'If you don't scratch my back, I'll scratch your eyes out' seems to be the saying to describe the relationship between the now ex-Mayor of Barcelona, Jordi Hereu (ex- as of June 30) and the residents of Sarria, one of the city's most expensive districts.
He put their backs up by changing the structure and function of some of the streets: two had new bici carrils added to them - Via Augusta and Angel Guimera.This evoked wrath of firstly residents who needed to park their (second/third?) cars on the street in the Tres Torres area and secondly, of bar owners who lost some of the pavement where they had had 'terrassas' to serve their (smoking) customers. In addition the mayor changed one 'down' road (Escoles Pies) into an 'up' road , thereby, according to residents, making life and traffic more inconvenient for all concerned (ie, them)
Before he left it seems he has made sure that any other project his team had earmarked would be carried out too, including a new Social Services centre which happens to be 20 metres away from an old azufaifa tree (150-200 years old) Sarria was, it seems, was a conservative part of the city that didn't cast too many votes for Sr Hereu, so perhaps there is there an added satisfaction on his part as a socialist mayor in this contruction to be.
Mind you it has to be said that the new Centre will benefit a lot of people and the possible demise of one tree will make not quite so many sad (1400 signatures collected against the building). And what's more government experts have said that the tree is not in danger since they are leaving a safety margin of 72m2 around it as well as watering it three times a day.
Sometimes neighbourhood protesters are justified in the face of city planners who steamroller things through. At other times they are a pain up the butt concerned only in their own little world. What this 'Tree issue' means will depends on how many axes you have to grind. - or power saws!
Wednesday 6 July 2011
Tuesday 5 July 2011
No shorts please we're Spanish.
Who says that people in Parliament aren't sexist? In Spain they are and surprisingly opposite to what you'd think. This summer Spanish MPs and other parliamentary employees got a circular on June 21 outlining dress rules for the hot weather. Women were allowed a choice of trousers or skirts (no length was mentioned so presumeably minis could be worn?) Men, however, got the full weight of the lawbooks thrown at them. They were not to wear shorts not even Bermudas or piratas. Mind you there is precious little done in parliament during the summer (Did I hear 'or at any time?') so really the ruling will apply only to workers who don't take the whole two months off.
Like everything else in Spain an appeal was made to common sense in this respect making the ruling as effective as the 'no top' law for the summer in Barcelona. For both, short of going round with a tape measure, there is no way you can control dress in this day and age and when you try there is friction - school uniforms, wearing headscarves to name but two examples. Rumour has it however that tradition (male that is) still forces you to wear a tie and a jacket as certain clubs and restaurants in the UK. I wonder if the tieless Richard Branson would be excluded from the St Andrews Clubhouse. Obviously Royal Birkdale and the posher golf clubs weren't tuned in to TV channels showing this year's Paris Fashion Week. Had they been, halfway through the Dior Collection they'd have noticed a model walked on wearing what seemed to be at first glance...nothing.Closer examination (or camera zooming) revealed it to be a glamorous body stocking. Mmm imagine playing golf or dining out in that. But then common sense would have prevailed wouldn't it? In Spain at least!
Like everything else in Spain an appeal was made to common sense in this respect making the ruling as effective as the 'no top' law for the summer in Barcelona. For both, short of going round with a tape measure, there is no way you can control dress in this day and age and when you try there is friction - school uniforms, wearing headscarves to name but two examples. Rumour has it however that tradition (male that is) still forces you to wear a tie and a jacket as certain clubs and restaurants in the UK. I wonder if the tieless Richard Branson would be excluded from the St Andrews Clubhouse. Obviously Royal Birkdale and the posher golf clubs weren't tuned in to TV channels showing this year's Paris Fashion Week. Had they been, halfway through the Dior Collection they'd have noticed a model walked on wearing what seemed to be at first glance...nothing.Closer examination (or camera zooming) revealed it to be a glamorous body stocking. Mmm imagine playing golf or dining out in that. But then common sense would have prevailed wouldn't it? In Spain at least!
Monday 4 July 2011
Back into the past: new old speed limits return.
Well it finally happened: one of the most absurd volte-faces ever seen this century in Spain since the way society changed after the death of Franco. On the day (July 1) that thousands left for their annual holidays (Operation Salida), the DGT, ie the Government traffic dept, tore down all the 110 kph signs up and down the country's motorways and replaced them with 120 kph signs only four months after doing the reverse - then purportedly to save fuel and to prevent accidents.
