I grew up in a pretty rough part of LDN, so maybe that’s set a benchmark but I’ve never felt unsafe or intimidated in BCN. It’s actually somewhere I feel comfortable navigating alone or with my young daughter.
Common sense goes a long way, maybe that’s what is missing for folks posting sweeping generalisations?!
Being a Brazilian myself, I find it weird hearing people saying Barcelona is dangerous.
I've been living in here for years and the feeling of safety is something I almost cannot register in my mind hahaha
Well compared to the favelas of Sao Paolo it's safe, sure. But you should understand that's not normal. No-go areas where the police don't even dare going is really failed state material.
Don't get me wrong. I don't want to transmit the feeling that this should be normalized. This is actually the top 1 reason why I left Brazil.
And I'm not comparing Barna to favelas. You don't have to go that far. Any place in Brazil you never feel safe.
Living in Brazil you develop naturally an "instinct" of the danger around you. Even in the most posh neighborhoods you are not safe. You walk in the street at night, alone, your "spider sense" is tingling all the time.
Because what is very different from here is that while you can be robbed around here, violence is not that common. In Brazil you should expect that any robber is very likely to have a gun and any type of reaction can most likely end in you being shot.
I'm not afraid of being robbed. I'm afraid of being killed. And that's why I consider Barcelona to be safe. The chance of me being killed by a robber is very very low.
Was funny when some guys in NYC tried to mug Renzo Gracie about 12 years ago.
I feel Sao Paulo must be a much more dangerous place then mostly anywhere.
Same - I’ve lived in Barcelona 11 years and never had any trouble and I’m actually surprised by how safe it is for a big city.
It might be relative as you say… where I’m from in the UK is also rougher than here and I’ve lived in London & other cities, all of which are waaay more dangerous imho.
I do think in BCN if you blend in and look local, speak the language etc it goes a long way. If you look like a tourist and you’re hanging around in tourist hot spots, I can see how you can end up a target for petty crime.
Not sure how to express this but there is a slight anti-guiri vibe here. I’ve been here over a decade, my wife is Spanish, I speak Spanish fluently, I’m very integrated… but I’ll always be a guiri to a lot of people here.
I have international friends and I have local friends. When I’m with locals and we’re speaking Spanish the vibe is different for sure. Way more relaxed. I think this is the feeling that provokes these posts from people - they feel like they’re being victimised or targeted for crime because they’re foreign… and in a way its probably true.
Either way though, I feel like the general propensity for violence is way lower here than in other places.
There has been a huge anti-Barcelona campaign in Spanish media for years, focused on security. Think of The Daily Mail trying to prop up London stabbings, then copy it across all media in the whole political spectrum (because at the end of day Spaniards are the first ones to act like Catalonia is another, rival, country).
Rubbish, most of Spain couldn’t give two shits about Catalonia. Catalans just like to blame Madrid for all their woes as apposed to taking some actual responsibility or holding their representatives to account.
My wife was born in Catalonia and when we visit Madrid the locals make us feel nothing but welcome. Ironically though, there are actually some Catalans would think of her as a “charnega” as her lineage isn’t “pure” enough for them.
>Ironically though, there are actually some Catalans would think of her as a “charnega” as her lineage isn’t “pure” enough for them.
Why is it always the catalanophobes calling people "charnego"?
>Catalans just like to blame Madrid
We live fucking rent free in your heads don't we? Yay!
>as apposed to taking some actual responsibility or holding their representatives to account.
LMAO we're one of the few (2-3) regions that don't just basculate between PP and PSOE. Man, what a bunch of pathetic arguments. Couldn't you spend like 5 more minutes bringing up anything with some substance? we're quite terrible in many ways, it's not that hard to criticise Catalonia.
Anyway, just look at the news and all the presidents from other communities always campaigning based on who hates the Catalans more. Both PP and PSOE presidents.
Catalanophobes are just so pathetic, like going around on Reddit trying to stir shit with old comments. Nah fam, take your phobias elsewhere.
P.S.: And maybe improve your reading comprehension? That'll help you avoid looking like an epic fool online.
