We love you. Thanks, Daphne. We had no clue about it.

It happened to my mum last year when a single policeman came on a Sunday on his bike! Next time we will send him back.

Truth has a negative value when you inhabit a box, Gingerman. But a box-cutter would be worthless to you.

In my opinion tickets are to be bought either from vending machines aboard the bus or in other public places or any other licenced outlet. Passengers would stamp their ticket on the bus. Of course an inspector should check at random if the tickets have been stamped.

With this system the buses could also have side doors for a faster entrance and exit.

Esagerati bhal dejjem. Bil-bibien jinghalqu u jinfethu il-hin kollu mhux il-kesha tohrog.

Biss jiddispjacini nghid li ghad fadal wisq injuranza fost hafna Maltin. Naghti ezempju: fatt maghruf li l-Bulky Refuse Service mhux talli hu servizz b’xejn imma jiffunzjona perfettament. Ghandni kif rajt fejn skip bicca ghamara. Ara ghalfejn dan il-bestja ma cempilx ghas-servizz?

That was not an overcharge. It was a carbon tax.

Mr chavsRus …. I don’t remember you asking the same question to Jason Micallef, when he decided not to attend court!

Etil, you did not read my comment in full. My last sentence in that comment answers your question about handsome Maltese men.

How come Maltese drivers had to be proficient in both national languages in order to be considered for a job with Arriva, while British drivers who speak no Maltese were brought in as strike-breakers (after all they ARE working in Malta)?

[Daphne – Please don’t provoke me into saying things that I should not. 1. There is no strike, therefore there cannot be strike-breakers. 2. In a crisis situation, the normal conditions do not apply. Given a choice between using temporary substitute drivers who know no Maltese, and leaving Malta without a bus service, it should be obvious to you that the first choice prevails. The British drivers are substitutes. They are not employed in Malta but in Britain, where they do not need to know Maltese and are paid more than drivers in Malta because it’s a different country and different conditions apply. Not to be an antipatika or anything, but I hope you understand these simple facts of employment law now.]

Be fair for once, Daphne, we are not talking about the ones wearing smelly shirts with towels round their necks and dirty black nails and shouting foul language to Maltese and foreigners (especially immigrants) alike. Even though they were paid a higher salary than the present workers.

I have used the Arriva buses regularly and the service is getting better every day, but one must remember that the Maltese hobby is just complaining for the sake of it or being armchair critics. The Maltese are known as Maltese gemgem.

The other day I just missed the Number 31 bus. When I got to the bus stop I found a man grumbling that he had been at the stop for a whole hour. I asked him why he didn’t catch the 31 bus that had just gone by and he told me that he missed it as he was crossing the road at the time.

Amazing – I just couldn’t comment. We didn’t wait more than 10 minutes for the next 31. About armchair critics, I have met people who have never used the bus services, past or present and manage to complain about Arriva.