It is totally unbelievable that the Traffic Minister, Pere Navarro actually should have stated on Thursday June 1 that his summer 'campaign' was designed to reduce accidents which went up in 2010 ( resulting in 352 deaths in the summer period last year, 6 per day) . Additionally he 'hopes' that arrests for driving under the influence of too much alcohol (102,000 last year) will go down. How? By magic? Certainly not by judicial firmness anyway as only approximately 8% (16,000) of those with an alcohol reading over the limit were punished.
We've had all the education we need. We've had all the TV programmes showing arrogant bad drivers and their stupidity. What is needed is action. Short sharp shocks in the form of fines that hurt. And on the spot like you have in neighbouring France, a country where the police don't footsie around and where they don't have to listen to wimpish politicians who want to get stay in their current jobs next year after elections take place.
Peoples'safety on the roads should be totally independent of politics especially when there is universal evidence that driving with excessive speed causes accidents. Instead Navarro asks for some abstract quality called 'Prudence ' a word I doubt translates into Spanish. I wish him luck in his 'campaigns' against alcohol ( 11-17 July and 15-21 August). The rest of the summer the Spanish drivers will, as they always have done, drink as much as they like and continue to drive home all over the road. Possibly the only thing that will keep them from drinking too much ironically will the the fact that their Government has taken awaymany of their jobs. (above 20% unemployment is no joke) On July 2, I certainly noted no reduction in the amount of wine being ordered at a certain Costa Brava restaurant out in a so-called fashionable village. But then it wasn't the sort of place ordinary workers frequent. Few of them are out there!
It is totally unbelievable that the Traffic Minister, Pere Navarro actually should have stated on Thursday June 1 that his summer 'campaign' was designed to reduce accidents which went up in 2010 ( resulting in 352 deaths in the summer period last year, 6 per day) . Additionally he 'hopes' that arrests for driving under the influence of too much alcohol (102,000 last year) will go down. How? By magic? Certainly not by judicial firmness anyway as only approximately 8% (16,000) of those with an alcohol reading over the limit were punished.
We've had all the education we need. We've had all the TV programmes showing arrogant bad drivers and their stupidity. What is needed is action. Short sharp shocks in the form of fines that hurt. And on the spot like you have in neighbouring France, a country where the police don't footsie around and where they don't have to listen to wimpish politicians who want to get stay in their current jobs next year after elections take place.
Peoples'safety on the roads should be totally independent of politics especially when there is universal evidence that driving with excessive speed causes accidents. Instead Navarro asks for some abstract quality called 'Prudence ' a word I doubt translates into Spanish. I wish him luck in his 'campaigns' against alcohol ( 11-17 July and 15-21 August). The rest of the summer the Spanish drivers will, as they always have done, drink as much as they like and continue to drive home all over the road. Possibly the only thing that will keep them from drinking too much ironically will the the fact that their Government has taken awaymany of their jobs. (above 20% unemployment is no joke) On July 2, I certainly noted no reduction in the amount of wine being ordered at a certain Costa Brava restaurant out in a so-called fashionable village. But then it wasn't the sort of place ordinary workers frequent. Few of them are out there!
Thursday 9 June 2011
New rutting ground for pickpockets
According to the Vanguardia today pickpockets are leaving the previously lucrative Killing Fields of Lines 1 and 3 to hit the tourists as they wait for Metros on Line 5 especially at stations Sagrada Familia, Diagonal and Verdageur. One of Line 5's advantages as far as robbing is concerned is that the trains are nearly always full and people have to push up against one another to get in so it's difficult to feel those probing experienced hands searching for wallets, money and credit cards.
My recent experiences on lines 3 and 1 apparently are all too common. The modus operandi varies but basically is the same. Pick a victim. Surround him. Distract him. Pick his pocket. Get away from the area. Return later and start all over again. I was picked out near Drassaanes. As I exited a large man o9n the platform blocked my exit while another behind me got my wallet. I was distracted as I asked the man to move out of the way- which he did once they had got my wallet. Luckily I realised what had happened and chased the man who had been behind me on the Metro. He gave me back the wallet and walked off. I checked it and then thumped him hard as I was angry ( probably a stupid thing to do!)
