Warrenlm

Take it easy on a topic like this. I just happened to see it and glad I was. Was almost booking a quick visit not having been in years but will now just avoid the place.

Koby

To be honest, I find it hard to believe this story. I admit that Barcelona currently has a problem with (petty) crime. But I cannot imagine any official taxi driver being part of something like this. They pay a lot of money (tens of thousands of Euros) to buy their licence and will not risk losing this license in any way. And the authorities (the Institut Metropolitŕ del Taxi) take complaints about drivers seriously.

Maybe it was an illegal taxi, but I have never heard of, or seen any of these in Barcelona.

And if it were a real taxi, writing down the licence number (painted on the car) or the licence plate should be enough to get things solved.

spainflyer

Yes, both Madrid and Barcelona excel in petty theft. Yes the perps cannot be sentenced for any crime, as this is a falta leve (less than a misdemeanor). And yes, the gypsies cannot be deported as they are mostly Rumanian and thus part of the EU.

BUT Barcelona is NOT the pickpocket capital of Spain. The US Embassy in Madrid reports that they (the Embassy) replace more US passports than any other US Embassy or Consulate in the world.

So, although they have beaten us in the last two football matches, Barcelona still has some catching up to do in some departments.

I think the problem lies in the fact that pickpocketing is basically viewed as a victimless crime. If there is no violence used - and the threat of violence is not enough, even with a weapon -- the perps walk.

biggestbopper

IMHO, the passport replacement rate at the US Madrid embassy doesn't mean much, if any thing.

A while ago we had our passports stolen at the Fete d'Avignon (the cops called it the Festival of Thieves when we made our report). We tried to get the passport replaced in Geneva but were told that the counsel there could not do a speedy replacement, for that we would have to go to Bern to the Embassy.

So, perhaps, many of the BCN victims are going to MAD for fast service?

FYI, when our theft happened, all you needed to cross the intra European borders was a police report of a stolen passport--now, I guess you don't even need that.

alanw

The consulate in Barcelona can turn a passport around in a couple of days, same as the Embassy in Madrid.

blairvanhorn

Oh dear.

I think I'll just stick to safe places like New York City, where I know that the police will shoot dead armed con artists and petty thieves in tourist-packed areas.

spainflyer

Not sure if this is a regular passport, a temporary passport (likely) or a travel document in lieu of a passport.

In any case, I have been told more than once to avoid using any consular service at the US Embassy in Madrid on a Monday moring, as all available hands are replacing passports stolen over the weekend and that citizens who arrive at 8:30 can actually make flights out that day. Thankfully, I have never had to test this intelligence!

sadeghi

I've had to replace my passport in Barcelona and I've gotten a temporary passport (good for 30 days) in a couple of hours.

monahos

The Geneva outpost is not representative of regular US consulates, as its purpose is to represent the USA at the United Nations, not to provide consular services to the public.

Unrelated, but in diplomatic circles a Geneva posting is quite desirable, while a stint in Bern is a bit of a career dead-end

biggestbopper

This does not appear to be correct. Take a look at the US Embassy info page for Switzerland and you will see that you can obtain consular services there. http://bern.usembassy.gov/service.html

In any event, crime in BCN remains a big problem--based on personal experience, really out of control, certainly compared to MAD.

dragonfirebcn

oh please, be my guest

By the way, wasn't this thread closed by the mods????

DenverF9Flier

A buddy of mine was mugged and stabbed in Barcelona this summer after walking back from a bar late at night with a "friendly drunk guy who staying at the same hostel". The guy slung his arm around my friend's shoulders for "support" as they walked. The second they turned the corner off a busy street, the "friendly drunk guy" turned stone-cold sober, and put a knife to my buddy's throat. My friend saw the knife, and the immediate reaction was "head-butt"... definitely not the best reflex, but he wasn't sober either. Broke the guys nose, both fell to the ground, and my friend took several stab wounds to the side before thinking better of it and giving up his wallet. He was lucky though, the ribs blocked the knife, the guy got away with all of 80 euro.

A bloody cab ride to the hospital and 36 staples later, my buddy went to the police the next day to report it, but left when he saw the line to report crimes was literally halfway around the block. Finished up the rest of his Euro trip and had some good photos and one heck of a story when he got back. The best part of the story - he was at the bar alone because there was only one bed left at the hostel, and his traveling companion had won a coin-toss for who got it. The winner picked up a girl at the bar and took her to bed... the loser got stabbed. Worst coin flip ever!

Lesson learned: Drunk, friendly, and alone... do not exceed two out of three.

alanw

Wow, now the crime has turned violent. Tourists had best heed the warnings posted here and stay away!

longwaybackhome

Even remembering my history in one of the previous threads, my opinion is currently

blairvanhorn

I dunno. It might be kind of fun to wait in a line half a block long to report a crime. Or, I could also go on an animal safari in Africa. Decisions, decisions.