Facebook – where we started the original Robbed in Barcelona – is closing down all “Discussion” functionality, so in an attempt to not lose our valuable user contributions, we’re moving these to the blog.
August H. Bundoc
I’m a U.S. military personnel stationed in SHAPE (NATO base) Belgium. I came to Barcelona with my wife and two kids for a 6-day holiday and ALSO to celebrate my 42nd birthday. Today August 6, 2011 (My birthday) on our way back to our hotel in the area of Sagrada Familia we took the L5 metro from Diagonal/Passei de Gracia. As soon as we got on the metro I had my arms kind of wrapped around my wife and kids trying to keep everybody off of them but I totally forgot about the small camera bag where I had my $500.00 SONY HIGH DEF camera. It swung around my back as we got on the metro and I didn’t feel it when it was taken out of the bag. I do remember a guy standing close to me with a very large duffell bag. I just noticed that my bag felt light when we got off on our stop. I’m not really worried about the camera but it the pictures and videos we took since we came here to Barcelona, especially the ones taken today when we took a stroll downtown. We fly back to Belgium on the 8th of August and hopefully I can find a police station where I have to go and sign the report I filed online; otherwise they won’t validate my report.
I know someone who got robbed in Barcelona
August, how did you get on with filing your report, any joy?
[I'm planning on writing a story about this for our blog (robbedinbarcelona.com), any objections?]
I hope the rest of your holiday went well. Commiserations.
August H. Bundoc
I was able to submit my report at the police station/post at the airport before we left Barcelona. To be honest with you I didn’t feel like doing anything after that incident but my wife convinced me to still celebrate my birthday by having dinner at the restaurant at the hotel we were staying at. Been back in Belgium since 08 Aug 2011 but I can’t help not to get pissed every time I think about our handy-cam was pick pocketed from me on the metro. If only there were police presence at every subway stations maybe these cockroaches would think twice about doing anything like that. I can’t get complacent like that again though. I feel sorry for any pick-pocket or purse snatcher that will get in my way from this point on. Go ahead, write a story but please don’t use my name and let me know when you post it so I can read it.
Mark Hewlett
Sorry to hear that :-(
I know someone who got robbed in Barcelona
August, that’s live now, won’t use your name. Since then – actually maybe not since then – but roughly around the same time as your incident – police DID start patrolling metro stations in Barcelona, they hadn’t been doing it up until then (Didn’t have permission).
August H. Bundoc
I forgot to mention to you that the front desk clerk at the hotel mentioned that the newly elected Mayor there in Barcelona is a good and caring person so I found his email address link online where I initially filed my police report and sent him an email pretty much ragging on their police. Not sure but maybe that gave them motivation
:-)
August H. Bundoc
They shouldn’t have waited for permission….if they did that’s pretty stupid. Isn’t that part of their patrol?
August H. Bundoc
I was surprised to receive an email reply from the Mayor of Barcelona in regards to my complaint. Here it is:
Dear Mr. Bundoc,
I am deeply concerned about your experience visiting Barcelona, which was not as satisfactory as you expected.
Levels of security and crime rates in Barcelona are comparable to any European city of its size. We have already started improving the coordination of efforts between police forces in order to eradicate petty crime in our city centre, tourist areas, as well as in our subway system. We expect that this policy coordination, particularly between the local police and the tourism industry, will be useful to bring down crime rates, especially those referring to our visitors.
Fight against petty crime in Barcelona will be a key priority of my government. As regards this issue, in recent weeks local and regional police forces have begun patrolling Barcelona’s metro network in collaboration with the transport company’s own security firm, with the specific purpose of reducing the incidence of robberies. Furthermore, the Spanish government has made changes to criminal law addressed to high frequency offenders which should help tackle this problem that in particular affects tourists and visitors to the city.
I hope you enjoyed many other aspects of your visit to our city.
Sincerely yours,
Xavier Trias
Mayor of Barcelona
De: Internet
Enviat: domingo, 07 de agosto de 2011 0:20
Per a: Alcalde
Tema: Possible remitent falsificat: Correu per l’alcalde
Formulari de contacte amb l’Alcalde
Dades basiques:
—————————
Nom: Augusto
Cognoms: Bundoc
Adreca: XXXXXXXX
Poblacio: XXXXXXX
Codi Postal: 7011
Pais: Belgium
Telefon: (3XX XXXXXXXX
E-mail: august_bundoc@yahoo.com
Missatge:
—————–
Missatge: My family and I are here in Barcelona from August 3 thru 8, 2011. I’m a U.S.
navy personnel stationed in SHAPE (BELGIUM). We came here for a 6-day holiday and to celebrate my 42nd birthday in Barcelona. Today August 6, 2011 (my birthday) after visiting the “La Pedrida” we took the L5 metro from Diagonal back to Familia Sagrada station which is near the hotel we’re staying at (Hispanos 7 Suiza). I didn’t realize that my $500.00 SONY high definition video camera was stolen on the train (from my bag) until we got to Familia Sagrada station. We’ve heard about this type of crime but I never thought I’d be a victim. One thing I noticed since we came here is the LACK OF POLICE PRESENCE AT YOUR UNDERGROUND STATIONS. The bad guys must think your administration is a JOKE so they take advantage of the situation by stealing from the tourists which brings a lot to your country, particularly to this city. I really hope you do something about this before your city or country’s reputation is ruined simply because you cannot control this PETTY CRIME. I can probably buy another video camera but the pictures and videos we took which are still in the hard drive of the camera stolen from me WILL NEVER BE REPLACED.
Mark Hewlett
WOW thats the kind of response I like to hear :-)
August H. Bundoc
I know! He was probably insulted him when I said “the bad guys must think you’re administration is a JOKE”. Maybe he took this personal..which is good though. Hey whatever it takes, right?
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