Fixed!
[Announcement] Posting anonimously is now optional
After the first few days, it has become evident that forcing every user to remain 100% anonymous even if they don’t want to impedes a proper sense of community to grow. So, from now on, it’s optional. If you still wish to remain anonymous, you can still post without signing in. Otherwise, sign in!
Only in Spain 9 months ago
Fixed!
[Announcement] Posting anonimously is now optional
After the first few days, it has become evident that forcing every user to remain 100% anonymous even if they don’t want to impedes a proper sense of community to grow. So, from now on, it’s optional. If you still wish to remain anonymous, you can still post without signing in. Otherwise, sign in!
Only in Spain 9 months ago
Impossible to be certain what is legal about taxes
The tax laws are described as not transparent or well-written, making it tough to figure out what's truly legal and what isn't. There's too much gray area. Different parts of Hacienda, or even different employees, can have different interpretations of the same rule. If you call Hacienda for help, you'll likely get different, non-binding answers. Following the advice of one technician could still lead to penalties if an inspector sees things differently. It's so muddled that even professional tax advisors aren't always completely certain about how things should be interpreted in some situations. If something goes wrong and you get accuse by Hacienda, unlike typical judicial processes, when litigating against Hacienda, the taxpayer must prove their innocence, rather than Hacienda having to prove guilt. There is no guaranteed presumption of innocence. What makes it even worse is that the inspectors get payed a bonus for increasing the income from IRPF, with money collected from the taxpayers they are destroying. In other words, even if you pay all your taxes correctly, you can still be treated like a criminal.
An Anonymous User 9 months ago
Work
Impossible to be certain what is legal about taxes
The tax laws are described as not transparent or well-written, making it tough to figure out what's truly legal and what isn't. There's too much gray area. Different parts of Hacienda, or even different employees, can have different interpretations of the same rule. If you call Hacienda for help, you'll likely get different, non-binding answers. Following the advice of one technician could still lead to penalties if an inspector sees things differently. It's so muddled that even professional tax advisors aren't always completely certain about how things should be interpreted in some situations. If something goes wrong and you get accuse by Hacienda, unlike typical judicial processes, when litigating against Hacienda, the taxpayer must prove their innocence, rather than Hacienda having to prove guilt. There is no guaranteed presumption of innocence. What makes it even worse is that the inspectors get payed a bonus for increasing the income from IRPF, with money collected from the taxpayers they are destroying. In other words, even if you pay all your taxes correctly, you can still be treated like a criminal.
An Anonymous User 9 months ago
Work
You get punished as autonomo for succeeding
Proper nightmare. When I registered as autonomo in January I had to estimate my yearly income for the new tramo system. My gestor said to be conservative so I estimated around €45k based on my 2024 freelance work. Turns out business absolutely took off this year, landed 3 major clients and I'm on track to make more than twice what I estimated. Should be celebrating but instead I'm stressed because I'm stuck in a lower tramo paying less per month when I should be in a higher tramo. The mental bit is that when they do the adjustment next year based on my actual income, I'll have to pay back the difference for the entire year. That's like a few grand extra I'll owe in one go. My accountant says I can change tramo up to 6 times per year but only on specific dates. Missed the May deadline so now I'm stuck until July paying the wrong amount. The old system was simpler where everyone just paid the minimum cuota and sorted it out later. Now if you get your estimate wrong you're either overpaying monthly or facing a massive bill at the end. Been trying to put money aside each month for the adjustment but it's hard to calculate exactly how much. Plus my income varies month to month with freelance work. The new system is supposed to be "fairer" but honestly feels like punishment for doing well.
An Anonymous User 9 months ago
Admin & Bureaucracy
You get punished as autonomo for succeeding
Proper nightmare. When I registered as autonomo in January I had to estimate my yearly income for the new tramo system. My gestor said to be conservative so I estimated around €45k based on my 2024 freelance work. Turns out business absolutely took off this year, landed 3 major clients and I'm on track to make more than twice what I estimated. Should be celebrating but instead I'm stressed because I'm stuck in a lower tramo paying less per month when I should be in a higher tramo. The mental bit is that when they do the adjustment next year based on my actual income, I'll have to pay back the difference for the entire year. That's like a few grand extra I'll owe in one go. My accountant says I can change tramo up to 6 times per year but only on specific dates. Missed the May deadline so now I'm stuck until July paying the wrong amount. The old system was simpler where everyone just paid the minimum cuota and sorted it out later. Now if you get your estimate wrong you're either overpaying monthly or facing a massive bill at the end. Been trying to put money aside each month for the adjustment but it's hard to calculate exactly how much. Plus my income varies month to month with freelance work. The new system is supposed to be "fairer" but honestly feels like punishment for doing well.