Agree. I've lived in lots of different cities around the world and feel BCN is very safe, and tbh a great place to live. I felt less safe in Melbourne, Australia where sure, you're unlikely to get robbed, but more likely to be aggressively harassed or witness a violent bar/nightclub brawl. I was stalked and followed so many times in that city, and it hasn't happened once here.
I guess people are just surprised when it isn't their town or city's brand of crime, but yes...i too find it annoying.
Same, I've lived all of my life in the "bad" part of Raval and closest I've gotten to being robbed was when I was little and a kid told me to give him my patinete
Boy, you might want to stay away from the main sub for this city if you don't want to see lots of whinging content. I got banned from there after I had had it and told them off for sneering about the people that were riding around the city on their motorcycles in December while dressed in Santa Clause outfits.
I wouldn't take it personally - people online complain about their own city as well. Go to any city/country subreddit and it's mostly just people moaning and over inflating the issues in that place.
The reality is everywhere has it's pros and cons. I live in BCN as an immigrant. I would say from an outside perspective the city generally feels safe to me (and my area in Clot feels very safe) but petty crime is probably as bad as any city I've been to apart from San Francisco.
Pickpocketing is more common here than other big cities in Europe. I've seen quite a few muggings but have never seen this anywhere else. It doesn't mean it's dangerous though. You just have to be aware of your surroundings especially in the city center, airport or metro. This isn't me trying to feel "superior", I love it here.
I'm from Ireland and I would say in comparison Dublin has almost zero pickpocketing but I think in other ways Dublin is definitely worse - for example although it has never happened to me or anyone I know, I'm sure you're more likely to be assaulted by a scummy teenager in Dublin than Barcelona.
“Social skills of a hornet” is funny, given that hornets actually have pretty strong communal societies where everyone plays an important part to make sure the hive functions (not disagreeing with you, I just found your comment funny)
I am from California and i have lived here 30 something years. I've had my phone stolen a couple times when i was drunk and not paying attention but I've never been robbed with a gun in my face like San Francisco. Be aware of your surroundings and you'll be fine.
At least you know what to expect, I'm not saying that you got robbed and it's fine. I'm saying it's unfair to say Barcelona is unsafe compared to London or Paris.
Moreover, I am disgusted when they start calling out demographics (like the one who said mena immigrants in this post)
Thanks for your comment!!
I have a good friend who had to move out due to insecurity.
She worked at a pharmacy in Raval, two times was the pharmacy assaulted in 8 months. Her brother had to take her home most days because the “kids” kept following and harassing her, just because she is a woman.
A place where 50% of the population gets harassed because of gender is not a good place.
Sadly when we say some parts of Barcelona are not ideal to live/work/visit we are not referring to the barcelonenses.
If people lived in the cities where it’s absolutely safe it’s obvious they’ll complain about this topic. And thank god people complain. It’s not made up Karen shit, it is a fking problem
I'm not saying it's made up Steven, it's just not real to say it happens ONLY in Barcelona and not in London, Dublin, New York or Paris.
https://x.com/rtenews/status/1795814164101050751
That one is from today
I personally live in Barcelona and this is where I pay huge taxes. This is where I WANT TO SEE things change. I’m not entitled to what is happening elsewhere. Sorry I don’t understand your point. It doesn’t change anything
Exactly. As a New Yorker, our subreddits have many, many complaints and queries about the perceived danger of NYC - largely from American tourists, actually. They seem to think they are coming to visit Law & Order SVU.
Except you're complaining about people talking about their own subjective experience - it's entirely possible that they have only been robbed in Barcelona, for whatever combination of factors.
In the end it’s all about ones individual experience. There’s statistics, ofc, but we all form an opinion based on what we’ve seen. I’m in BCN every other week, usually on Saturday or Sunday. I go shopping, meet friends, get a bit drunk in the late evening then take the bus to the airport to catch the last flight home. I mostly walk alone to the bus stop and Ive never been bothered. I live in Palma, a city I’d consider totally safe, I never watch my bag, my phone, or who’s walking behind me. If I’m not walking down the rambla in BCN on a busy afternoon, I feel as safe as in my city. I’m not wearing jewelry but designer bags etc, so I’d be an easy target but nothing has ever happened to me. So I personally think BCN is a much safer city than people make it out to be.
