 | Barcelona People to Avoid Reviews | 1 - 10 of 52 |  |
"I've been robbed - can you help me?"
The poor woman speaks your language perfectly, and has had her bag stolen. Can you lend a few Euros to help her get home/make some calls/get back to her hotel?
(In fact she's been listening to you seated at a restaurant or bar, knows you are visitors, and knows you're probably a soft touch...)
Advise her to go the police, and explain there are, sadly, many people out to take your money unfairly around here. Leave a Comment
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Visiting Barcelona?
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Barcelona is a safe European city in terms of serious crime. However, muggings of tourists involving little or no physical contact are a problem. Las Ramblas is among the most robbed travel area in the world unfortunately. Tourists are usually sitting ducks. They carry plenty of cash & seldom stay around long enough to testify against their attackers. Some police officers claim that about 80 per cent of the attackers are North African immigrants. In the Ravel area alone, west of La Ramblas where some good restaurants are indicated in various tourist guides, the police process about 30 muggings per day.
Here are a few safety tips.
Never let go of your shoulder bag. When walking, it goes across your body, resting in front of you, or under your armpit, but not over your shoulder. When sitting, take it off by all means, but put your arm or leg through the strap. The same goes for your camera.
When sleeping in a bus, train or vulnerable room, lock your bags up, and then lock them to something immovable. Bag snatchers are not uncommon in Italy, Spain, Portugal, France and Greece, in addition to more obvious places like Turkey, Peru, Brazil, Jamaica.
It is safer to avoid any unnecessary contact with strangers in the Barcelona tourist zones if you wish to avoid the risk of losing your money and possessions.
Leave all except essential spending money in your hotel room or cruise ship safe.
Carry a photocopy of your passport, not the real thing. The hotel will stamp the back of the photocopy.
Do not use pavement cash dispensers. It is usually too easy to determine your personal ID number and snatch your card before you can get it put away.
Do not buy flowers from wandering street sellers; be particularly wary if they try to insert a flower into your lapel. Walk away immediately.
If people come up to you pointing to a stain on your clothing, ignore them and walk away.
Do not participate in the card and dice games which you will see on the streets.
Do not walk down deserted or badly lit streets after dark. Leave a Comment
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This is the side we don't often see or sometimes ignore about places we go, and the one that is not advertise.
My eyes could not believe what I was watching when I came across this wall in La Sagrada Familia. What in earth explains the behaivour of human to allow this to happen?
Is this the foot print we want to leave behind? One that damages a public monument?
Leave a Comment
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Barcelona was the only place that I personally was bothered by pickpockets (that I was aware of) one of the places that is notorious for this is in and around Placa Reial, and this is where I had the encounter. A (new found) friend and I were stumbling back to the hostel, and two guys, who acted abnormally friendly, approached us. They tried to talk to us, and then started pinching the back of my arm - No doubt – as a diversionary tactic, so we couldn’t feel them searching out pockets. They were very persistent; we didn’t stop walking, and wouldn’t leave us alone. I never felt threatened, as far as bodily harm, I’ve been in many worse situations in the States, but it was very annoying. At first, I really didn’t care too much because I knew I had nothing in my pockets for them. I finally had to step up to one of them, and let him know, I knew exactly on what they were doing, and if they wanted to persist, I was going to get very angry. (ok - I used other words and added a little threat in there, but you get the picture)
After that, they stopped immediately, and ran off. Neither of us lost anything… and remember that most of these people are looking for the easy targets. At 3:30 am and no one else around, I guess I looked liked one. LOL. Leave a Comment
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if you carry a purse, hold it close to your chest, tightly..but I would suggest wearing a money belt, and keeping some change in your pocket, no more than 20 euro. Two women approached me and pinned a flower to my shirt-then wanted money from me. They said it didn't matter what kind of currency is was, or what country it was from..after we refused to give them any money, they pulled the flower away, and my friend noticed that she had five euro missing..while we were arguing, they must taken it... Leave a Comment
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Visiting Barcelona?
Read reviews about Barcelona Hotels
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In general Barcelona is not dangerous, what I mean is robbery with violence is unusual.
On the other hand, and specially if you are a tourist, pickpockets are waiting for you. Just keep your eyes open (don' t be obsessed) and don´t give facilities to them.
Worst places: public places as stations, the metro, touristic spots, during street performance...
Dont´put valuables in your backpack pockets, don´t leave your bag under the table in bars around the center, keep your bag closed, don´t show money in public...
There are guys in the metros and trains (specially in the airport line) with some dress, jacket or even a newspaper hanging on their arms... be aware...
Again: don't be panic just use your common sense, all big cities around the world have the same problem.
Fortunately firearms are not free here and it means Barcelona is more secure than other cities in another countries... Leave a Comment Phone: 091 National Police.Other Contact: Emergencies Tel.: 112
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Swindle and steal is the everyday's job for this people! Their name is 'trileros'. One of their prefer places is in 'Las Ramblas' or 'Plaza Catalunya' where they are trying all the day make a deceit to pedestrians: specially tourists!!! What's the way to do it? Really easy! They are groups and they do a 'timba' that is a table make with cardboard, and hide a ball inside 3 boxes. Obviously, each person in the group has their function: vigilance, 'hook'...the main objective is tempt people to do a bet! Leave a Comment
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Las Ramblas is a popular tourist destination. Likewise, people in search of easy money through less than scrupulous means also hang out here to look out for the unsuspecting tourist. It is easy for them to spot the tourist from the local especially if you are not Caucasian.
Avoid the dark skinned Africans. They are probably illegal immigrants from north Africa and need money to sustain themselves. They work in pairs and are very nimble-fingered.
You must also avoid gypsies. These gypsy women are easily recognised by their headscarves and shabby dressing. They usually have one or two children in trawl. Their usual ruse is to distract your attention by showing you some embroidery and while your attention is diverted, the child dips into your pocket!
I normally put my cash and credit cards in a concealed money belt and put small change of around 20 - 30 euros in my jeans pocket. Leave a Comment
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Please, be careful in Las Ramblas, The Gothic Quartier, El Raval and in Sants Station, those are the places where pickpokers prefere to 'meet' tourists! Also in las Ramblas there are 'trilleros' those people try to take one's money by guessing... where is that little ball? There are 7 or 8 guys doing as if they were playing, but they are actually trying to tease you. DO NOT PLAY!! You will ALWAYS loose! Leave a Comment Phone: Police: 091
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At night, it can be dangerous to be alone (especially if you're a girl). Stick with your group and don't wander off. Barcelona is a big city, so it would probably be easy to get lost if you don't know the city well.
While eating our pizza at supper, a guy who was obviously drunk came to our table and tried to chat with one of the other girls in the group. He left after, but it was good that we had stayed as a group of 4 and that none of us wandered off, because being alone makes you more a target for things like this. Leave a Comment
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