Barcelona II
Funny you should mention the barcelona underground system.

Was interrailing with 5 mates & ended up in Barcelona underground. They're all sitting down while I'm holding onto the bars near the doors. A young man on my left (with a plaster cast on his arm - still not sure why) grabs my left arm in a joking way to steady himself because the train is swaying so much.

As the train is barely swaying at all, I thought it was a bit strange. Then I feel something about my right hip and an older man is using a newspaper as cover for pickpocketing me!

Having never been pickpocketed before, I was unsure of the ettiquite, so I said firmly (in English) "could you please take your hand out of my pocket?"

He seemed to get the message and they both got out at the next stop. I hasten to add that I am very much of the 'take what you want and don't hurt me' school of thought, and I still have no idea what possessed me to confront this guy.

I think it was the fact I was bewildered by the most amateur pickpocketing attempt ever! I could easily feel his hand, ffs!

(btw he wouldn't have found much any way as we were down to our last couple of pesos and I (like every good interrailer) had all me valuables in a sweaty pocket next to my belly!)

Agreed though, Baracelona is a beautiful place and beautiful women do tend to walk on the beach sans tops, which, when you're seventeen, well...you can imagine.
(drfusion, Fri 16 Jun 2006, 0:39, Reply)