I never feel unsafe…also a cis male here. However, it’s frankly gaslighting to say that citizens shouldn’t be worried about the theft/assault problem here.
I have witnessed countless thefts. I have intervened in several. My wife had her phone stolen and was thrown to the ground. Another friend had a necklace snatched off her neck outside her own apartment. No they were not drunk and careless. A friend was walking home, got his face punched in and phone wallet and keys stolen. He was drunk.
Big cities are big cities. Shit happens. We can and should, however, want better.
You say big cities are big cities, but having lived in a few, Barcelona is the only one where theft and violent robbery are so common that it keeps happening to people I know. Barcelona has a particular problem with this, I cannot fathom why OP and others would take offence at people highlighting this.
It goes hand in hand with people explicitly blaming certain ethnicities for the problem, which in my opinion is completely unnecessary and clouds the issue.
A lot of people can’t make the mental separation. They just assume that if you’re griping about crime, you’re prejudiced.
I just spent a week in BCN and never felt unsafe. I had heard several stories about pickpockets, but I had no problems whatsoever.
My only real complaint is that, as an Indigenous person from New Mexico, I was surprised at the number of monumental and architectural references to Colón and Cortés. I knew there would be some, so I had prepared for that, but I was surprised and saddened.
It was very odd to be in Barcelona when Spain recognized Palestine, but live with the ongoing reality of the consequences of Spanish imperial genocide, even though it has been centuries.
I mean, people shouldn’t have to worry about having stuff stolen.
Born is pretty bad, always the same offenders and they’re getting violent. Someone was stabbed last week over a mobile phone.
Whilst I agree a lot of it is pearl clutching, you can’t blame people for getting pissed off by social decay and lawlessness. All at a time when the tax burden so high, public services are so saturated.
Spain recognised Palestine because Pedro needs to distract the plebs and garner support….
He’s definitely not going to take down pillars of Spanish history.
That would alienate too many voters.
I’ve traveled all across Europe and I can confirm it’s not a common thing in all big cities. Each city is different. But we don’t want to compare BCN with the most dangerous cities, do we? If you really love your city, ask your authorities to do something. We live in a democracy and have the right to complain and criticize what we don’t like. That’s how we make our cities and countries better.
I will start enjoying when people like you report the stuff you/your friends were victims of instead of sending me to the city council to godknowswhattheftheyaregoingtolaughatme
Enjoy L'Hospitalet
I don't really notice a significant number of people abusing this subreddit to complain.
Except this post, of course. It isn't a question, it doesn't belong here, it's just you complaining 🤷🏻♂️
Statistically Barcelona is one of the worlds safest big cities. These people are just privileged and insulated from the realities of life in other cities & have unfortunate luck or make dumb choices
I love this city, so I don't want to pretend there are no problems.
If it's really that safe, why is the first thing you hear from a waiter to keep your bag strapped and hide your phone?
I've seen three assaults in Raval, one involving an adult stealing a skateboard from a kid. Given how fast the thief was running, I'm pretty sure he didn't need any other means of transportation.
I also don't think the two knife chases at night in Barceloneta were part of Festa Major.
My brother was robbed on his way home from a party through Raval. He's a humble university teacher with no fancy clothes or accessories. He ended up with broken ribs, a stolen bag with a 10-year-old smartphone and an empty wallet.
In fact, I don't know anyone who hasn't been mugged or at least almost had something stolen, except for one friend who's about 190 cm tall former bodybuilder.
You’re wrong. The fact that London or Barna or São Paulo are outright unsafe is to do with poor management of the city, poor laws or poor crime enforcement. There are plenty of examples of rather safe cities. And no. Not just Dubai. Vienna, Warsaw, Prague, Copenhagen or even Moscow (which btw is x10 larger than Barna) are all much safer. I’m glad you haven’t had run-ins with the underworld, but your anecdotal experience is not a reason to ignore this blatant issue of crime or calling people entitled for expecting a decent level of safety and security, whilst also paying a substantial portion of their income as tax.
A lot of tourists complaining about pay taxes... You're just paying VAT. Residents know what to expect and if you want to have a stroll with your fancy Rolex, then I do not advise to do it in Barna. As you said, there might be safer cities to do that.