An Anonymous User 9 months ago
Admin & Bureaucracy
My NIE expired and now I have to start the mortgage process from scratch
My NIE expired 4 months ago and the bank won't process my mortgage. I've been working on this for 6 weeks, all documents submitted. Yesterday they call about the expired NIE. My gestor said it was for life but apparently old ones from 2019 do expire. The Police station appointment is 3 weeks wait and the bank offer expires in 2 weeks. Bank won't extend, so I have to restart everything with new NIE. Month and half wasted, plus Euribor went up. Some notaries accept expired NIE, others don't. The seller picks the notary so it's 100% pure luck. And my lawyer says this is normal. How?? I'm going to lose the flat in Gracia at this rate.
An Anonymous User 9 months ago
My NIE expired and now I have to start the mortgage process from scratch
My NIE expired 4 months ago and the bank won't process my mortgage. I've been working on this for 6 weeks, all documents submitted. Yesterday they call about the expired NIE. My gestor said it was for life but apparently old ones from 2019 do expire. The Police station appointment is 3 weeks wait and the bank offer expires in 2 weeks. Bank won't extend, so I have to restart everything with new NIE. Month and half wasted, plus Euribor went up. Some notaries accept expired NIE, others don't. The seller picks the notary so it's 100% pure luck. And my lawyer says this is normal. How?? I'm going to lose the flat in Gracia at this rate.
An Anonymous User 9 months ago
Mi empresa me pide certificado de residencia fiscal y Hacienda dice que no existo
Bueno esto ya es el colmo... Llevo 8 años viviendo en Madrid, pagando impuestos, haciendo la renta cada año... Mi empresa ahora necesita el certificado de residencia fiscal para el nuevo sistema de nominas. Voy a la sede electronica de la AEAT, relleno todo, envío. A las 3 semanas, denegado. Que no pueden verificar mi residencia fiscal. Como que no? Si hice la renta el año pasado. Voy a la oficina de Alcalá con todos los papeles: padron, declaraciones, nominas, contrato... El tio me dice que tengo que ir primero al censo porque hay un "desajuste en el sistema" cuando cambié de direccion el año pasado. Resulta que segun su ordenador desaparecí de España durante un año. Nunca me fui de Madrid. El del padrón dice que me puede dar el certificado historico pero tardará 2-3 semanas. Mi empresa lo necesita para final de mes. 8 años pagando impuestos y ahora de golpe no existo. Genial.
An Anonymous User 9 months ago
Mi empresa me pide certificado de residencia fiscal y Hacienda dice que no existo
Bueno esto ya es el colmo... Llevo 8 años viviendo en Madrid, pagando impuestos, haciendo la renta cada año... Mi empresa ahora necesita el certificado de residencia fiscal para el nuevo sistema de nominas. Voy a la sede electronica de la AEAT, relleno todo, envío. A las 3 semanas, denegado. Que no pueden verificar mi residencia fiscal. Como que no? Si hice la renta el año pasado. Voy a la oficina de Alcalá con todos los papeles: padron, declaraciones, nominas, contrato... El tio me dice que tengo que ir primero al censo porque hay un "desajuste en el sistema" cuando cambié de direccion el año pasado. Resulta que segun su ordenador desaparecí de España durante un año. Nunca me fui de Madrid. El del padrón dice que me puede dar el certificado historico pero tardará 2-3 semanas. Mi empresa lo necesita para final de mes. 8 años pagando impuestos y ahora de golpe no existo. Genial.