Last week on Line 3 I was on a crowded escalator when a small woman pushed in front of me. When we got to the top she dropped some coffee beans on the floor and stopped to picj them up while another woman tried (in vain) to get my wallet. A few minutes later at the top of another esclator a man stopped in front of me. I glanced behind me and saw the coffee bean woman so I continued walking 'through' the crouching man knocking him over. People behind trampled on him too!
Apparently both these methods are very commonly used but of course tourists may not know this. The Metro staff (drivers) have even taken to using megaphones to warn people about the presence of groups that look suspicious at key platforms like Diagonal. A bit like huntsmen blowing the trumpet when they see fox!
Barcelona is trying to do something about it though.A new plain clothes force will be patrolling the Metro and its platforms this summer and will beactive
My recent experiences on lines 3 and 1 apparently are all too common. The modus operandi varies but basically is the same. Pick a victim. Surround him. Distract him. Pick his pocket. Get away from the area. Return later and start all over again. I was picked out near Drassaanes. As I exited a large man o9n the platform blocked my exit while another behind me got my wallet. I was distracted as I asked the man to move out of the way- which he did once they had got my wallet. Luckily I realised what had happened and chased the man who had been behind me on the Metro. He gave me back the wallet and walked off. I checked it and then thumped him hard as I was angry ( probably a stupid thing to do!)
Last week on Line 3 I was on a crowded escalator when a small woman pushed in front of me. When we got to the top she dropped some coffee beans on the floor and stopped to picj them up while another woman tried (in vain) to get my wallet. A few minutes later at the top of another esclator a man stopped in front of me. I glanced behind me and saw the coffee bean woman so I continued walking 'through' the crouching man knocking him over. People behind trampled on him too!
Apparently both these methods are very commonly used but of course tourists may not know this. The Metro staff (drivers) have even taken to using megaphones to warn people about the presence of groups that look suspicious at key platforms like Diagonal. A bit like huntsmen blowing the trumpet when they see fox!
Barcelona is trying to do something about it though.A new plain clothes force will be patrolling the Metro and its platforms this summer and will beactive
Violence filmed in Pza Cataluña
A recent emotive Utube (shot May 29, the morning after thousand of fans had been celebrating Barças European Cup win) showed police using violence against people from the encampment in Plaza Cataluña and against two individuals in particular: an old tramp and a man in a wheelchair. The media naturally made a meal out of the whole affair and yesterday Counsellor Puig who is responsible for security in the region made a statement to the Catalan Parliament.
He admitted that (he) and the police had made errors in attempts to 'control' the population in the square. He stated that: one, timing (early morning) was not ideal, but he had wanted to avoid a 'night attack' which would have shown that the police were trying to dislodge the indignados from their encampment; two
police had understimated the violence the campers would use;
As excuse he stated some troublesome Barca fans had gone into the camp and used missiles from there against the police. Police had sought dialogue but couldn't find anyone to talk to who was a representative for the group of campers.
He denied that police initiated any violence and that they only reacted to violence used against them. Equally he denied that the police beat up a tramp and the man in the wheelchair stating that the latter was used as a human shield.
Furthermore he criticised the media for showing biased film footage and for releasing the address of a policeman involved which resulted in the officer's house being graffitied.
He asked parliament what kind of public order they wanted in the country - one in which violence against the police is condoned and goes unpunished?
The situation is, like most clashes between police and demonstrators, not black and white. Aggression gives rise to aggression. Police get their blanket orders to contain any crowds whether passive or violent but the police are individuals too. Security chiefs don't always get it right. No politician or police chief likes carrying the can because it can mean political death. The best way is to spread blame around thinly on your supporters and thickly on the opposition, if possible further tarnishing thir image - in this case the indignados camping in the square - who are not popular in an area with businesses which feed off tourism. Whether the media were biased in (not) mentioning/showing the violence is debatable (May 9 was the first mention I found in the right wing La Vanguardia for example) but what is not debatable is the unfaked extreme and excessive violence filmed.
Unfortunately the police have a poor record all over Europe for the way that they control political demonstrations - it's true of course that they have an extremely difficult job but there is no excuse for unnecessary violence. G8 and G20 meetings are notably political flashpoints as are demonstrations against human rights, racism and unemployment as seen in the UK, Greece Italy or France - especially when someone is killed or seriously injured as a result of police action. Of course it is also difficult to assess how much provocation of police is used - a male drunk can be extremely unreasonable and violent and a large crowd even worse. In the past Cataluña's Mossos have come in for much criticism for over-zealous LAPD style control of people they arrested. The problem for them now is modern technology has made police actions instantly visible and counter-action possible to the whole world through social networks Twitter, Facebook and Utube which now act as a balance to the battery of security cameras around the world secretly filming our daily lives. Whichever side of the socio-political fence you sit on you are no longer invisible and Sr Puig and his Mossos should have known that.