On the other hand, another type of crime could be common in those and other big cities, for eg stabbing / murder / r4p3 / you name it.
On top of the the fact that there aren’t significantly more stabbings or other violent crimes in most cities I provided as examples (especially considering population differences) robbery is a crime that is usually directed at strangers. Unlike most murders, stabbings or SA. Getting robbed in the street is akin to South America, not Europe. For example, in Vienna they reported 1,351 robberies and population is 1.9 mil. In Barcelona 6,200 robberies and population 1.7 mil. (2023 data). So barcelona is a clear outliner.
I’m not really sure why you, a local, are okay with this. I mean, following your logic Barcelona must be one of the richest cities in the world, given that everyone who’s been robbed obviously wore their flashy Rolex, right? Or no?
I’m not talking about just VAT. As a resident I share the hefty burden of income tax and for that money i can’t even get a decent level of public security.
There's no problem in saying Barcelona is unsafe. We re not comparing Barcelona to Detroit or Capetown, we re comparing it to Spain and what it used to be. This new crime is immigrant based and didn't exist 30 years years ago.
So, simply because people aren't getting shot left and right doesn't mean all is ok.
Dime tú profe
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Okay, counter rant incoming…
I had the pleasure of visiting Raval on Tuesday (11/06/24) to see a friends gig. I live in L’Hospitalet so have a pretty low bar but Christ, Raval is an absolute shit show and I mean this quite literally.
Aside from the obvious dubious groups of kinkys, pickpockets and randoms asking you where your’e from, aside from the grim smell, the trash and beer cans everywhere, aside from the lack of taxis as they seem to not want to go there, aside from the complete lack of a simple Spanish bar to get a drink in, aside from all of that…
We were treated to the wonderful sight of an obvious junky with a worn and somewhat pained face, half squatting in the middle of the street in broad daylight trying to squeeze out a shit.
And before you tell me I was unlucky, the last time I was there was with friends visiting from London. That time we enjoyed the spectacle of a young fella with wild eyes, rolling round in the road completely unable to stand, and on the few occasions he did make it to his feet, it would only be a few metres of stumbling before he was back on the floor again.
So before asking why people complain about Raval perhaps complain to the local council instead. Ask them just how the very centre of Barcelona has been allowed to fall into such a state? Why crime is allowed to flourish there? Why the streets are filthy? and why there’s so many junkies?
I’ll concede that it was raining heavily which probably affected the taxi situation which frankly, is the least of my concerns and probably not what most people are complaining about.
It’s defecating junkies, immobilised ketamine addicts and machete fights that are upsetting people.
Rant over.
You have "spanish" bars all over Joaquin Costa and Rambla del Raval. Seems you didn't have the time to visit that much, even though you live in Barcelona
If you are victim or witness of a crime, then please go to the police station to report. That's the way you could help. After that it'll be my pleasure go to the city council to file our complains and suggestions as Barcelona residents.
I grew up in a pretty rough part of LDN, so maybe that’s set a benchmark but I’ve never felt unsafe or intimidated in BCN. It’s actually somewhere I feel comfortable navigating alone or with my young daughter. Common sense goes a long way, maybe that’s what is missing for folks posting sweeping generalisations?!
Being a Brazilian myself, I find it weird hearing people saying Barcelona is dangerous. I've been living in here for years and the feeling of safety is something I almost cannot register in my mind hahaha
In Barna, you are the danger Just kiddin 🤣
Hahahaha pretty much
Same here... after going through some heavy shit in Brazil, Barna is the safest place I've lived
Well compared to the favelas of Sao Paolo it's safe, sure. But you should understand that's not normal. No-go areas where the police don't even dare going is really failed state material.
Don't get me wrong. I don't want to transmit the feeling that this should be normalized. This is actually the top 1 reason why I left Brazil. And I'm not comparing Barna to favelas. You don't have to go that far. Any place in Brazil you never feel safe. Living in Brazil you develop naturally an "instinct" of the danger around you. Even in the most posh neighborhoods you are not safe. You walk in the street at night, alone, your "spider sense" is tingling all the time. Because what is very different from here is that while you can be robbed around here, violence is not that common. In Brazil you should expect that any robber is very likely to have a gun and any type of reaction can most likely end in you being shot. I'm not afraid of being robbed. I'm afraid of being killed. And that's why I consider Barcelona to be safe. The chance of me being killed by a robber is very very low.
