Las Ramblas in Barcelona: According to Commandant Miguel Lalom Clotet of the Barcelona Tourist Police, there are two major groups operating in the city, and our own observations confirm this. They are the gypsies and the north Africans; and their techniques are as far apart as their homelands.
The gypsies we've seen "working" in Barcelona are mostly female, mostly in pairs or small groups, and always on the move. Be watchful of your bags in La Rambla hotel lobbies; there are frequent reports of mysterious losses there, where guests feel secure. Do enjoy the enticing outdoor cafés, but do not place your bags under your chair or slung behind you.
The north Africans are mainly illegal Algerians and Morroccans, according to the Tourist Police. They work almost exclusively in pairs. They are both brazen and careful, working smack in the middle of moving crowds on Las Ramblas. Some specialize in stealth moves, while others employ a unique "soccer move," whereby they manipulate the leg of the victim, then apologize. We've seen them extract wallets from backpacks, front pockets, back pockets, and purses. Your only defense is awareness.
The trickiest ploy in Barcelona is the pigeon poop drop, a local twist on the Old Mustard Trick, usually perpetrated by South Americans. The target mark is surrepticiously squirted with a whitish liquid, and soon after approached by the culprit himself. It's perfectly believable when he points out the pigeon poop on your pants, given the leafy green canapé above and fluttering cacophony around you. The concerned volunteer may help you brush off the mess right there, or he may take you into a nearby café to clean you up. In either case, he's always long gone before you discover your pocket empty.
Watch out for the three-shell gameyou cannot win. Operators whip out a cardboard box as a table and use hollowed carrot ends as cups, a green pea as the ball. A team can comprise a dozen or so with players, shills, and spotters. At the first sign of police, game's over. Vegetables are scattered and the cardboard box is collapsed and tossed against a trash can or tree.
Sadly, bag-snatchers abound in Barcelona, but usually in the labyrinthine lanes off Las Ramblas, where they can disappear in an instant. Do not resist a bagsnatcher, as they have become more desperate and more determined in recent years. Several women have been killed and other injured in resulting falls.
La Sagrada Familia, the must-see cathedral designed by Antoni Gaudi over a hundred years ago and still under construction: All Barcelona's no-goods seem to converge at this important attraction. Go anyway! Just beware and keep your guard up. Pay the nominal entry fee and explore the cathedral.
Palma de Mallorca: Do not accept a flower from a woman. It's a well-known ploy to get their fingers into your wallet. Believe it, it happens. If a girl or woman approaches you with a sheet of cardboard or newspaper, back off. Shout at them to get away. They're experts at pockets and fanny packs.
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