A lighter pocket, lesson learnt and Good bye to Barcelona

Google Maps contribution stories
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6th March 2019, Dubai.

This happened 4 days ago.

We were in Barcelona. After having a sumptuous home cooked lunch with our niece, we started our journey from Metro station Besos Mar in L4 Metro to Ciutadella Vila Olimpica to visit Pompeu Fabra University UPF where our niece is a student. We had enough time to go for a stroll through the Gothic Quarter before the Flamenco Show at City Hall at 7.30 pm, so again went back to the L4 metro station Ciutadella Vila Olimpica to catch the metro to Jaume I station.

The platform was crowded.

When the train arrived, there was a rush to get in.

The platform in Barcelona L4 is at a lower level than the train. Meaning, one has to take a step up to get into the train when it arrives. In Dubai, the platform and metro train are at the same level, so you just have to move in without taking any upward step.

I was concentrating in not losing my foothold. There was much jostling inside and no place to sit. I was trying to get a hold on the top rail of the chair seat in front when I felt a tug on my handbag. Immediately I pulled the bag towards my front and I realized someone was holding onto my handbag. I gave a harder tug and looked at the lady standing next to me. A well-dressed healthy looking lady in her 30s or early 40s. I looked at my handbag. The zip was closed. Okay, I thought she must not have got time to open it because I had pulled the bag immediately. Once I could get a good position to stand comfortably, just to double check, I opened my handbag.

My money purse was missing.

I looked back at her. She looked at me and put her finger on her lips.

The universal sign of silence.

With a mean face.

I froze.

My husband was sitting two rows ahead and my niece standing behind me near the door.

I just could not react. I didn’t raise a voice. No shouting. Just stood there, not even daring to look back at her again.

The lady had an accomplice who looked younger than her.

At the next stop, both of them got out of the train in a hurry and that was the last I saw of them and my precious money with which I had planned to go for shopping.

BARCELONA METRO L4
BARCELONA METRO L44160Ă—3120 1.74 MB
THE ROUTE WE TOOK
THE ROUTE WE TOOK4160Ă—3120 865 KB
A foreign country where not many speak English. And I do not know a word in Spanish or Catalan. What should I have done?

I had read a lot about Barcelona before going on this trip. Every blog entry, every website I had read, videos I had watched, had warning about Pick-pocketing in Barcelona. The blog sites had mentioned to keep passports in the Hotel safe under lock. So I had not carried my passport with me. Which saved us a lot of trouble. And made it possible to return to Dubai on time, though with a lighter pocket and an even lighter luggage since I refused to go for any shopping in Barcelona.

But I really, really have to appreciate the skills of the pick-pockets. I would say it all happened in less than 3 seconds. She had opened my handbag, taken out my purse from among a lot of things, closed back the zip – all in the blink of an eye.

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@Indira_IllathuVala I am really sorry that this happened to you in Barcelona. It is not unusual and there’s local Catalonia laws that permit theft under a certain fiscal limit.

You can use the SOS station that is on every platform. It is usually yellow and in the middle. In my experience, station personal have used English with me even though I’m good in Spanish and Catalan. For insurance purposes, you should call the underground SOS, wait for help. Perhaps they will call the Police.

As a general rule, usually gangs look at what people put in their bags and pockets in metro stations. Typically I travel with deep pockets in a jacket under a body warmer. Always have your backpack in front of you (not on your back). There are ones which you cannot open from the outside, but they could be slashed.

I recommend if you’re travelling to this city: go out with the money you need and no-cards. Keep your credit cards away from other cards, driving license, health and insurance cards. Take photocopies and place them all in a secure location.

If you use cards, get prepaid ones you can CHARGE from any mobile device that have a limit. Keep your credit / debit cards in your hotel.

I hope you return to the city, but to be honest the best places here are not always found in the centre

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@Phunky

thanks for the explanation. We found a board in Barcelona shouting at the visitors to go away…that the place belongs to locals…[ it read - TOURIST GO HOME] Not surprised, because the city was really really crowded… I wouldn’t want someone to walk all over me in the name of visiting exotic places…who doesn’t wish for some privacy???

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Thanks for sharing @Indira_IllathuVala . You have to be very careful, pickpockets are very skilled and sneaky. Sorry to hear your money was gone.

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@TheEagleEye

ha ha…money lost…but became wiser

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Hi @Indira_IllathuVala ,

I am really sorry that you experienced this. It’s always bad when you visit a foreign country and you get robbed. It happened the same to my girlfriend in Rome and in that case they took even the passport.

I have been to Barcelona too and people that visited before advised me to be careful, especially in the metro. In my case nothing happened, but you have all my solidarity.

I have to say that the city is one of the best that I saw during my travel experiences and people in general are really helpful and smiling.

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@Sorbe @TheEagleEye

When I wrote in my Whatsapp group about my experience, so many of my friends who have travelled abroad shared their experience of being robbed…I just had to thank my stars that I lost only money and not my passport and other valuables…Your girlfriend must have faced real difficulty with lost passport.

So as I said, lesson learned and moving forward.

:slight_smile:

But I would like to know - WHAT SHOULD WE DO IF WE LOSE OUR PASSPORT IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY? Is there a common protocol irrespective of the country or is it different for each country?

It would have been nice travelling during the time of Alexander The Great…just keep travelling…no passport needed and no check points

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Hi @Indira_IllathuVala ,

Usually for this things best advice for experience is to go directly to your embassy. They have a protocol and they are prepared for this situations.

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@Sorbe thank you :slight_smile:

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Thanks for the like on My article I’d love to come to New Zealand or Prague traveling anywhere around that area would be awesome thanks again and nice to hear from you

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Thanks for liking my article I really appreciate it I’m just trying to get started doing this thing so I’m glad it turned out okay thank you very much and I like to hear more about you

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Great