An Anonymous User 9 months ago
Important info for nomads moving to Barcelona
This was initially a reply to the previous post, but it was getting so long that it’s worth just having a dedicated post for it. What's the day-to-day life like? Cost of living, community, safety, weather, etc.? Day-to-day life largely depends on you, obviously. It’s a big city with any amenities you can think of, so it’ll depend on your hobbies and what you already do in your day-to-day life. Cost of living is cheaper than other European tech hubs but it’s rising more and more every month. I go back and forth between Barcelona and Berlin every month and every time the difference in prices is lower. Housing is the most expensive in Spain, even higher than Madrid, but depending on which country you’re coming from you’ll still find it cheap (i.e. it’s A LOT cheaper than NYC or SF, obviously, and definitely cheaper than London, Dublin, or Switzerland). If you’re making 50K+ a year you’ll be just fine, below that you might want to consider sharing an apartment if you want to have disposable income for leisure and other whims. Safety: this is not like other European cities, but it is still European. Crime is highly concentrated in specific areas. Try to avoid El Raval and some of the Gothic Quarter at night. Watch for pickpockets in Las Ramblas, Placa Catalunya, and Barceloneta, they are petty theft hotspots so do not leave your belongings unattended when you’re in a bar terrace or the like. DO NOT go into La Mina, like ever. Not that you’d have any reason to, but just in case. Nou Barris and Sant Andreu are a bit sketchy too (not as bad as La Mina). In general, not being a clueless tourist who looks and behaves exactly like a clueless tourist is the best way to minimize any risk. You will see that you will generally stick to Eixample, Gracia, Sarria and Sant Gervasi, Passeig de Gracia, Diagonal, or Barceloneta. Weather: The best in Europe. Period. It does get a bit muggy in August, though. Nothing like India in May, mind you, but you’ll see people avoid going outside from 12pm to 8pm then if they can during the hot months of Summer, again, especially August. Then after 9pm the city bursts to life all of a sudden. It’s nice. Are there good coworking spaces or cafes for remote work? Plenty! Like just wander around Eixample or Gracia, or look online, you’ll find whatever floats your boat. It’s a modern city with a HUGE digital nomad / expat population. IIRC the expat population in Barceloneta is like 25% (not that you should move there, though, I particularly don’t like it, it’s very touristy and full of drunks). How's the Wi-Fi and overall infrastructure for digital work? You’ll have 0 issues. Again, it’s a European city. In some respects you would think it’s the capital of Spain, it just isn’t because of reasons. What’s the digital nomad visa process like? Is it easy to apply and get approved? Can’t speak to the digital nomad visa process because I came in through a different process (wife is Catalan), but I can tell you bureaucracy here is CONFUSING AS HELL. Not to mention that the UX of any government site is completely undecipherable even to locals who have been living here all their life, which is why even they get “gestores” (advisors) to do the bureaucratic stuff for them. Your best bet is to contact an expat advisory firm, just watch out for the big ones because they don’t really care about you and there are also some small firms which are a complete mess and surprisingly barely speak English. I’ve been with Expats Advisers for three years now and I’m super happy. If you go with them ask for Axel (he’s the owner), great guy. Any issues with taxation, banking, or residency rules I should be aware of? I mean, it’s hard to say without knowing which country you’re coming from or how different it is there. Your best bet, as mentioned in the previous question, will be to get tailored support with an expat advisory firm. It’s not expensive for basic queries and it’s worth every single penny to get you the peace of mind. How do locals feel about digital nomads or foreigners staying long-term? I won’t sugarcoat it: there are many who antagonize expats (that’s the specific term they use rather than digital nomads or foreigners). Usually locals draw a clear distinction between two types of foreigners: the expat (white immigrant from richer country) and the immigrant (brown or black or Asian immigrant from poorer country). You’ll find that, in general, those who are extremely anti-expat also happen to be extremely pro-immigrant, but in the “woke” way, basically, not the “not racist” way, if that makes sense. The worst are the young wannabe Marxists funded by their parents money, there are plenty of those. But, to be fair, amongst the expat-hating crowd there are also those with actual arguments, like how expats are partly responsible for pushing up the prices of housing and everything else so much and don’t bother to ever learn the local language. It’s a fair criticism. On the other hand, you’ll find that people who work at startups or “business” companies (consulting, law, etc.) or generally people who have a more global mindset and have travelled quite a lot themselves, are super welcoming of expats. So don’t worry, people are not going to throw tomatoes at you when you’re out strolling by, but also don’t expect to be treated kindly if you behave like a tourist with 0 interest in the local Catalan culture. Catalans get a bad rep for being dry and everyone will tell you it’s impossible to break into a Catalan friend group. The first part is partly false: they are more serious than most of the rest of Spain, but they are wayyy more approachable than the rest of Europeans, even other Southern Europeans like Italians. As for the part about the friend group, well, that is kind of true. The chances of you breaking into a group of all-Catalan friends who have been friends since childhood, where probably half of them don’t even speak English, are virtually 0 if you only speak English. And still, I have a friend who managed to do just that, he came from Italy, learned Spanish very quickly (it’s similar to Italian) and got a Catalan girlfriend, and very quickly started learning Catalan as well. So, here’s your lifehack if you want the locals to like you: learn Spanish first, but DO NOT stop there. Learn Catalan. The marginal effort of learning it when you know Spanish is almost zero, they are very, very similar. If you learn Catalan, even the Marxist kids funded by their parents will like you. Speaking from experience here :) Good luck and post here again if you got any other follow-up questions, I’ll be watching around for new posts!
