A police state?

[K chameleon]

I agree with Mowser.
I think it's quite reassuring to see them out n about.
Possibly looking for missing persons, or baddies. They could even catch a drunk driver
Only when I'm late, and they're on every roundabout, does it bother me. (eyes forward, don't look at them; they'd have to jump out in front of me.)
The only thing I "Flash" at them is paperwork, I empty the glove compartment.... (receipts, schoolwork,maps, car manual etc).
"Tengo seguros, yo no se donde, perro yo lo tengo!"

[frank]

Now be nice about the UK police please- my ´baby´ starts police training next month And yes he does look too young to be a policeman- even though he is 26!

Good luck to him. I don't have a problem with them, people are keen to knock them, but seem reluctant themselves to do the job. It's not a job I would fancy doing. If he joined a while ago, he could have been in London now, at the G20, getting assaulted and spat at by some "low life".

[Mowser]

Frank. I well remember coming here on holiday before we took the plunge and became residents. The local restaurants were full of three to four generations all enjoying a family day out. Since this "ban", the only restaurants doing good trade are the ones allowing smoking. Having said that, I - as a smoker - hate the smell of tobacco when I'm eating. Go figure.

BTW my post was tongue in cheek. There was an old joke that said if your house was being burgled the quickest way to get a police response was to go to your nearest pub and light up. When the police came to arrest you, ask them to go via your house to get a few things. Problem sorted.

[katy]

With some of the riff raffe that are in Spain now I find it reassuring. Always a heavy Civil Guard presence at the main roundabouts here. The local Police patrol the streets around here. I woke up at 4am last week, looked through the window and the car was just going down the hill....nice

[Jool]

In Marbella I can understand the need for police.......

assaulted and spat at by some "low life

Why do demonstrators have to be low life? I have been watching the live footage and most are orderly despite provocation at being squashed into crowds by police horses etc.....I have been in the position of police forcing people too close together at public gatherings and it can easily cause panic (no I was not on a demo)....and personally I am glad they can protest......

[spanish_lad]

my ´baby´ starts police training next month

thought he was getting by on building sites and moaning about gloves? when did he go back ?

[frank]

In Marbella I can understand the need for police.......

assaulted and spat at by some "low life

Why do demonstrators have to be low life? .

They don't have to be, just happens that the ones causing the problems usually are. I am listening to the reports as I write, and a female reporter just said that many seem to have drunk far too much, and the stench of pot is everywhere. If they intend to protest peacefully, why are so many wearing masks? I don't have any problems with those that want to protest peacefully, like you I'm glad we are still able to do it, but the police in these situations are damned if they do, damned if they don't. Contain the protesters and prevent them causing mayhem, or let them run riot. If they were heading down your street, intent on causing large amounts of damage to your property, I'm not sure you might be so forgiving of them. Hundreds of properties and businesses have spent a fortune boarding up, closing businesses etc. Protesters arriving in an armoured personnel carrier hardly looks like they are on a peace mission!

[Lavanda]

Interesting development to the thread. I DID protest, years ago, about the student 'Grants not Loans' proposals. The protests in Devon were organized and orderly. All sorts of students, teachers and parents protested, mainly middle class (because they aspired to higher education while not being able to afford to pay for it - sounds weird but you know what I mean).

The newspapers and the TV coverage showed protesters with long hair, outrageous placards, weird clothes and, possibly, pot smoking. About 5% of the protesters. The middle aged Mums and Dads and teachers and the academic students were, of course, not shown.

Don't believe ANYTHING you see because you are being manipulated, by selective reporting, into thinking what you are suppose to think about these G20 protesters. By all means read everything but better still get first hand experience. Then decide who is 'low life' and who is simply 'low minded'.

[oliveview01]

my ´baby´ starts police training next month

thought he was getting by on building sites and moaning about gloves? when did he go back ?

He´s never lived here with us (thank goodness- he´s expensive to keep!! )

It´s ok Mowser, I knew you were joking- no offence taken at all

[spanish_lad]

oh right, my bad.. must of been thinking of someone else

[hillybilly]

Before spending a pleasant couple of hours arguing the toss about wrong-sized kitchen units with the staff in Leroy Merlin, Sevilla, I spent an equally pleasant hour this afternoon in a traffic jam on the A-92 heading to Sevilla, nr Utrera.
The Guardia had set up a huge road block on the motorway, pulling pretty much every other vehicle (and ALL the foreign plated ones). Not only did they have the usual assortment of Guardia bikes, cars, 4WDs and riot vans, there were also 2 Guardia officers waiting at the end of the road block with a stinger, ready to throw it across the Mway in case anyone decided to try and make a break for it You could tell from the look on their eager little shiny faces that they were just DYING for a chance to use it.
And, for once, I wasn't pulled!

[Mowser]

Unlicensed, uninsured and with no MOT. That's your average car belonging to an ex-pat Brit. Fine these shaven-headed Neanderthals and send them packing with a sound flogging. These bunch of ne'er do wells are the first to complain back in Blighty about illegals in the UK. Grrrrrrr.

The Guardia Civil rock.

[katy]

Would there be many ex-pat Brits around there?

[oliveview01]

I´ve seen the odd Brit plated (un taxed) car driving about this area Katy, not as many as closer to the coast though. Last month I was at Ayamonte, there were loads of untaxed Brit plated cars- maybe they were waiting for their Spanish plates to come through

[oliveview01]

Before spending a pleasant couple of hours arguing the toss about wrong-sized kitchen units with the staff in Leroy Merlin, Sevilla, I spent an equally pleasant hour this afternoon in a traffic jam on the A-92 heading to Sevilla, nr Utrera. !

We joined the A92 on the outskirts of Alcalá de Guadaira at around 1pm- I commented on how empty the road was, I had no problems getting out- so thanks for the road block further back
There was not one car/lorry to be seen

[hillybilly]

Yes, I was parked up on the A-92 from about 1.15pm
Didn't see any Brit plated behicles...all French, Portuguese and one Lithuanian

[spanish_lad]

Unlicensed, uninsured and with no MOT. That's your average car belonging to an ex-pat Brit. Fine these shaven-headed Neanderthals and send them packing with a sound flogging. These bunch of ne'er do wells are the first to complain back in Blighty about illegals in the UK. Grrrrrrr.

The Guardia Civil rock.

well said that man

[frog]

send the guardia to fuengirola

thats what i dont understand about the spanish,i see so many illegal cars here,english plated vans advertising their building/sattalite/plumbing stuff

not that hard to spot

i could in one day driving around fuengirola point out 500 illegal cars and vans

they need me,but then i live in the grass,i aint one

[oliveview01]

There is nothing more annoying (to me) than seeing a British plated car, knowing full well they have NOT applied for the Spanish plates, so if they had an accident the insurance would not be valid, that is. if they actually do have insurance.
It really is about time the Police did clamp down on the cars heavily, maybe the ´crushing´ of a few might make the other illegal folk take action.
I wonder how many folk here on the forum actually drive Brit plated cars and have not applied for a transfer? You only have to visit the market at Mollina to see Brit plated cars parked along side the road

[frog]

i agree,when i moved her with my brand spanking new top of the range daewoo i got it swapped to spanish plates,cost me 1k but still have it and still legal

ex pats think they can get away with everything,seems they can but makes it bad for me,hope all you ex pats driving illegally get done,lose your cars and go home penniless after a year or 2 in a spanish nick