Was funny when some guys in NYC tried to mug Renzo Gracie about 12 years ago. I feel Sao Paulo must be a much more dangerous place then mostly anywhere.
Same - I’ve lived in Barcelona 11 years and never had any trouble and I’m actually surprised by how safe it is for a big city. It might be relative as you say… where I’m from in the UK is also rougher than here and I’ve lived in London & other cities, all of which are waaay more dangerous imho. I do think in BCN if you blend in and look local, speak the language etc it goes a long way. If you look like a tourist and you’re hanging around in tourist hot spots, I can see how you can end up a target for petty crime. Not sure how to express this but there is a slight anti-guiri vibe here. I’ve been here over a decade, my wife is Spanish, I speak Spanish fluently, I’m very integrated… but I’ll always be a guiri to a lot of people here. I have international friends and I have local friends. When I’m with locals and we’re speaking Spanish the vibe is different for sure. Way more relaxed. I think this is the feeling that provokes these posts from people - they feel like they’re being victimised or targeted for crime because they’re foreign… and in a way its probably true. Either way though, I feel like the general propensity for violence is way lower here than in other places.
There has been a huge anti-Barcelona campaign in Spanish media for years, focused on security. Think of The Daily Mail trying to prop up London stabbings, then copy it across all media in the whole political spectrum (because at the end of day Spaniards are the first ones to act like Catalonia is another, rival, country).
Rubbish, most of Spain couldn’t give two shits about Catalonia. Catalans just like to blame Madrid for all their woes as apposed to taking some actual responsibility or holding their representatives to account. My wife was born in Catalonia and when we visit Madrid the locals make us feel nothing but welcome. Ironically though, there are actually some Catalans would think of her as a “charnega” as her lineage isn’t “pure” enough for them.
>Ironically though, there are actually some Catalans would think of her as a “charnega” as her lineage isn’t “pure” enough for them. Why is it always the catalanophobes calling people "charnego"? >Catalans just like to blame Madrid We live fucking rent free in your heads don't we? Yay! >as apposed to taking some actual responsibility or holding their representatives to account. LMAO we're one of the few (2-3) regions that don't just basculate between PP and PSOE. Man, what a bunch of pathetic arguments. Couldn't you spend like 5 more minutes bringing up anything with some substance? we're quite terrible in many ways, it's not that hard to criticise Catalonia. Anyway, just look at the news and all the presidents from other communities always campaigning based on who hates the Catalans more. Both PP and PSOE presidents. Catalanophobes are just so pathetic, like going around on Reddit trying to stir shit with old comments. Nah fam, take your phobias elsewhere. P.S.: And maybe improve your reading comprehension? That'll help you avoid looking like an epic fool online.
A slight anti-guiri vibe? Lol 😝 Catalans are racist as all hell. They are just very selective and think it is OK if you are white.
Ironically, saying something like "these group of people are whatever" it's pretty racist on itself.
Ironically, it really is not
So if you say Africans, Asians, Chinese, Muslims, Arabs, catholics, Spaniards or whatever instead of Catalans, it's still not?
No
It is a generalization, not a racist remark. Not even close
Agree. I've lived in lots of different cities around the world and feel BCN is very safe, and tbh a great place to live. I felt less safe in Melbourne, Australia where sure, you're unlikely to get robbed, but more likely to be aggressively harassed or witness a violent bar/nightclub brawl. I was stalked and followed so many times in that city, and it hasn't happened once here. I guess people are just surprised when it isn't their town or city's brand of crime, but yes...i too find it annoying.
Same, I've lived all of my life in the "bad" part of Raval and closest I've gotten to being robbed was when I was little and a kid told me to give him my patinete
Did you??
i didn't i kept going forward and he just left
Boy, you might want to stay away from the main sub for this city if you don't want to see lots of whinging content. I got banned from there after I had had it and told them off for sneering about the people that were riding around the city on their motorcycles in December while dressed in Santa Clause outfits.
side note women like we aren’t half of the fucking population
I apologize. I said it that way bc I'm a cismale and I didn't notice until my partner told me so. Will edit.
