against the offenders is leaving the impression that in Malta and Gozo our laws are lax, nobody cares that much about things and that one can get away with almost anything.
Could this be one reason why Malta was recently classed as the number 4 country in the world (or in Europe?) where drug addiction is rampant.  Why has Mgr. Victor Grech of Caritas sadly declared recently on TV that the battle against Drug use in Malta is lost?  Could it be that drug dealers and traffickers are well-informed and have reached the decision that they can ply their trade fairly 'safely' over here.  The Airport, the Freeport and the Cruise Liner Terminal may be well-guarded against these deadly parasites but what about the other inlets, creeks and bays dotted around our islands' coastline.  Are they also constantly being watched day and night by members of the police or of the Armed Forces because in winter the more remote beaches in Gozo like Wied l-Ghasri, ix-Xatt l-Ahmar and Dwejra are completely deserted and would serve as the ideal playground for such underhand activities.

If we assume that this is being done and that the sea around Malta and Gozo is also being patrolled then how is it that drugs are so easy to find on the market here?  Recently, I heard mention on TV that the tobacco market is worth billions not just millions and I suppose that the drug market is worth even more.  So it is not surprising considering that so much money is involved, but who...how....when....?

On their part, with no serious all-round surveillance the local young lads and girls who are ready to experiment find it easy to buy some pills and wash them down with a couple of beer cans. Many foreign young students come to Malta with the excuse of learning English but they learn other things as well in the meantime.   Their parents unknowingly pay for their study-holiday but it is not unusual to see 15-year old (and younger) girls and boys with cigarettes hanging from their lips screaming and shouting, half-drunk and still brandishing beer bottles in the small hours of the morning.  The language schools are doing very well, in fact we heard today (Sunday, 4th Nov. 2012)  that the Language Schools in Malta are top of the list.  The pubs and wine bars must be doing fairly well too.  It is the young ones who are being abused and shamelessly exploited.

These goings-on are no secret and can be seen openly occurring almost every night all over our islands.  All that is needed is more serious visible police action against all those who are throwing their civic responsibilities to the wind (see next post).

Complete Disregard of Regulations

One thing that foreigners and civil-minded locals cannot accept any more is the flagrant disregard of rules and regulations.  This is happening all around us all the time and such irresponsible behaviour from certain people creates problems and discomfort for others and sometimes leads to serious quarrels or worse. 

People who have spent most of their lives living abroad are generally more educated in this regard.  They are used to observing the law because they have learnt their lessons the hard way.  One gentleman from abroad  was telling me that many years ago when he was still a teenager he was fined 1000 Euro for parking in front of a health clinic for a few minutes.  In vain he protested and stated his case because he had to pay the fine which was equivalent to a month's pay at that time.  These people therefore usually take good care to stay within their limits and not to be a bother to others.  In the same way they expect their neighbours to act in the same way.

Well, why do some people here in Gozo and in Malta disregard the law and do some of the things listed below?  Is it lack of education,  a lack of serious law enforcement, a mixture of both?  Then there are those who hold the view that the character of the people of the Mediterranean is like that, lax and couldn't care less, but if it is indeed so it is high time that we have it corrected.

Although we have all kinds of laws and regulations, this is what some people do.  As a result they annoy other people, harm the environment and do serious damage to the reputation of our beautiful Island.  This situation really makes one's head reel.

With regards to Rubbish, some people ...............

take out their rubbish before the due time
place their rubbish in front of other people's premises
dump their unwanted things in a secluded spot at night

Pets
walk their dog and leave his pooh behind on the streets and pavements
feed several cats outside in the streets
keep pigeons on the roof of their houses

Cars
park on yellow lines especially at night
block or partly block roadways
have oil dripping from their sump
honk their horn at night
play excessively loud music as they drive along
have smoking silencers

Motor Cycles
drive excessively even in the vicinity of Police Stations
have very load silencers

Driving
ignore road signs
drive up a wrong way
enjoy road-hogging
drive along pedestrianized streets
do not use blinkers

Trucks and Heavy Vehicles
overload and therefore spilling and breaking the roads
load silencers
smoking exhaust pipes

With regards to Pubs and Restaurants some owners .........
occupy space which is not theirs
block the passage and doorways of the neighbours
allow swearing and excessive shouting on their premises
play very loud music after the allotted time 

So what?  What's the big deal, you may ask? What does it matter if some drivers do not use blinkers or a few restaurants play loud music far into the night? 

It does indeed matter and it is having serious implications since all this gives the impression that in Malta and Gozo everything goes and one can get away with anything.

Bendy Buses in Malta

Another Huge Reel.  

Last week we heard on the news that the Mayor of London, Mr. whatever his name is made fun of Malta on the subject of the bendy buses.  He boasted with his followers that he was wise enough to rid London of these buses and dump them on the streets of Malta.

I cannot comment on the nature or the conditions of the contract because I do not know anything about that.  All I can say is that it was very unethical on the part of the Mayor to make such a comment.  Perhaps the bendy buses are a little too big and unwieldy for the narrow streets of Malta but when a contract is drawn up between 2 parties neither of them goes about publicly boasting that he has succeeded in deceiving the other.  

This is unheard of and the Mayor must feel so high and mighty and conceited and he considers Malta and its people so insignificant that he can injure and humiliate them and make jokes at their expense at will as if nothing has happened.

Not only the locals but the British ex-pats who live here in Gozo were likewise very disappointed and annoyed at the Mayor whatever his name is's remarks.  These remarks were very embarrassing for them to say the least.