10 hot tips to help stop being mugged in Barcelona

I happen to work near the port of Barcelona in one of the tallest buildings in the area near the metro station Drassanes and thought I’d put a small guide together to help the tourists of this great city to be safer.

• Avoid looking too touristy – anyone with a camera around their neck instantly becomes a magnet for the muggers in Barcelona.
• Buy a national newspaper or pick up a copy of the local newspaper 20Minutos, Qué or ADN – a cheap and effective way to not stand out in the crowd. Obviously you may want to put your brand new Nikon camera away as you might be cancelling out this idea by showing your camera off, too!
• For the girls, try wearing your bag crossed over your body instead of hanging it from your arm or shoulder – this makes it difficult for a thief to snatch it and leg it!
• Be extra vigilant on the metro – Barcelona’s underground system. Try to pick a carriage which is less than busy as the busy carriages usually have a few unsavoury characters who travel in 2′s, 3′s and 4′s ready to snatch your wallet or bag at the slightest of opportunities. A favourite of theirs is the “enclosure method” usually used while people are getting off or on the metro. You’ll be pushed around in the effort to exit the train or find people shunting you around in order to get off. You might find yourself a little lighter after the experience as your wallet or bag has been “lifted” in the process!
• Las Ramblas has many street artists these days and they are all very good. However, there are people lurking around these artists as they tend o attract crowds. Here presents the perfect opportunity to have your stuff pinched while you are enthralled by the show.
• Another Ramblas favourite of the “chorizos” (thieves) is the old chestnut of the pea and eggcup game. A bit more modern, they use a little ball and three small cups and you have to guess where the ball is. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? So many tourists fall for this caper that it’s not funny. These guys are usually Romanians or from another Eastern European country and are like the pool club or snooker club sharks you get that hang around these places looking for their next victim. They’ll entice you with the easy money banter and one of the gang who passes for an unsuspecting victim hands over a 50 euro note and “wins”. The one who controls the game can usually be heard shouting out “one, two three, uno dos tres or even eins, zwei, drei”. I’m always impressed how these petty criminals are such adept at learning new languages in which to ply their trade! Anyway, once enticed, you’ll find that your 50 euro note does a vanishing trick as the ball is not where you think it is!
• The above example is usually a breeding ground for unsuspecting victims to have bags, wallets and purses stolen while watching the spectacle.
• Watch out for the phantom map reader – this can happen on the metro, in a McDonalds, Burger king or a local terrace bar while having a drink. Two people will come up to you asking for directions and shove a map in your face or on your table. You may not think much of it until you realize that they’ve lifted your mobile phone, camera or wallet in the distraction which you may have had laying on the table. If this happens, be wary and see if they look like tourists. A Romanian might not be a tourist
• A tip for the guys at night – the areas that surround Las Ramblas on the right hand side heading towards the port is known as La Raval. It can be a bit “dodgy” in the evenings and there are lots of prostitutes from Africa or the Dominican Republic. They’ll hassle you, name call and even surround you with a few friends in order to get your business. My advice is simple: Don’t. While you are being hassled you are also being robbed. Things can get nasty too, especially if a pimp gets involved in the action. Again – avoid if you don’t want to end up explaining to the cops and then to your wife what you were doing in that area to have had your wallet and passport stolen!
• Last tip concerns Barcelona’s taxis. Now and again they seem to be a law unto themselves. I’ll just cite a quick example: When U2 were playing here this year for the start of their world concerts, the metro had stopped running and many people had to take a taxi to the centre of town. What usually costs around 12 – 15 euros was costing between 30 and 40 euros! I don’t know what sort show the town hall runs concerning these guys but it happens time and time again. One way to know how much to pay is to ask beforehand how much it’ll be or agree on a price. You’ll avoid the unsavoury experience of being ripped off by a mugger who happens to be driving a taxi.

All in all, don’t be put off by your weekend trip or your holiday to Barcelona and Catalonia. It really is a magical place and there’s so much to see and do here. Just remember to keep all your belongings with you and be wise whilst out and about. To make your stay even better you could rent an apartment in Barcelona which is cheaper than a hotel and provides you more freedom to see the city and its great sights.

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