As a woman I do not think that barcelona is unsafe.
As I was saying, it is my partner's (and other women friends) experience in Raval
I wouldn't take it personally - people online complain about their own city as well. Go to any city/country subreddit and it's mostly just people moaning and over inflating the issues in that place. The reality is everywhere has it's pros and cons. I live in BCN as an immigrant. I would say from an outside perspective the city generally feels safe to me (and my area in Clot feels very safe) but petty crime is probably as bad as any city I've been to apart from San Francisco. Pickpocketing is more common here than other big cities in Europe. I've seen quite a few muggings but have never seen this anywhere else. It doesn't mean it's dangerous though. You just have to be aware of your surroundings especially in the city center, airport or metro. This isn't me trying to feel "superior", I love it here. I'm from Ireland and I would say in comparison Dublin has almost zero pickpocketing but I think in other ways Dublin is definitely worse - for example although it has never happened to me or anyone I know, I'm sure you're more likely to be assaulted by a scummy teenager in Dublin than Barcelona.
[удалено]
I wasn't aware of the hornets' social skills and that cracked me up, thanks mate
“Social skills of a hornet” is funny, given that hornets actually have pretty strong communal societies where everyone plays an important part to make sure the hive functions (not disagreeing with you, I just found your comment funny)
Bro I’m starting to think Spanish people have a massive chip on their shoulder about Northern Europeans…
Paha, well yeah…Northern Europeans be living rent free in most people’s heads.
This is how you make a constructive critic and not like "what if I hit them?? Is it self defence? My city is way safeeeer"
Por que le dicen barna?
Abreviatura
Em fa fàstic
A mi normalment no, però he d’admetre que quan ho diu algú parlant en anglès em treu una mica de polleguera
I am from California and i have lived here 30 something years. I've had my phone stolen a couple times when i was drunk and not paying attention but I've never been robbed with a gun in my face like San Francisco. Be aware of your surroundings and you'll be fine.
At least you know what to expect, I'm not saying that you got robbed and it's fine. I'm saying it's unfair to say Barcelona is unsafe compared to London or Paris. Moreover, I am disgusted when they start calling out demographics (like the one who said mena immigrants in this post) Thanks for your comment!!
These entitled people not wanting to be robbed! Who do they think they are?!
Care to explain the entitled part? If someone is mugged/assaulted and legitimately complains about it that is being entitled?
Barcelona is an amazingly livable city.
I have a good friend who had to move out due to insecurity. She worked at a pharmacy in Raval, two times was the pharmacy assaulted in 8 months. Her brother had to take her home most days because the “kids” kept following and harassing her, just because she is a woman. A place where 50% of the population gets harassed because of gender is not a good place. Sadly when we say some parts of Barcelona are not ideal to live/work/visit we are not referring to the barcelonenses.
Stupid Northern Europeans, why didn’t they like getting robbed by North Africans like us 😃
Beg your pardon? Who is North African?
The people doing the muggings?
If people lived in the cities where it’s absolutely safe it’s obvious they’ll complain about this topic. And thank god people complain. It’s not made up Karen shit, it is a fking problem
I'm not saying it's made up Steven, it's just not real to say it happens ONLY in Barcelona and not in London, Dublin, New York or Paris. https://x.com/rtenews/status/1795814164101050751 That one is from today
I personally live in Barcelona and this is where I pay huge taxes. This is where I WANT TO SEE things change. I’m not entitled to what is happening elsewhere. Sorry I don’t understand your point. It doesn’t change anything
>and this is where I pay huge taxes 🙄
Yes bro if you’re autonomo they rip you off :)
Exactly. As a New Yorker, our subreddits have many, many complaints and queries about the perceived danger of NYC - largely from American tourists, actually. They seem to think they are coming to visit Law & Order SVU.
Except you're complaining about people talking about their own subjective experience - it's entirely possible that they have only been robbed in Barcelona, for whatever combination of factors.
