I Went To The University Of Malta’s Sports-Ground-Turned-Car-Park This Morning And Here’s What I Found
After following the situation with the University of Malta’s sports ground / car-park situation for a couple of days now, it made sense to finally head to the place. At 6:45am, dressed in sportswear, my headphones plugged in and no expectations, I walked to the university track.
I’ve got to admit, I was both pleasantly and disappointingly surprised by what I saw.
1. The world was actually alive
Just as any 6am-er would tell you, things are happening in the world at sunrise. The buildings had an orange tint and the sun shone strongly. And at this morning hour, all other car parks at the university were just starting to fill out.
2. The Sports Ground was already filling with cars
Car Parks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 were not even close to being filled up. Yet some cars took position and made it onto the football field. Never mind the empty space outside the football field (on the actual car park of the sports ground); these guys wanted to take centre stage.
Thankfully, that didn’t stop a couple of early risers from carrying on with their morning running plans.
3. There were parking cones and a parker
There’s a man in a little yellow vest doing the exact opposite of what the people in the same yellow vests are doing in Paris – he’s helping the system. He’s aiding the car-users by directing the cars onto the sports ground.
As we joggers circled him as we ran our laps, one word entered our minds each time: “fool”.
4. I wasn’t the only person running
Leg users! These guys had also made the realisation that morning that their feet work and they can be used to move them at different speeds.
Grouped up or jogging and walking alone, these people did what people do on a racetrack – they ran.
5. And some fellow joggers even cycled to the racetrack
After all, it is a protest against the use of cars. So these people cycled to university… and then ran.
And that got me thinking; if these people can cycle and then run 10km, I can surely cycle to my lecture without getting tired. Right?
6. Today wasn’t the only day the racetrack was used
Many seem to think the above given the fact that the Sports Ground seems to be in such a deplorable state, but this simply isn’t the case.
There are families that go there to kick a ball with their kids on sunny days, athletes who use the track to train after or before lectures and the University sports club (MUSC) President who had started a project to build sports teams to be in place for when the regeneration of the sports complex was completed.
And now, these activities are being stopped to make space for cars.
7. There’s an empty, unused carpark literally 30 seconds away from the sports ground
Just before the tunnel from the sports ground and to your left, you’ll find a little ramp that leads up to a large, empty space. It kind of looks like a car park.
But here, you’ll find no parkers, no parking cones and no signs saying that there’s a car park. What you will find is the odd car that’s managed to spot it.
So, University of Malta, there’s your answer to the parking crisis: an actual space for parking that can be used as a car park while the construction (and the running) goes on.