Graziella5b

Spain is my favorite destination in Europe. Having said this travelers should be alert in my opinion of the following
(based in real personal experiences and of people I know personally)

1)If you get an unexpected flat tire coming out of a city, like Madrid or Barcelona. Do not let anyone help you. Do not open your car's trunk. Probably it is a set up to steal everything in there. So keep your car shut and call the AAA or somehelp.

2) If you are in a Ruta Nacional, it happened to us coming out of Leon, the Guardia Civil is often checking with radars behind hills or curves. Speed Tickets are not cheap. They will collect on the spot. IT is easy to speed because speed limits change all the time.

3) If you are sitting someplece like at the airport or someplace with a bag do not talk to strangers they might divert your attention and .... he bag will be gone intwo seconds. They work in pairs.

4) If you are having a coffee in a cafe specially in areas favored by tourits be aware of people that will come with an excuse close to your table. May be to polish your shoes, or sell something but in reality they are like scouts checking if you have a camera nearby or the location of your wallet and then they will pass the information to someone else. Soon your camera or wallet will be gone.

5) do not pick up anything from the floor.

6) Do not accept flowers or anythng from gypsies in places like Granada, it is only for problems. They will give you the flower and then they will demand money and if you refuse they will curse you and your family and it is not pleasant. Just ignore them.

7) Follow the universal rule: do not leave anything ever in your car.

8) Be alert and keep walking if any body stops you on the street for whatever reason. Like a sudden stain in your coat or anything....what ever keep waling fast.

9) Be alert. Very alert and keep space around you.
\
10) Do not leave your bag or packages on chairs or hanging from chairs in cafes.

These experiences have been gathered through many ,many years of traveling to Spain. I do not wish to panic anyone and most likely they are valid all over Europe.
Spain is a wonderful destination and I feel secure in Spain.

For instance during our last t rip to Spain (Feb 2006) not even one of these instances occured.

Have a good trip.-

lincasanova

really well said.
beware and enjoy.

Graziella5b

Hi lincasanova, Thank you for your comments. Funny because after posting my remarks I was reading some very useful remarks by you in another post specially since you live there. I feel your are fortunate to live in such a wonderful country. Best regards....

blackduff

Graziella
Very well noted. I would like a few more points but what you wrote is a good start.

~For men, put a rubber band around their billfold. It feels is someone is trying to take this out of the pocket.

~Do Not, again Do Not start any conversation with a stranger. Maybe he says he's a fan of Americans and maybe his brother works in Pittsburgh, he's really trying to scam you.

~Do not try to buy Silver Dollars from vendors on the street. These Dollars are fake.

~Don't get into a line with other people. Many times the person behind you will pick your pocket and then he'll pass this direct to another person leaving the place. If you notice your billfold is gone, the person behind you doesn't have it anymore. These guys are fast and capable.

~Do not park your car somewhere and then your open your trunk to put things inside. Even opening the trunk tells a thief that it's worth stealing. If you have to put something into the trunk or maybe taking something from the trunk, park the car elsewhere.

~If you have a bag on the ground, while you're talking with somebody else, put your foot against the bag. If it starts to move, you'll feel this and maybe you can keep it from getting stolen.

Like you noted, you've spent a long time in Spain. I lived there for quite some time and I had a bunch of visitors from my company. Those items you mentioned have been happened often with the employees. One group (two guys)left their attaché bags in the car and it was taken after the window was broke. This was in Zaragoza. This same group left towards to Benidorm and had their car broken in the trunk and lost the balance of their luggage. They feel that they've been violated.

In most cases, these are thoughts which could be prevented.

And remember, someone on the street will sell a pure gold ring for five euros.