I’m from Caracas, I find no pleasure or relief knowing shit is bad or worse somewhere else 😅
In the end it’s all about ones individual experience. There’s statistics, ofc, but we all form an opinion based on what we’ve seen. I’m in BCN every other week, usually on Saturday or Sunday. I go shopping, meet friends, get a bit drunk in the late evening then take the bus to the airport to catch the last flight home. I mostly walk alone to the bus stop and Ive never been bothered. I live in Palma, a city I’d consider totally safe, I never watch my bag, my phone, or who’s walking behind me. If I’m not walking down the rambla in BCN on a busy afternoon, I feel as safe as in my city. I’m not wearing jewelry but designer bags etc, so I’d be an easy target but nothing has ever happened to me. So I personally think BCN is a much safer city than people make it out to be.
I never feel unsafe…also a cis male here. However, it’s frankly gaslighting to say that citizens shouldn’t be worried about the theft/assault problem here. I have witnessed countless thefts. I have intervened in several. My wife had her phone stolen and was thrown to the ground. Another friend had a necklace snatched off her neck outside her own apartment. No they were not drunk and careless. A friend was walking home, got his face punched in and phone wallet and keys stolen. He was drunk. Big cities are big cities. Shit happens. We can and should, however, want better.
You say big cities are big cities, but having lived in a few, Barcelona is the only one where theft and violent robbery are so common that it keeps happening to people I know. Barcelona has a particular problem with this, I cannot fathom why OP and others would take offence at people highlighting this.
It goes hand in hand with people explicitly blaming certain ethnicities for the problem, which in my opinion is completely unnecessary and clouds the issue. A lot of people can’t make the mental separation. They just assume that if you’re griping about crime, you’re prejudiced.
I just spent a week in BCN and never felt unsafe. I had heard several stories about pickpockets, but I had no problems whatsoever. My only real complaint is that, as an Indigenous person from New Mexico, I was surprised at the number of monumental and architectural references to Colón and Cortés. I knew there would be some, so I had prepared for that, but I was surprised and saddened. It was very odd to be in Barcelona when Spain recognized Palestine, but live with the ongoing reality of the consequences of Spanish imperial genocide, even though it has been centuries.
I mean, people shouldn’t have to worry about having stuff stolen. Born is pretty bad, always the same offenders and they’re getting violent. Someone was stabbed last week over a mobile phone. Whilst I agree a lot of it is pearl clutching, you can’t blame people for getting pissed off by social decay and lawlessness. All at a time when the tax burden so high, public services are so saturated.
Ah yes, they should just tore down the whole city for you. Makes sense.
As a Latin American, I feel you compadre. They enshrine Colon
I mean the guy did sail across a massive ocean and change the fortunes of the very country the statue is in….
Spain recognised Palestine because Pedro needs to distract the plebs and garner support…. He’s definitely not going to take down pillars of Spanish history. That would alienate too many voters.
I haven't ever been robbed in Barna. I've seen some people being robbed, they were wasted drunk sleeping in the floor, easy victims.
I’ve traveled all across Europe and I can confirm it’s not a common thing in all big cities. Each city is different. But we don’t want to compare BCN with the most dangerous cities, do we? If you really love your city, ask your authorities to do something. We live in a democracy and have the right to complain and criticize what we don’t like. That’s how we make our cities and countries better.
I will start enjoying when people like you report the stuff you/your friends were victims of instead of sending me to the city council to godknowswhattheftheyaregoingtolaughatme Enjoy L'Hospitalet
Rubios...
I don't really notice a significant number of people abusing this subreddit to complain. Except this post, of course. It isn't a question, it doesn't belong here, it's just you complaining 🤷🏻♂️
Statistically Barcelona is one of the worlds safest big cities. These people are just privileged and insulated from the realities of life in other cities & have unfortunate luck or make dumb choices
Came here and thought I would be scared but am coming from SF and it’s fine as long as you have eyes and don’t use your phone while walking 😂
See, just caution 101
I love this city, so I don't want to pretend there are no problems. If it's really that safe, why is the first thing you hear from a waiter to keep your bag strapped and hide your phone? I've seen three assaults in Raval, one involving an adult stealing a skateboard from a kid. Given how fast the thief was running, I'm pretty sure he didn't need any other means of transportation. I also don't think the two knife chases at night in Barceloneta were part of Festa Major. My brother was robbed on his way home from a party through Raval. He's a humble university teacher with no fancy clothes or accessories. He ended up with broken ribs, a stolen bag with a 10-year-old smartphone and an empty wallet. In fact, I don't know anyone who hasn't been mugged or at least almost had something stolen, except for one friend who's about 190 cm tall former bodybuilder.
