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Next time you meet the person who told you that give them a friendly slap
You can explain that some jokes aren't funny
What a bizarre and misleading thing to say! Did you get any other tidbits of advice from this person?
Just the usual but this question is something I hadn't heard before and I couldn't find any past posts. Thanks for responding
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www.spainmadesimple.com
Thank you for the link, that was very informative.I include a link to an article that purports to explain the separate sections of policing in Spain. The article is popular, rather than official.There is a positive relationship on the part of the different branches of the police throughout Spain towards pilgrims, from my observation of posts on this forum, and also in Portugal.
In addition, the C20th history in certain parts of the peninsula might surface not so positive feedback from citizens who suffered somewhat from the way one of the branches (National? I am not sure) operated. That is anecdotal, not scientific information, so I will not elaborate.
Police in Spain: Guardia Civil, Policia Local & National Police...
There are basically 3 divisions of the police force in Spain; Guardia Civil; Local Police and National Police.
I actually thought about that same movie scene, when he told me. He had done the Camino 2 years ago and didn't say why he had that opinion but, said it as some warning. This is why I appreciate you and others for answering, my question.LOL. Who told you that?
Maybe they watched 'The Way' and formed that opinion when Tom gets arrested for being Drunk and Disorderly
Cool the local police stations have stamps?The Spanish and Portuguese police have only one mission regarding pilgrims: assure them that they're present in case of any necessity and ready to help pilgrims in any way they can.
Both times I met Spanish policemen on CF, I had a great conversation with them and even a nice stamp
I'm not sure about police stations, but I reckon that they might.
If this is your friend's personal experience, perhaps they might explain to you what they were doing that led to this experience. It just seems so out of context with my personal experience in both Spain and Portugal, where police have always been polite, respectful and helpful.
Last year special mobile units of the Guardia Civil were set up to patrol the Camino Frances during the busiest periods. Each unit was issued with a specially designed Camino sello which they could give to pilgrims they met.
my exact thoughts … the advice “ to avoid them”, is odd advice. This person who told you this should answer the question I suspect for best info….
There is a great app called ALERTCOPS in Spain which allows you to call for assistance if needed.
Absolutely the opposite. I was actually stopped crossing a road by an officer who asked if I was walking alone. He gave me a card with a number to call if I felt unsafe, was lost, or injured. Very nice.
As you can see the advice given by this person could not be further from the truth. Yes there may be individual instances of a problem. Ask yourself, maybe the problem is with this person and not the police. I always tell people who ask about safety on this forum or who I have helped face to face to download the AlertCops app so you can call the police and speak to an English speaking person in an emergency. I download it before I go on my caminos and activate it as soon as I get to Spain. If you have fallen and been injured, or lost or assaulted the last thing you want to do is avoid contact with the police in Spain. I have asked them a few times for directions or even for suggestions of a bar or place to eat and they have been absolutely great to me.
Have you walked a Camino before? Just asking because I see you are a new member. On our 3 caminos we have only had positive, protective experiences from police. Just outside of Najera in the pre-dawn morning we were heading out and there were a couple of young still drunk Spaniards coming from their nighttime revelry, smashing bottles and screaming out anti pilgrim sentiment. We were about to enter the small street where they were walking. Just then a cop car rounded the corner and said hooligans put their hands in their pockets and whistled their way down the cobblestones. Felt like knights Templar protection in that moment for us. I suppose if you are engaging in nefarious behaviors you might find out otherwise? Just a guess.
My only personal encounter with the police this fall, was out on a remote stretch of the camino on the Meseta. Police SUV slowly creeping along, we moved to the side of the road.
Never even thought to ask them for a stamp! But I suppose some of them work regularly along the paths, it would make sense that some of them might have their own stamp.The Spanish and Portuguese police have only one mission regarding pilgrims: assure them that they're present in case of any necessity and ready to help pilgrims in any way they can.
Both times I met Spanish policemen on CF, I had a great conversation with them and even a nice stamp
Everywhere, especially anywhere official has a stamp in Spain - banks, police stations, town halls...
Never an negative encounter with police safeguarding our movements
and post offices
I can only assume you mean the horses? Hope you did not stroke the noses of the officers....ha, ha!
Same. But I am judged as 'innocuous,' being a certain gender and race. Not everyone has this experience.
And how we are perceived as a group by LEOs.
Important to remember. Thank you.
Besides I never heard so from others and I never experienced anything that would support that statement – there will always be individual experience where people were treated in an inappropriate way or felt treated in an inappropriate way, no matter how positive the general situation might be.