He admitted that (he) and the police had made errors in attempts to 'control' the population in the square. He stated that: one, timing (early morning) was not ideal, but he had wanted to avoid a 'night attack' which would have shown that the police were trying to dislodge the indignados from their encampment; two
police had understimated the violence the campers would use;
As excuse he stated some troublesome Barca fans had gone into the camp and used missiles from there against the police. Police had sought dialogue but couldn't find anyone to talk to who was a representative for the group of campers.
He denied that police initiated any violence and that they only reacted to violence used against them. Equally he denied that the police beat up a tramp and the man in the wheelchair stating that the latter was used as a human shield.
Furthermore he criticised the media for showing biased film footage and for releasing the address of a policeman involved which resulted in the officer's house being graffitied.
He asked parliament what kind of public order they wanted in the country - one in which violence against the police is condoned and goes unpunished?
The situation is, like most clashes between police and demonstrators, not black and white. Aggression gives rise to aggression. Police get their blanket orders to contain any crowds whether passive or violent but the police are individuals too. Security chiefs don't always get it right. No politician or police chief likes carrying the can because it can mean political death. The best way is to spread blame around thinly on your supporters and thickly on the opposition, if possible further tarnishing thir image - in this case the indignados camping in the square - who are not popular in an area with businesses which feed off tourism. Whether the media were biased in (not) mentioning/showing the violence is debatable (May 9 was the first mention I found in the right wing La Vanguardia for example) but what is not debatable is the unfaked extreme and excessive violence filmed.
Unfortunately the police have a poor record all over Europe for the way that they control political demonstrations - it's true of course that they have an extremely difficult job but there is no excuse for unnecessary violence. G8 and G20 meetings are notably political flashpoints as are demonstrations against human rights, racism and unemployment as seen in the UK, Greece Italy or France - especially when someone is killed or seriously injured as a result of police action. Of course it is also difficult to assess how much provocation of police is used - a male drunk can be extremely unreasonable and violent and a large crowd even worse. In the past Cataluña's Mossos have come in for much criticism for over-zealous LAPD style control of people they arrested. The problem for them now is modern technology has made police actions instantly visible and counter-action possible to the whole world through social networks Twitter, Facebook and Utube which now act as a balance to the battery of security cameras around the world secretly filming our daily lives. Whichever side of the socio-political fence you sit on you are no longer invisible and Sr Puig and his Mossos should have known that.
Wednesday 8 June 2011
Tourist traps: Summer's here again
Houdini lives on - in Barcelona. Free paper, Que, reports that police have arrested two men for stealing valuable objects from passengers' luggage on the Gerona Airport-Barcelona bus run - from inside the luggage compartment. Their modus operandi was unique, simple, and effective. One man buys a ticket and hands two suitcases to the driver who puts them in the luggage compartment of the bus. The bus sets off and while en route one of the men (slim and only 1.78m in height) breaks out of the larger suitcase (measuring 90x 50 cms) and into several of the other passengers' cases. He takes out any valuable things ( jewellry, high-tech devices etc), puts them in the empty case and gets back in 'his' travelling case. At the bus terminus the other man collects both cases and goes to the bathroom.They both then leave carrying a case each. They were only found out when the 'carrier' left the case with his co-worker behind in the bus. Why he did this this is not mentioned. Amnesia? Panic? A quarrel? Police hanging around the bus station? It's also not clear how the man in the luggage hold locked or even just closed his own case again. But it's a good story just as the tourist season is kicking off here.
The police were impressed at their ingenuity and issue a seasonal warning to all bus and air passengers not to leave take their eyes off their luggage for a moment especially at check in for planes and hotels. The men seemed to be true professionals having special tools for opening zips and locks and a torch. Welcome to the summer silly season once again.
.
The police were impressed at their ingenuity and issue a seasonal warning to all bus and air passengers not to leave take their eyes off their luggage for a moment especially at check in for planes and hotels. The men seemed to be true professionals having special tools for opening zips and locks and a torch. Welcome to the summer silly season once again.