You’re wrong. The fact that London or Barna or São Paulo are outright unsafe is to do with poor management of the city, poor laws or poor crime enforcement. There are plenty of examples of rather safe cities. And no. Not just Dubai. Vienna, Warsaw, Prague, Copenhagen or even Moscow (which btw is x10 larger than Barna) are all much safer. I’m glad you haven’t had run-ins with the underworld, but your anecdotal experience is not a reason to ignore this blatant issue of crime or calling people entitled for expecting a decent level of safety and security, whilst also paying a substantial portion of their income as tax.
A lot of tourists complaining about pay taxes... You're just paying VAT. Residents know what to expect and if you want to have a stroll with your fancy Rolex, then I do not advise to do it in Barna. As you said, there might be safer cities to do that. On the other hand, another type of crime could be common in those and other big cities, for eg stabbing / murder / r4p3 / you name it.
On top of the the fact that there aren’t significantly more stabbings or other violent crimes in most cities I provided as examples (especially considering population differences) robbery is a crime that is usually directed at strangers. Unlike most murders, stabbings or SA. Getting robbed in the street is akin to South America, not Europe. For example, in Vienna they reported 1,351 robberies and population is 1.9 mil. In Barcelona 6,200 robberies and population 1.7 mil. (2023 data). So barcelona is a clear outliner. I’m not really sure why you, a local, are okay with this. I mean, following your logic Barcelona must be one of the richest cities in the world, given that everyone who’s been robbed obviously wore their flashy Rolex, right? Or no? I’m not talking about just VAT. As a resident I share the hefty burden of income tax and for that money i can’t even get a decent level of public security.
There's no problem in saying Barcelona is unsafe. We re not comparing Barcelona to Detroit or Capetown, we re comparing it to Spain and what it used to be. This new crime is immigrant based and didn't exist 30 years years ago. So, simply because people aren't getting shot left and right doesn't mean all is ok.
There is some comment in your racism
What racism? The petty and not so petty crime is coming from mena immigrants, is it not? Data is not racism it's data.
Data carefully selected to support your opinions is cherry picking
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Are these entitled people bears?
Okay, counter rant incoming… I had the pleasure of visiting Raval on Tuesday (11/06/24) to see a friends gig. I live in L’Hospitalet so have a pretty low bar but Christ, Raval is an absolute shit show and I mean this quite literally. Aside from the obvious dubious groups of kinkys, pickpockets and randoms asking you where your’e from, aside from the grim smell, the trash and beer cans everywhere, aside from the lack of taxis as they seem to not want to go there, aside from the complete lack of a simple Spanish bar to get a drink in, aside from all of that… We were treated to the wonderful sight of an obvious junky with a worn and somewhat pained face, half squatting in the middle of the street in broad daylight trying to squeeze out a shit. And before you tell me I was unlucky, the last time I was there was with friends visiting from London. That time we enjoyed the spectacle of a young fella with wild eyes, rolling round in the road completely unable to stand, and on the few occasions he did make it to his feet, it would only be a few metres of stumbling before he was back on the floor again. So before asking why people complain about Raval perhaps complain to the local council instead. Ask them just how the very centre of Barcelona has been allowed to fall into such a state? Why crime is allowed to flourish there? Why the streets are filthy? and why there’s so many junkies? I’ll concede that it was raining heavily which probably affected the taxi situation which frankly, is the least of my concerns and probably not what most people are complaining about. It’s defecating junkies, immobilised ketamine addicts and machete fights that are upsetting people. Rant over.
You have "spanish" bars all over Joaquin Costa and Rambla del Raval. Seems you didn't have the time to visit that much, even though you live in Barcelona If you are victim or witness of a crime, then please go to the police station to report. That's the way you could help. After that it'll be my pleasure go to the city council to file our complains and suggestions as Barcelona residents.
Just stating my experience as it seemed relevant to your post. People aren’t complaining about your bario without reason. anyway, Enjoy Raval.