Barcelona airport robbery - a warning for wheelchair users & carers

Just wanted to alert other disabled cruisers to this...

Last week on their return journey my parents in-law had their cabin bag stolen from right beside them at Barcelona airport. My father in law was struggling to get down from the transfer coach to his waiting wheelchair and was being assisted by the Celebrity rep responsible for the coach. He was struggling and fearing that he was about to take a tumble down the steps my mother in law jumped in to assist too and in those few seconds his bag was stolen from right beside the waiting wheelchair :(

Unfortunately the bag contained a large amount of cash but thankfully not their passports.

Please, please be on your guard in these situations and do not leave go of your valuables for even a second. Please think through how you can move from transport to wheelchair whilst still keeping your bag safe.

Hindsight is a great thing and in this case my father in law should have used a money belt or one of the round the neck types, or he should have got off the coach leaving his bag on it and then had his bag passed to him. My mother in law could not have held the bag and had her hands free to assist him. He has a lot of difficulty with his mobility now and so they were very vulnerable for that short time. It sickens me to think that thieves are on the lookout for people who are so vulnerable :(

It's unfortunate that this happend to your parents-in-law. It's certainly not exclusive to wheelchair users and carers or the Barcelona airport for that matter. Bottom line I think your message is for everyone to be carefull where they place their money and always try not to leave your belongings unattended if possible.

Thanks for the reminder ! :)

Unfortunately Barcelona is well known for all kinds of personal thefts. That the thief got cash will encourage him/her to steal again and soon.

Camera bags go missing very easily as well.

I am so sorry this happened. Barcelona is known for this kind of thing, unfortunately. While other big cities do have crime problems, Barcelona seems to be in a league of their own on this. Whenever we've stopped in Barcelona we've always been warned about how clever the thieves are in that city.

Why isn't Barcelona boycotted? The police would soon smarten up their acts if the tourist money dropped significantly.

It's a fascinating city with so much to see -- I would not let this incident deter you from going.

Thanks for the kind words. I agree Barcelona is a hot spot for this type of crime and that it's not just wheelchair users who are at risk. I think the point I was trying to make was that my parents in law let their guard down for just a few seconds whilst distracted by the difficulties in moving my father from the coach to the chair and in that time the bag was gone. I agree Barcelona is an amazing city and would certainly not want people to miss it just to be extremely vigilant.

The question of why Barcelona doesn't do something about all the stealing is an excellent one. Having been there once for a long stay, I am not sure that I would go out of my way to return.

The question of why Barcelona doesn't do something about all the stealing is an excellent one. Having been there once for a long stay, I am not sure that I would go out of my way to return.

I guess you could say this about a lot of cities. Just look at what happened in Rio this morning. I've been to Rio twice and will go out of my way to not go to that city again. And they awarded the Olympics to that place?

If you are going to travel, you are also going to be vulnerable to thieves. Whether you are a PWD or an AB, you are equally at risk. You need to keep your guard up, and follow well-known guidelines for big cities. Rio, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Rome, Paris, London, etc. all are known to be attractive to pick-pockets and opportunistic thieves.

When we were in Barcelona a couple on our walking tour (ABs) were robbed. They took all their credit cards, and a large amount of cash off the ship with them (after being advised not to do so), and kept it in a fanny back on the man's back. A thief sliced it with a razor blade and took it all. We had one credit card and a small amount of cash in a money belt, and had no problems, other than to hear the complaints of the couple that got robbed throughout our tour.

Never set anything down that you expect to see again. Don't carry large amounts of cash, and take only ID and credit cards you absolutely must have. Don't take your wallet with every card in your life on any trip. Don't carry things in your pockets, or in a fanny pack on your back. If you wear a fanny pack on the front, keep a hand on it all the time. Never keep valuables in a wheelchair backpack. Always give copies of your passport to your companions, and you keep a copy of theirs. Leave expensive jewelry on the ship or at home. Invest in a money belt or under-clothing money pack. Don't avoid going...just be smart.

Well, everyone is entitled to his/her opinion, but I don't live my life in fear that I might be the victim of a crime. I had my purse snatched in a restaurant in New York City once, but that didn't keep me from going back to experience the great things that the city has to offer. I agree that you have to be vigilant, and personally I don't carry much cash either at home or abroad.

My husband and I will be embarking on a cruise from Barcelona this fall. We are staying for 2 nights precruise and arriving at the airport. We have never been there before, although we have traveled all over Europe with his scooter and a wheelchair.

I can't believe the number of warnings I have been reading about Barcelona. I'm sure we will be fine once we get to the hotel and put our important things and money in the hotel safe. We don't carry much with us when walking around sightseeing.