Blackduff

ekscrunchy

Thanks for the alerts! Many years ago I had my shoulder bag slashed at the Rastro market. I turned to see two little kids running away but could not get to them fast enough. Luckily all my cash and cards was in my pockets. Scary.

nessundorma

Another scam I experienced in Madrid was to have a young student-looking guy approach me near the Prado with a map, asking for my help in finding the Prado. While I was trying to help him, a much older man suddenly appeared and announced himself to be the police and briefly flashed a phony looking badge. He demanded to see our passports.

I began to say mine was at the hotel (true) then realized it was a scam to get me to open my bag. I simply hurried away toward a crowd of people.

nytraveler

Graziela5b -

You list is a good one - but I'm wondering why you apply it to Spain.

Except for the flower handing trick (and the flower giver can curse me all she wants - she's nothing compared to what you can hear on the Broadway local) the same rules apply to any city/country in the world.

What I find most astonishing is the women who hang their purses from the back of a restaurant/cafe chair and expect them to still be there when they're ready to leave. You may as well just lay the purse down in the middle of the street and walk away.

wco81

They carry knives and cut your bag while you were wearing it?

Why not just mug you with the knife?

Graziella5b

Hi, I think I said they could happen in any other country of Europe, but I might as well have said of Latin America, US, and maybe anywhere on the planet.

The reason it all started circumscribing the whole thing to Spain is because my personal nasty experiences happened in Spain, like the flat tire scheme going out from Madrid versus Burgos, our friends had a carry on bag stolen while sitting in a park in Madrid making time between their check out time and a late flight and while chatting with an inocent looking old guy and so forth.....but I agree no single place is exempt. Very sad no doubt....

ekscrunchy

No knife mugging in Spain for me but I was mugged by a guy with a knife in Palermo..at the reception desk of my hotel of all places! So of course it can happen anywhere but it is good to have this posted as a reminder.

Chele60

I realize this is meant with good intentions, however, I remember reading these types of warnings before I had been to Spain and all they did was scare me silly. (and unnecessarily, I might add) Common sense is really all that is needed when one is travelling - anywhere, any city, any country.

Actually, we did leave items in our car, numerous times. Including all of our luggage. And no, we didn't do such foolish things as placing Spanish newspapers on the seats to give the allusion we were "natives". Some one watching us would know immediately we were tourists. Besides, we were in tourist areas! Our car was never touched or broken into. Our view? Nothing in the luggage was really of value. If it was taken, no big deal. Better some thief has the luggage than our money/credit cards or our lives. Same attitude I have here at home, BTW.

Not sure of the "don't stand in line" theory. Sometimes you don't have a choice. We had to stand in line to visit the Palace in Madrid, and for quite a long time. We also had to be in quite a bit of a crowd at the Palace while watching the changing of the guard. I guess both would have been prime times for pickpockets. I guess we could have just avoided the Palace, huh? Or just do as we did and kept track of stuff, not taking much of anything valuable with us, and - shock! - simply enjoy ourselves.

My advice? Keep your common sense. If something/some one seems odd, listen to your inner voice. Don't panic. Don't overthink this. If I followed every single piece of advice given in regards to security, I would never have left the US!

Neil_Oz

"If I followed every single piece of advice given in regards to security, I would never have left the US!"

- And if I'd followed every single safety warning I was given I'd never have GONE to the US!

cmcfong

Good one, Neil.

lincasanova

i don't see how following advice about how to take precautions can do anything but help a person be safer on his/her travels.

it is very helpful to be REMINDED of local scams, etc. Have you ever heard of them pulling the "flat tire" thing in charlotte N.C?

How about putting a map in your face in Milwaukee and then an accomplish robs you? You hear about that a lot?

let's move on to bigger cities.. Chicago..
how often do they play the "hey lady.. you have pigeon doo on your sweater.. let me help you clean it "...

or the mustard trick..