.
Sunday 29 May 2011
When is nude not nude: new law in Barcelona against nudism
Today the new Barcelona anti-nude law comes into effect even as the coastal and political temperatures start to rise and the tourist buses start to fill. But spare a thought for the poor old Mossos - or maybe it's the Guardia Urbana? In addition to nursemaiding the ad-hoc encamment in Plaza Cataluña, controlling the Barca celebration route, deciding whether criminals are robbers, residents,immigrants or begging musicians, police will now have to decide the difference between 'nude', 'almost nude', 'semi- nude' -and 'clothed' - in order to levy the appropriate fine (from 120 up to 500 euros), (a fine incidently higher than going through the lights on red). Apparently recruitment for May - including part-time positions - was at an all-time high though there are as yet no official figures available. Some residents groups in the old part of the city have accused the Town Hall of a massive cover-up and a mis-use of statistics trying to show they were on top of crime when they weren't, especially those committed by young tourists.
Under this new law police will be obliged to give a warning to offenders and to examine their credentials carefully before fining them. Presumeably if offenders have no money on them, on-the-spot fines will be difficult to enforce so perhaps they will be allowed to pay later. Clearly definitions of what is/is not nude are a bit hazy at the best of times which will call for more police head-scratching before the long arm of the law risks an arrest in flagrante. Given the Arctic quality of the air-conditioning at the police station on Nou de la Rambla, most offenders would be wise to pay on the spot though.
One wonders, given the immense task confronting the police whether residents could lend a hand as it were using the powers of citizens' arrest. Another unresolved factor is whether increasingly popular tattoos could de-nude/ or re-clothe a person. Surely a full frontal tattoo is not essentially different than a highly decorated T shirt - though below-hip tattoos might be less obfuscating. And what will happen when a tourist brings an action against a police officer for molesting him/her while assessing the degree of nudity.
Feelings about the matter are somewhat luke-warm politically speaking with support far from 100%. The law was PSC and CiU approved but the PP abstained and other parties labelled it unnecessary stating they be even shooting themselves in the foot if the law puts off tourists from coming here. In addition to complicate matters even further the law states a person can be half-nude (which half is not clear) on the Passeig Maritim, on the Dune nudist beach and on streets near the beach. There's also the art for art's sake thing too and you can be exempt if you are part of a nude exhibition - but presumeable not making an exhibition of yourself by being nude.
The whole thing is totally absurd. An example of a law rushed through to satisfy a group of sanctimonious old crones - as the comments section in la Vanguardia shows. The way their government is handling Spain's financial crisis no one will have any money to buy clothes anymore so we'll all soon be naked - or covered in tattoos
Under this new law police will be obliged to give a warning to offenders and to examine their credentials carefully before fining them. Presumeably if offenders have no money on them, on-the-spot fines will be difficult to enforce so perhaps they will be allowed to pay later. Clearly definitions of what is/is not nude are a bit hazy at the best of times which will call for more police head-scratching before the long arm of the law risks an arrest in flagrante. Given the Arctic quality of the air-conditioning at the police station on Nou de la Rambla, most offenders would be wise to pay on the spot though.
One wonders, given the immense task confronting the police whether residents could lend a hand as it were using the powers of citizens' arrest. Another unresolved factor is whether increasingly popular tattoos could de-nude/ or re-clothe a person. Surely a full frontal tattoo is not essentially different than a highly decorated T shirt - though below-hip tattoos might be less obfuscating. And what will happen when a tourist brings an action against a police officer for molesting him/her while assessing the degree of nudity.
Feelings about the matter are somewhat luke-warm politically speaking with support far from 100%. The law was PSC and CiU approved but the PP abstained and other parties labelled it unnecessary stating they be even shooting themselves in the foot if the law puts off tourists from coming here. In addition to complicate matters even further the law states a person can be half-nude (which half is not clear) on the Passeig Maritim, on the Dune nudist beach and on streets near the beach. There's also the art for art's sake thing too and you can be exempt if you are part of a nude exhibition - but presumeable not making an exhibition of yourself by being nude.
The whole thing is totally absurd. An example of a law rushed through to satisfy a group of sanctimonious old crones - as the comments section in la Vanguardia shows. The way their government is handling Spain's financial crisis no one will have any money to buy clothes anymore so we'll all soon be naked - or covered in tattoos
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