I'm really worried now about getting from the airport to the hotel. I am always making sure that my husband can get off of the scooter and into or out of a vehicle safely. I can understand, Sarah, how easily this theft could happen to your parents in law.

So

We can take a taxi from the airport (I just wonder how safe the loading area is).

Or

We can hire a service to meet us. Would this be safer?

Another problem is that our hotel is located in the Barri Gotic and is a pedestrian only area. I've asked the hotel if the cab or service can drop us off at the front door. They don't seem to be sure. If we aren't dropped off at the front door, we have to walk from Placa Catalunya (about 5 minutes) and I'll be rolling the 2 suitcases while he rides the scooter. This will be around 10:30 AM.

Don't know if I should be so concerned.

Should we take a cab off the lot or have a driver meet us when we land at Barcelona?

Thanks for any help you can give us.

Judy

Hi, I really think you will be safe taking a taxi at the airport!!

Remember you only hear from those folks who have had a prob so the great majority of us never write to tell you we had no trouble at all!!!

I am quite surprised that your hotel does not know if a taxi can stop there?? Perhaps you need a different hotel? Does your DH need a really accessible one?

Hi Riff,

My husband doesn't need an accessible cab. Just one with a larger trunk to fit the scooter in (we had a Mercedes in Greece that was perfect, but a prearranged pick up). He has to sit in the front seat also.

We need a roll-in shower accessible room which this hotel has. He can't step over a tub very well if the bars aren't placed right. There aren't many hotels in Barcelona with roll in showers. I'll email them again about the dropoff site.

I'm probably upset for nothing. We just don't take cabs much and don't speak Spanish or Catalan.

Thanks for the reply.

Judy

Hi Daju,

Just write down the name of the hotel and its address and show that to the taxi driver. He will know what to do. I just don't like hotels that do not give good service and so if the hotel cannot tell you that the taxi CAN drive up to it I might consider another one.

I believe there was a post last year from folks who found my usual hotel to be accessible. They will at least answer you and you definitely can take a taxi to it. It is the Onix Rambla at 24 Rambla Catalunya which is just above Placa Catalunya.

BTW What is the name of your hotel??

Thanks Riff,

I'll check Onix Rambla out and email them about accessibility. I already have it marked in favorites. I think I wanted to be closer to Ramblas and the Catedral.

Our hotel is Catalonia Catedral. Like I said it's newer and has the walk-in shower. I have to email a hotel lots of times so they understand what we require. Here's the link to it.

http://www.hoteles-catalonia.com/en/our_hotels/europa/spain/catalunya/barcelona/hotel_catalonia_catedral/index.jsp

It's mostly highly rated on Trip Advisor too.

Judy

If you are emailing the hotel in English, there may not be much mutual understanding going on.

The taxi drop off question and the poor answer may be a misunderstanding.

Have someone who speaks Spanish email for you or a telephone call. Remember in Spain they use a 24 hour clock for making appointments. I you say 6 pm, they may do the appointment for 6am. If you want the real 6 pm, it is 18:00 hours.

Penny,

So true about misunderstanding. I'll try again, but usually receive very good answers in English. It's just that everyone's accessible needs are so different.

I know about the 24 hour clock. Confusing so I count on my fingers after 12 noon!

Wish I knew Spanish. It would be much easier.

Thanks,

Judy

Thank you for posting this. All of us need to be on our guard when in new surroundings. This happened to my mother's friend in Barcelona.:)

DAJU, The Google map on the hotel web site shows one way streets nearby so it certainly looks like cars can get within one block if not to the actual front door. I KNOW for sure that Via Laetana is a busy street with cars so perhaps they did not answer because they misunderstood the question.

I think you will be just fine there!

I hope you enjoy your trip!!

Riff,

I emailed again and they said that definitely to the front door or the back door. Very relieved here. If the taxi driver is confused, they said I could ask him to call the hotel for directions (why didn't I think of that?)

I'm glad you think we can get at least a block from the hotel. You've helped alot.

Thank you,

Judy

Hi Judy,

When are you going and on which ship? I will be on Costa Conncordia on Oct 15. Will be spending 14th, 22nd, 23rd and 24th in Barcelona. Staying at Hotel Onix Fira and Hello BCN. Will also be on Celebrity Century on the 25th. Would be neat if we were on the same ship.

Ruth

Hey Ruth!!!

Wish we were on the same ship too. We're on Constellation for the Nov. 6 transatlantic. Maybe someday we'll meet. Glad you're still riding and touring around the world. You are a great inspiration to us.

Have a super vacation.

Judy

unfortunately, Barcelona does have a reputation for theft from the criminal element, whether you are disabled or not, but it is more despicable when they pick on the more vunerable. Apparentley, it is so commonplace that the police just issue you with paperwork for insurance claims with no real hope of catching the criminals . I hope this didn't ruin your whole trip .