Am I the only one who wonders how some people qualify for their overpaid posts in government bodies with little or no qualifications relating to the positions they hold ? Would you expect a welder to write the road traffic laws ?  A  DJ to determine the policy for factories CO2 emissions? I think not. One would expect the people that write the rules to have a certain amount of knowledge or even some experience when they decide what should or should not be permissible regarding implementing a series of laws designed to safeguard the industry and raise the standard of service. In an ideal world, these officials would be totally independent of the commercial side of the industry to avoid any bias toward their own interests rather than the common good. And there’s the rub. Where do you find individuals who have the knowledge and experience of an industry without actually having a vested interest in it ? It’s not just banana republics and 3^rd world countries that suffer from this, it’s a global problem. In the UK, for example, politicians with shares in drugs companies are running the Ministry of Health. Fat Cat salaries are paid to ministers acting as non executive board directors of construction companies who just happen to be involved in granting planning permissions. Bankers have been regulating the banking industry for years, and didn’t they do well. Take the regulation of the diving industry. Owners of diving centres making the rules that determine who can or cannot operate might be construed as bias but what’s the alternative? As long as there is transparency in their work it shouldn’t be a problem – although severely limiting who can be on the board and holding meetings 500 miles away doesn’t necessarily fuel ones confidence.

We all know that cowboy operators are a danger not only to themselves and their guests but also to the reputation of a resort which relies on tourism for its very existence. Times have changed and Sharm is now a bucket and spade destination first with diving a poor second, or possibly third after snorkelling, and snorkelling definitely requires some form of policing. People can die 5 metres from home by tripping over the pavement, if you’re lucky enough to find one in Hadaba, but drifting off under some boats propeller whilst gripped in the throes of panic due to the suggestion of a current off Gordon whilst the snorkel guide can’t even swim stacks the odds somewhat.

However, relax. Once one understands that the rules are not written to safeguard the public good, or even uphold common sense, it sits easier. They’re written by the powerful to safeguard the powerful and, anyway, they’re rarely policed and implemented even less.