There is one stop on the Camino Vasco where you pick up the key to the Muni albergue at the Police station.
Sadly, sometimes it is not just your country of origin or upbringing, but where you fit in the social hierarchy in that country. In Spain, I wonder if Romani pilgrims would have the same experience with the police as we do. Sometimes we are unaware of our privilege, which we certainly have as pilgrims with tourist euros.
And a few times on the Mozarabe. So welcoming - according to the albergue registers they hadn't seen any pilgrims for while.
I lived there during thr Franco Time and yes the GC was someone to be avoided.In the late 1960's / early 1970's as an hairy youth of indeterminate means rambling the roads of Spain I took every possible precaution to avoid any interaction with the GC. Best described as running and hiding at the first glimpse of that green uniform. On the one or two occasions when we did interact it was clear that a rifle-butt or a boot were the most readily available translators of Spanish to English.
Things changed after 1975.
I had an enjoyable conversation with an area comandante a few years ago in that truckstop in Villafranca Montes de Oca. He was really enthusiastic about the Camino, Peregrinos and the mounted patrols he had organized through the Montes. I told him about the "running and hiding" of my youth. "Muy sabio" was the response
I say never listen to what others say, go and find out for yourself. Sometimes people just say anything based on their own perception of an experience. That would never be yours. Buen Camino!
How ironic! Do you expect us to heed this advice? Or ignore it?
Instead of wondering or speculating, why not ask some Romani pilgrims about their experiences with the police?
In the early 90s, I was in Madrid to visit a student who had lived with us while taking an immersion English course at our local college.In the late 1960's / early 1970's as an hairy youth of indeterminate means rambling the roads of Spain I took every possible precaution to avoid any interaction with the GC. Best described as running and hiding at the first glimpse of that green uniform. On the one or two occasions when we did interact it was clear that a rifle-butt or a boot were the most readily available translators of Spanish to English.
Things changed after 1975.
I had an enjoyable conversation with an area comandante a few years ago in that truckstop in Villafranca Montes de Oca. He was really enthusiastic about the Camino, Peregrinos and the mounted patrols he had organized through the Montes. I told him about the "running and hiding" of my youth. "Muy sabio" was the response
I'm not sure if I've met any Romani pilgrims. Certainly, any Romani pilgrims here on the forum can feel free to chime in.Instead of wondering or speculating, why not ask some Romani pilgrims about their experiences with the police?
Are you basing your question on that scene from The Way where the pilgrim from Holland says the police don't like the Romani?
This is still true today in many countries in Europe. I don't know about Spain, though, I haven't heard anything about Romani since I arrived here.
Yes. There is still racism in Spain against Romani, but less than 30 years ago (with those of Spanish origin).
Yes unfortunately so. Kind of like the saying, can't have nothing nice. Someone always tries to turn the thread into something it's not.
Absolutely not true.
The Police in Spain is very protective to pilgrims. Pilgrims are an important source of income in Spain. Thankfully. More than once have I been approached by them to only check out that I was well and had a good time.
I think that’s the the purported aim of the LAPD.
I am never sure why we need to shut down any thread that even seems to suggest that the world and those within in aren’t all perfect. We seem to live in a bubble on here. Maybe it’s just me!!!
The reason is that the forum is intended to be a place where pilgrims help each other on topics related to the Camino de Santiago. The strong opinions on various world problems can get very emotional and divisive, in a way that detracts from the key forum mission, and can become very difficult to moderate.
Sure, thank you for responding and appreciate the moderation issue. Just an observation versus other forums, on other hobbies, that all.
Call me idealistic, but I would like to think it is because we are people, not just some valuable income source.
And so do emergency rooms.
Certainly from a UK standpoint, if a British Citizen gets attacked in a main ‘holiday hot spot’ such Cape Town, The Caribbean, Cape Town, or South East Asia, it is front page news, with an angle that may deter tourists, and the local officials act very quickly!
Maybe maybe not.
Thank you. Yes fully agree! I was going to caveat my post with pretty much what you said but I didn’t, and probably should have!! I am always conscious that my demographic means I have a certain amount of privilege! I come from quite a poor background and remember the amounts of ‘police stops’ in my youth when we were in the ‘wrong’ area such as a posh neighbourhood or such like!
Same, usually. Travelling to where one is different gives a whole new perspective.
Yes. It can't help but do that. No doubt about it. And until we step outside the places where our demographic looks respectable we won't know.
Thank you. Good insight and food for thought for many of us I am sure!
Yes very well said! I always reflect on who is saying what, and think about why they might be saying it, and why they are saying it now, whether it is individuals or mass media….
