Madridboy

A FONDO ZONA CERO "Las calles más peligrosas" de España
Did anyone catch this programme last night?
I knew there was bad and good in all areas but the drug taking and sexual acts in broad daylight in some areas was terrible with little or no police presense and even less police intervention.

fionamw

Can't get terrestrial tv & haven't yet organised Spanish satellite - go on, tell us, which were the calles? which of us needs to keep our eyes peeled? In the best possible taste, you understand

Madridboy

I can't remember street names and was trying to get the info off the Antenna3 website but nothing there yet. I was watching in shock at embajadores, madrid. They covered Barcelona, Alicante, Sevilla and Valencia.
I do like the undercover reporting they do on this kind of thing, maybe it'll shame the government into doing something to clean up the images of some of these cities.
I went to Valencia once when I lived in the region but refused to pay "car protection" in a free car park near the beach so drove straight out again.

carter71

Had this in the small city of Elche once, and can definately vouch for the lack of interest from the guardia. Apparently there was "only one of him" so he wouldn't get involved or call for backup!!!

Fredbargate

I have in the past paid this but I make it clear that I will pay on my return only if my car is in the condition I left it.

steviedeluxe

You probably weren't around in Madrid in the 80s/early 90s. Street crime was terrible then. You were in danger of getting mugged even next to the Plaza Mayor, you'd get itinerants camping out overnight on the Plaza de Santa Ana, and if you think Gran Via is sleazy and a bit dangerous now, well it was like a war zone at night back then. Drug taking was really prevalent at that time (I realise it's common in some places now), and a lot of bars in say Malasana, would lock their doors at night (or use bouncers) and only allow entry if they'd given you a once-over. It may not seem so, especially if you look at documentaries like this one, but things are an awful lot better than they were. Violent muggings are not the same problem they were then (although the fear is the longer the recession lasts, the more likely this will re-appear); however pickpocket and bag-snatching seems never to have gone away. The nationality has probably changed - whereas it used to be local Spanish and/or Gitanos at the bottom of the pile, now it's more likely to be desperate Eastern Europeans or Latinos who may resort to this lifestyle.
I used to live in Nottingham in the UK which has a reputation as being a high crime city. Never really affected me as I didn't go to the dodgy areas or seek out trouble. I think it's probably the case with most people in big cities - if you knew what was happening only a few streets away you'd be shocked.

whitelinen

That activity was outlawed some time ago, there arent any now.

agoreira

Everywhere or just Valencia? I certainly saw it on Spanish TV recently in Sevilla, and not tourists, but sevillanos.

Madridboy

The bag snatching and pickpocket problem is still high as reported and filmed on the documentary although at least the police do appear to be doing something about it. In the short time we've been in Goya we've noticed a huge rise in the amount of gitanos turning the streets into their own outdoor market and illegal immigrants asking for money.

That is good neews, it's not long since they ran a programme on that as well.

agoreira

http://www.antena3videos.com/video/5...mas-peligrosas

Hondon Voyager

I wouldnt have classified Elche a small one cop city ,there is about a quarter million population there and s**t loads of cops patroling it (well seems to be anyway lol)

Sharon B

Might not happen in Valencia but still happening around here.

lunacrout

I'm in Nottingham at the moment and when we tell people back in Spain that we're from here we get all the 'bullet dodging' jokes. But we haven't had too many problems - apart from being burgled twice .

Where we are in Spain is relatively crime free - we're away from the expat urbanisations which seem to attract burglaries and are out in the campo. There is, apparently, a bit of a drug culture in our nearest small town and in the largest nearby town - Velez Malaga - there seems to be an increase in beggars - especially those sitting on the ground by cash machines
.

Sam Greenfield

Well youd know wouldnt ya - they still keep stopping ya for all ya dodgy goings on then G

carter71

I think the one cop I was talking to just didn't want to get involved.

TBH I was renting a big Lexus 4x4 and got rid soon afterwards and bought something older and inconspicious. It's fine for the Spanish to drive around in flash cars - but they know the area, the language (and probably the perps as well!). No-one gives me a second look now in Elche or Alicante and for an SWF that's fine by me!!