Petty Thievery
One of the darker elements about living in any major city in the world is the increased presence of crime. In some cities, it can be violent: aggravated assaults, rape, murder, armed robbery, etc. In the US, crime is ever-present in most places both urban and rural. While it has recently declined in some cities, according to recent statistics, there always exists the possibility of becoming a victim if only finding yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time. One of the main reasons why Les and I left the United States was the sheer preponderance of gun violence. Mass shootings resulting in multiple deaths and injuries, if not exactly commonplace, were random enough that at any point there was the chance that we might have been involved in the worst way imaginable.
In Arizona, guns are popular and gun culture is firmly established. I’m not against a total gun ban, just responsible ownership of guns. However, seeing people in restaurants, grocery stores, pizza parlors, gyns, etc. “packing heat” makes me wonder why they’re carrying a gun in a relatively non-threatening environment. So I realize that what I said earlier about mass shootings might make someone keep a weapon handy for protection. Yet, in a situation where there is one or maybe several shooters, will the “good guy with a gun” make any difference in protecting themselves or saving lives? Might they shoot innocent people who may also be trying to help. Couldn’t they also get shot by law enforcement officers arriving on the scene in the “fog” of the moment? Or might they themselves have too much to drink or suddenly snap after arguing with a spouse or store employee and decide that shooting others is the way to make their point?
Discussing American gun culture with non-Americans leaves them puzzled and sometimes shocked. It doesn’t register with them that this is an effective way of stopping crime and certainly not winning an argument. On the other hand, violent crime is not very common in much of Europe. There have been a few mass shootings lately but none on the scale of what happens regularly in the US. Usually when those events occur, they are met with stricter gun laws, additional safety measures, or increased funding for mental health resources. Crime in Barcelona and other major urban centers in Europe is limited mostly to purse-snatching or pick-pocketing. No guns involved or threats against one’s life, just loss of money or possessions. Locals have told us to be on guard for petty crimes by keeping alert and avoiding certain locales, especially at night. Nevertheless, that advice isn’t one hundred percent fool-proof as we discovered last week.
On Monday evening the 15th of January around 11 PM, Les and I were returning from a voter registration event to find out how to vote from overseas. We had dinner afterward. As with most evenings in Barcelona, the streets were fairly busy with other diners and partiers. Barcelona does not roll up its sidewalks at night unlike many American cities. We remarked that downtown Phoenix would be dead on a Monday night unless there was a game or a major concert. We headed into the metro station and as we descended the stairway, a man to my left was climbing the stairs. Oddly enough, we were surrounded by large numbers of people. This individual then thrust his left leg at my legs in an attempt to either startle or trip me. “What the fuck,” I exclaimed and pushed him away sensing this was clearly not accidental. He then came about and tried to grab my left arm and shoulder. I told him to “get the fuck off me” and pushed him away again. He lunged at me a second time and started to slide his hand into my pocket to take my iPhone. I pushed him away, yet again and yelled “get the fuck off me you mother fucker!” He then turned and ran up the steps without stealing my phone or wallet. I then turned to Les to see if he was OK. This occurred so quickly that he asked what happened. It told him that “some motherfucker tried to take my phone.” A young woman next to us heard me and expressed her shock. We then sat down and I tried to process it all. We both wondered why we might have been targeted. One of the administrators at the language school told us that these guys usually target tourists and “guiris,” a disparaging term for foreigners. She recommended we not wear baseball caps since they scream “tourist!” So we bought ourselves some really cool Catalan gorros in hopes of blending in a bit better. Plus we’re keeping a tighter grip on our valuables. I wasn’t so concerned about losing my iPhone in terms of its cost, but more so because of the hassle that would have been involved replacing it.
Lest anyone think this has soured us on living in Barcelona, it hasn’t. After all, we live in a city, not Disneyland. These types of things can be expected but it’s better than worrying about getting shot or attacked for being gay. When I lived in Center City Philadelphia, my apartment was robbed and the windows on my car were smashed twice during the 1980s. Les had his car windows broken in Baltimore in the 90s and his house was broken into in Scottsdale in the 2010s (losing computer and photography equipment as a result). In other words, these types of things can happen anywhere, sometimes though they can be worse than others.
Note: I apologize for the use of the “f” word but I felt the need to report as accurately as possible.
