- Car Horns
Their infrequent use is aimed at thoughtless and selfishmotorists where everyone joins in to make their point. Regard this as a muchmore acceptable form of road rage!
- Crime
The people of Barcelona are generally very friendly,non-aggressive, calm, helpful and generous, particularly with their time. Tomost, maintaining enduring relationships is more important than the desire formore and more material wealth. Outside the tourist heart of the city, which manyBarcelonans prefer to avoid, you can expect people to come up to you in thestreet offering help if you are looking lost. In the tourist areas, however, beon your guard with such approaches - which are unlikely to come from the Spanishthemselves. Barcelona is one of the safest European cities in terms of seriouscrime. However, muggings of tourists involving little or no physical contact area problem, one fortunately not experienced by our groups to date. It is safer toavoid any unnecessary contact with strangers in the tourist zones if you wish toavoid the risk of losing your money and possessions. For male students theapproach may be a friendly discussion about the merits of Manchester United,followed by a mock tackle in which balance is lost and money taken from the backpocket. Leave all except essential spending money in your hotel room safe. Carrya photocopy of your passport, not the real thing. The hotel will stamp the backof the photocopy. Do not use pavement cash dispensers. Do not buy flowers fromwandering street sellers; be particularly wary if they try to insert a flowerinto your lapel. Walk away immediately. Don't worry about appearing to be rudein such circ*mstances. If people come up to you pointing to a stain on yourclothing, ignore them and walk away. Do not participate in the card and dicegames which you will see on the streets. Do not walk down deserted or badly litstreets after dark. Other specific advice will be given upon arrival at thehotel. Forewarned is forearmed - enabling you and your group to avoid beingcheated and return home safely without incident.
See Barcelona Street Scamswebsite - something of an overreaction to what is in reality a wonderfulcity.
- Crossing the Road
The Spanish, on the whole, wait until the green pedestrianlight indicates it is safe to cross the road. Please follow the same behaviour.When the green light flashes, you have only a few seconds in which to reachsafety and this is the signal for the motorcycles to move. Be warned! Pleaseremember that traffic drives on the 'wrong side' of the road. This involves youlooking to your left, not your right.
- Dress
People in Barcelona are particularly well dressed. Try and fitin by not, for example, wearing items in the city more suited to the beach.
- Eye Contact
Spanish males maintain eye contact for what seems anuncomfortably long period, particularly for female visitors. This is normal.
- Prices
In the smaller souvenir shops, there are often two prices - atourist and 'local' price for items. You will need to bargain in a friendlymanner to achieve the lower of the two. Music CDs are one of the bargains to behad. Try FNAC in Placa Catalunya.
- Respect for the Language
Try and use a little Catalan or Spanish during your stay.Barcelonans usually have an excellent command of English, will understand whatyou are saying, but will not use it when talking to you. Their view is that whenthey are in England, they are required to speak English - the reverse shouldapply when the English are in Spain.
Queuing
Queue-jumping for purchases is treated with great indignation.Queue jumping for information is frustratingly normal.
- Self-service shopping
Apart from in supermarkets and and large department stores,self-service in Spain is not normal. Please ask before opening, for example, theice cream or cold drink cabinet. Failure to do so is regarded as rude at bestand attempted theft at worst.
- Shopping Hours
During the working week, expect most shops and businesses toshut down between 13.30 and 17.00. Many close on Saturday afternoon. Allbusinesses are shut on Sundays.
- Walking
The Barcelona leisure and shopping 'walk' is slow, usuallyinvolving animated conversations between two or more people. They are unlikelyto be aware of your presence, and pedestrian collisions are frequent. Lookahead.
