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!