Street Performers in Barcelona
Las Ramblas is Barcelona’s busiest street and is known for many things, one being street performers. All the performers have different quirky and spontaneous personalities. Each performer doing his/her job to keep the tourists entertained along their stroll down this long busy street. Many of these act as ‘Human Statues’ looking for loose change, and when money is dropped into their hat or box in front of them they grace the tourist with a special performance. Reading an article on “the Statues of Las Ramblas- Barcelona’s Creative Works” I found that many people have been performing as statues for many years and the competition between costume’s and performance’s is very intense in these economic times.
http://gospain.about.com/od/barcelon1/ig/Las-Ramblas-Street-Performers/
http://www.oh-barcelona.com/en/blog/2009/bcn-life/interviews/street-performers-barcelona-2117
Traffic in Barcelona
Barcelona has one of the highest amounts of traffic accidents in the whole world. On average and accident occurs every 19 seconds in Barcelona. These roads are jam packed with cars, motorcycles and pedestrians. In traffic survey carried out 50% of people in Barcelona said their main mode of transport was driving. This is a large volume of cars to have on the road. Although since the 1992 Olympics the roads and road conditions have improved majorly. As well as that drivers in Barcelona are said to be more patient and cautious than other drivers in Spain in general.
http://www.euroresidentes.com/euroresiuk/travel-spain/driving-in-barcelona.htm
http://www.numbeo.com/traffic/city_result.jsp?country=Spain&city=Barcelona
http://www.ehow.com/about_6614415_unusual-barcelona.html
Thieves in Barcelona
According to the Daily Mail, Barcelona is the “pickpocket capital of the world”. Similar to the drug scene ‘Las Ramblas’ the main street seems to be where all the action is. There are tips given all over the internet as how to avoid these pickpockets. Mainly do not dress like a tourist, Spanish locals don’t walk through the city centre dressed in shorts. Wear a bag that is securely attached to you, with two straps if possible and don’t keep wallets in your back pocket. Standing on busy streets with large maps of the city is a clean give away that you are a tourist which is asking to be robbed. The thieves in Barcelona have many theories from spilling something on your clothes and offering to help clean you up, to begging at your table in a restaurant. They are good at what they do and have many ‘drop off points’ around the city to make their plan fool proof.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1215982/Barcelona-pickpocket-capital-world.html
http://www.robbedinbarcelona.com/2012/11/15/a-drop-off-point-for-barcelonas-snatched-bags/
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g187497-c151180/Barcelona:Spain:Theft.In.Barcelona.html
http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/general/safety/barcelona-safety.html
http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/general/safety/barcelona-pickpockets.html
Drugs in Barcelona
70,000 doses of cocaine is sniffed daily in Barcelona, this is one of the world’s highest numbers per inhabitant. This was revealed by testing urine in the city’s sewage water. According the Lise Bank Hornung’s interview cocaine is everywhere in Barcelona and “if you don’t do it, you’re strange”. “Hashis, speed, extasis, coka muy Buena” can be heard from many street corners off La Rambla, Barcelona’s main street. The quality of these drugs is questionable according to police sources many of them mixed with other substances eg. Crushed paracetamol . Spain is number one in the world for cocaine consumption. In Europe less than 4% of people have admitted to trying cocaine, in Spain more than 8% admitted.
http://www.lisehornung.dk/cocaine-is-okay-in-barcelona
http://www.barcelonareporter.com/index.php?/news/comments/drug_trafficking_on_the_streets_of_barcelona/
Homelessness in Barcelona
According to the Network of Care for Homeless, there are an estimated 2891 homeless in Barcelona. 838 of these people are living on the street and the remaining either in residential resources of government and social organizations or living in settlements. 14.2% of homeless people get their income from begging and 46% of homeless people have children. During economic crisis unemployment rose to 20% which is a huge reason as why homelessness also rose, it is now 32.1% more than it was four years ago. Ways of preventing homelessness is to raise awareness and help to enable rehabilitation.
http://www.arrelsfundacio.org/en/what-we-know/homeless
http://homelessness.samhsa.gov/Resource/Report-from-Barcelona-Fostering-Social-Inclusion-to-End-Homelessness-50139.aspx
http://500px.com/photo/5653164
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