Entertaining Scams

La Rambla is probably the best known and most frequented of all of Barcelona`s tourist traps. La Rambla is a pedestrianised street lines with trees stretching just over a mile from the Plaza Catalunya at one end right down to the Christopher Columbas statue overlooking the harbour. La Rambla consists of flower stalls, restaurants,living statues, market stalls, pavement artists, caricature artists,ice cream stalls and crepe vans etc.The main attraction are the living statues.Most of these guys are students and chancers looking to earn some quick cash. It is possible to earn a lot of money on La Rambla as tourists freely contribute one or two euros to be photographed with the statues.The statues come in all shapes and forms from beautiful dancing ladies to huge monstrous bats. Humorous ones like the "toilet seat" are always popular.Often they will be absolutely still and then scare the living daylights out of passers by , invariably young ladies.The headless man is also a common one that appears most days in high season.The statues are invariably sprayed in metallic paint to enhance their look

Photo courtesy Miss Karen Flikr.com The entertaining scam on La Rambla (watch out for pickpockets when a crowd develops round street entertainers)is one of the oldest scams in the world. It is an education just watching these guys at work.It`s the old pea under the shell routine. I believe it is based on the lines of "chase the ace " or "chase the lady" Here`s what happens. Seemingly from nowhere a small group of men will appear crowding round one man who will be moving three shells or cups round with a pea underneath. The idea is the punter has to pick the cup under which the pea ends up watching their quick hand movements of the scammer.The idea is to win money if you get it right, The scammers always let the "punter" win. Unfortunately the "punter" is not what he seems . He is merely one of the gang of scammer used to entice a gullible tourist , (the "mark")Once a mug tourist is enticed the gang will again let him with a few. Then the stakes go up.The punter loses and all of a sudden there will be a commotion as the scammers disappear under pretext that the Police are about. In reality this activity IS illegal and there are Police about , but not usually when the scammers say they are.It is just an excuse to disappear with their take. You will then see them appear 10 or 20 minutes later and the process starts again.The guy that lost has now gone on his way or if he is about is too embarassed to do anything about his loss. The last time we were in Barcelona we sat down at one of the many pavement bars and had a coffee while we watched the scammers in action. Usually there are about eight or ten in the gang.You will see one or two of them discreetly minding their own business genuinely looking out for the Police , keeping "dixie" so to speak. Most of these gangs are from eastern Europe and by and large the local Policia do turn a blind eye. This is usually because there is so much else going on in Barcelona. When you are watching, keep an eye out for a "punter " winning.You will see he goes away after a few wins while all the rest of the gang bemoan their luck.They are all great actors that`s for sure.The remonstrating that goes on is typical of Europeans especially in the Mediterranean. You will then see the same guy return a few minutes later having a complete change of clothes!! He then joins the onlookers and pretend to be one of the crowd.The gang move up and down La Rambla always looking for victims.Ironically when we have watched it always seems the gullible "real" tourist is one of our Gallic cousins or a Scandinavian. Maybe these don`t have that scam in their countries or maybe it just says something about the French and the Scandinavians.We`ve never seen anyone from Liverpool get stung either!

I`m a massive fan of all things Barcelona. The city, the beach, the Sagrada Familia, Gaudi,the Tapas, The Football Club, the Catalans but there is one thing I`m not a fan of and that is the scammers. I went to Barcelona for the very first time in 2010. It was a short 4 day trip with my daughter and my son. Before I went I lost count of the people telling me to "watch your wallet" " Watch out for the scammers" "Watch out for the pickpockets". I have travelled a bit so I took this with a pinch of salt because all tourist traps and major cities have their share of rogues and thieves. It is just common sense isn`t it? Well, isn`t it? Well that`s what I thought until I heard tale after tale of what goes on in Spain`s second largest city and the capital of Catalunya. Now Barcelona has to a degree, always been a cosmopolitan place. After all it is a major Mediterranean seaport, the fastest developing short city break in Europe and a destination for artists and bohemian types from all over Europe.Added to this is Spain`s links with North Africa and the lowering of the European borders thanks to the expansion of the EC to include the Eastern European countries such as Romania, Bulgaria, Poland etc and the European Union Freedom of labour policy. The city itself consists of ultra modern buildings mainly associated with the development here since the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 and a myriad of narrow and dark alleyways associated with the old City, mainly in the Gotic area but also the Raval. The Raval was notorious in the past as the Red light area of the city associated with it`s port status.It was also associated with the lower echelons of society who would eke a living with petty thievery and the like.The Raval stretches from the Plaza Catalunya on the southern side of the main tourist thoroughfare La Rambla,right down to the sea. The Gotic area is concentrated on the Northern side of La Rambla mainly in and around the Cathedral but it is quite a maze of back alleys. The Raval is described with the cliche "up and coming" in all the glossy Holiday mags and Hotel adverts extolling the virtues of the City ( while trying to prise the Euros from your pocket).It is still however, the haunt of "ladies of the night." My advice is to avoid the area completely after dark and be cautious during the day.The Gotic area is well policed and populous during the day and the evening and I have never encountered any problems here but that doesn`t mean you should lower your guard. After dark there are some unsavoury elements who particularly will look for people a little "worse for wear".So if you are intending to party in Barcelona bear this mind. Stay in groups and keep together .