I visit these places and NEVER have I been warned of these type of things happening. and i can tell you now, i certainly would appreciate being warned of them, and any other worrisome possible agression, before i went out to spend my time and money on vacation.

if these warnings scare you silly, instead of being goodwill gestures to be taken as a free self-defense lesson, then maybe the reader is reading too much emotion into it.

just pretend you have a friend out here who is looking out for your best interest. no more .. no less.

you can choose not to pay attention to these warnings, but if they help one person and his family be more aware of those around him.. none of it has been said in vain.

just out of curiosity.. what safety warnings suggested you not go to, nor leave the U.S? Concerned friends.. perhaps.. but i doubt the local police, hotel receptionists, newspaper articles, the news.. etc. suggested such.

in the cases referred to here.. the local police and the aforementioned will tell you even MORE than we are.

Documentaries are being made about it all. (true)

congrats to all who have eventless travels!!!

here's hoping we have helped someone else get on that list!

hopscotch

Graziella5b and blackduff: Thanks for the reminders.

I've had handcream thrown on the back of my jacket in Madrid. Because I had heard about these tricks I saved my wallet. Those who say 'Bah!' will one day learn the truth.

nytraveler

lincasanova -

Perhaps you have no newspapers or tv stations whre you live.

The flat tire help scam has been around in the US for years. In fact was so rampant in Miami that car rental offices warned tourists when they took the car.

Also - the spilled stuff or pigeon poop on you clothes scam is as old as the hills - I remember my mother warning me about it when my parents took us to the City as little kids - in the early 60's.

It's almost as old as the scam convincing people to give up part of their own money as security until you split up the money you and the scammer have "found".

Can't believe anyone could not be aware of these unless they're been living in a cave somewhere.

hopscotch

nytraveler,
You are rather harsh on the trusting innocents who live not in major metro areas.

Neil_Oz

"...what safety warnings suggested you not go to, nor leave the U.S?"

Many foreigners have an image of the US as a violent society, that's all, and assume that they'll be at greater risk than at home. Graphic images retailed by US movies and TV grab people's attention, bolstered by news of high rates of violent crime, incarceration, the use of capital punishment, etc. Only part of the story, of course, but no more so than the distorted images many Americans have of foreign countries. Good news doesn't sell papers.

Even within the US we received several warnings from well-meaning people, such as "don't enter Boston Common after dark" and "don't walk anywhere north of such-and-such street in the French Quarter", which proved to be alarmist.

There's nothing wrong with alerting travellers to threats or scams they might encounter - better safe than sorry - as long as they're put into context. If you ever decide to visit Vietnam you'll be warned about bag-snatchers on motorbikes in Ho Chi Minh City. Should you take notice? Of course. Should you let worry ruin your trip? No way, because you'll quickly the reality is that crossing the street is a far greater danger to life and limb.

laclaire

The easiest and best advice I give to anyone going to Spain (particularly Barcelona. . . anywhere that has a metro):

Do not use the escalators.

I always walk up the stairs and I tell you, thieves don't operate on stairs. They trap those standing on the escalator. There are fewer people on the stairs and you can almost always run ahead if you feel like someone is trying to do something to you.

chimchim

I was in Barcelona last year and felt fairly safe, the problem was coming back home to East Los Angeles, now I didnt feel comfortable.

1) Flat tires are not a pleasant thing, dont let anybody help you. instead run.

2)If your Driving down Soto St. Becareful cops everywhere Looking for extra donut money.

3) If sitting anywhere with a bag dont talk to strangers, again run.

4)If standing in a taco stand ,dont let anybody near you always guard that taco.

5)picking stuff off the floor, thats ok , might be a five dollar bill. take your chance.

6) if offered anything do accept you dont want to offend anybody, might be bad for your health.

7)dont leave any thing in your car, your car might not be there when you get back.

8) be very alert and keep walking. If you get stopped for any reason, run like really really fast.

9)Be alert, read the writing on the walls

10) in taco stand dont leave bags on chairs , bad manners.

Well these are my experiences in East LA. I dont want to panic anyboby and nothing will probably happen to you over here, just be aware, as a matter of fact i feel secure in the daylight, nite a different story. Come visit soon.