This column first appeared in Malta Today

My opening line is going to sound like one of those standard ‘why did the chicken cross the road?’ jokes.

Why did two Polish tourists film themselves driving in a reckless manner and then post it on social media “for a laugh”…?  Answer: Because they thought they could.

They were quickly caught through CCTV footage and arrested, charged with driving on the wrong side of the road, exceeding the speed limit, ignoring no-entry signs and making illegal U-turns as well as of uploading footage of reckless driving online. Everyone on the road that day can thank God they escaped being a victim of this dangerous prank. 

The brothers live in Germany, a nation which is notorious for its strict rules and regulations, and a population which obeys the law religiously. I highly doubt they would have tried these antics in the country where they are based.  Unfortunately, Malta by now probably has the opposite reputation throughout Europe – I imagine that the word of mouth advertisement is ‘go to Malta, where anything goes’.  

We see it every summer with drunk students causing havoc in residential areas, preventing people from getting any sleep. We see it in our streets, beaches and even shops where half-dressed tourists walk around, so nonchalant and unperturbed.  We see it in the way our monuments are treated, with people climbing and posing on them for their Instagram.  I’m not saying this anti-social behaviour during the tourist season only happens here, but as the powers that be keep pushing for an increased volume in tourism, the probability of more mayhem because of the type of visitors we are attracting is going to likewise increase.  

More pertinently, when a country does not enforce its own laws, either because the situation is out of control or because the attitude of “u iva, mhux xorta” is too entrenched in our psyche, this is the result.  How many times have we seen people using their mobiles while driving?  They all know it’s against the law; they all know there is a hefty fine and they can lose points on your licence, yet they persist.  It’s either the thrill of living dangerously in the belief that “I won’t get caught” or else it’s simply a deliberate flouting of the rules because rules are meant for other people, not me.

As we go about our daily lives, we often forget that the millions of tourists traipsing through Malta are also watching us and our behaviour. Visiting another country is like peeking through the glass of an aquarium to observe sea creatures with an unabashed curiosity – oh look, they double park simply to buy a couple of pastizzi.  Oh look,  children are not securely fastened with seat belts but are romping around in the back seat. Oh, how interesting, they are telling us to take out the right rubbish bag at our Air b ’n’ b, yet we notice that the locals are not following this rule.  I could go on and on with what seem like minor infringements on a daily basis, but the list is endless. 

We cannot expect others to respect our country if we do not respect it ourselves.  This not only holds true for tourists but also for foreign nationals who come here for work or study.  When you re-locate, you take your cues on the way a country operates from what is going on around you.  Ask any Maltese person who has emigrated and they will tell you the same thing – you quickly learn the do’s and don’ts through observation and by what you are told.  “This is the way things are done here, this is the law”, becomes a maxim which rings in your ears and you have to follow it because all around you, everyone is following it.  It is essential for social order and simple civility and without it, you get anarchy. We are teetering on the brink of that already. 

It is for this reason that I think that the recent legal notice that non-residents will be facing on-the-spot-fines for breaking the law while in Malta should be amended. Why just non-residents? Why don’t we start the ball rolling by clamping down on our fellow Maltese, many of whom regularly defy any attempt to do things correctly?  While this legal notice is a positive step, it is another example of pointing the finger towards ‘the foreigner’ or ‘the tourist’ as the source of all our problems, which is only fanning the flames of xenophobia.

Whether its noise pollution to littering to putting out the wrong bag, the Maltese are equally guilty of ignoring the relevant regulations.  If your neighbour regularly disturbs your peace with loud music or daily shouting matches, you would be very lucky to get any officer of the law to knock on their door with a warning. The police are simply too swamped and neighbourly disputes are often the last thing on their list.  So if LESA officers are going to be authorised to issue fines to tourists for causing a disturbance, why not extend it to such issues as noisy, disruptive neighbours too?  Why are we only picking on easy targets like tourists when lawless, unruly behaviour can be seen everywhere you look by the Maltese themselves?  

After all, when even the highest people in the land have behaved in a manner which signals that ‘laws are meant to be broken’, it is pretty rich to then be shocked when some visitors are not law-abiding.

Meanwhile, in what looks like a lame attempt to soothe the ire of voters whose resentment against non-Maltese nationals is at an all time high, Robert Abela hit upon the bright idea of openly stating that he had found a way to leave thousands of foreign workers out of the plan to give workers a €1,000 yearly “super bonus”.  Could he be any more shameless in pandering to those who are bigoted (who, right on cue, openly applauded him)?  

It’s funny how it’s always “the foreigners” who are to blame for our woes (they use our free public transport! They use our free health care! Their kids have free schooling!). Yet those who gloat about our booming economy under Labour and simultaneously gripe about over-population, cannot seem to put 2 + 2 together.  

Never mind about dangerous construction, here’s another cheque 

The proposals by the PL if re-elected are now probably running into the billions – the daily announcements have become so preposterous that it feels like this administration is on some kind of manic high.  

In between all these promises of more largesse, on Thursday night ten families living near a Naxxar construction site were told to evacuate after safety concerns were raised when the foundations of a multi-storey development suddenly gave way.

But don’t worry if a next-door building site causes structural damage to your property or, who knows, causes your roof to cave in as you’re watching the Eurovision.  Absolutely. No. Need.To. Panic. That’s what the developer told them anyway. And besides, the PM has promised us so many freebies and grants, making sure to tick the box of every single demographic, giving away money to buy larger cars, to invest in restaurants and of course the above-mentioned super bonus, we should just shut up and say thank you. 

So don’t you bother your pretty little head that the sacrifices you made to buy your own property may come to zilch because it all comes tumbling down.  

Why are you getting so worked up? Your cheque’s in the mail.