An Anonymous User 9 months ago
Important info for nomads moving to Barcelona
This was initially a reply to the previous post, but it was getting so long that it’s worth just having a dedicated post for it. What's the day-to-day life like? Cost of living, community, safety, weather, etc.? Day-to-day life largely depends on you, obviously. It’s a big city with any amenities you can think of, so it’ll depend on your hobbies and what you already do in your day-to-day life. Cost of living is cheaper than other European tech hubs but it’s rising more and more every month. I go back and forth between Barcelona and Berlin every month and every time the difference in prices is lower. Housing is the most expensive in Spain, even higher than Madrid, but depending on which country you’re coming from you’ll still find it cheap (i.e. it’s A LOT cheaper than NYC or SF, obviously, and definitely cheaper than London, Dublin, or Switzerland). If you’re making 50K+ a year you’ll be just fine, below that you might want to consider sharing an apartment if you want to have disposable income for leisure and other whims. Safety: this is not like other European cities, but it is still European. Crime is highly concentrated in specific areas. Try to avoid El Raval and some of the Gothic Quarter at night. Watch for pickpockets in Las Ramblas, Placa Catalunya, and Barceloneta, they are petty theft hotspots so do not leave your belongings unattended when you’re in a bar terrace or the like. DO NOT go into La Mina, like ever. Not that you’d have any reason to, but just in case. Nou Barris and Sant Andreu are a bit sketchy too (not as bad as La Mina). In general, not being a clueless tourist who looks and behaves exactly like a clueless tourist is the best way to minimize any risk. You will see that you will generally stick to Eixample, Gracia, Sarria and Sant Gervasi, Passeig de Gracia, Diagonal, or Barceloneta. Weather: The best in Europe. Period. It does get a bit muggy in August, though. Nothing like India in May, mind you, but you’ll see people avoid going outside from 12pm to 8pm then if they can during the hot months of Summer, again, especially August. Then after 9pm the city bursts to life all of a sudden. It’s nice. Are there good coworking spaces or cafes for remote work? Plenty! Like just wander around Eixample or Gracia, or look online, you’ll find whatever floats your boat. It’s a modern city with a HUGE digital nomad / expat population. IIRC the expat population in Barceloneta is like 25% (not that you should move there, though, I particularly don’t like it, it’s very touristy and full of drunks). How's the Wi-Fi and overall infrastructure for digital work? You’ll have 0 issues. Again, it’s a European city. In some respects you would think it’s the capital of Spain, it just isn’t because of reasons. What’s the digital nomad visa process like? Is it easy to apply and get approved? Can’t speak to the digital nomad visa process because I came in through a different process (wife is Catalan), but I can tell you bureaucracy here is CONFUSING AS HELL. Not to mention that the UX of any government site is completely undecipherable even to locals who have been living here all their life, which is why even they get “gestores” (advisors) to do the bureaucratic stuff for them. Your best bet is to contact an expat advisory firm, just watch out for the big ones because they don’t really care about you and there are also some small firms which are a complete mess and surprisingly barely speak English. I’ve been with Expats Advisers for three years now and I’m super happy. If you go with them ask for Axel (he’s the owner), great guy. Any issues with taxation, banking, or residency rules I should be aware of? I mean, it’s hard to say without knowing which country you’re coming from or how different it is there. Your best bet, as mentioned in the previous question, will be to get tailored support with an expat advisory firm. It’s not expensive for basic queries and it’s worth every single penny to get you the peace of mind. How do locals feel about digital nomads or foreigners staying long-term? I won’t sugarcoat it: there are many who antagonize expats (that’s the specific term they use rather than digital nomads or foreigners). Usually locals draw a clear distinction between two types of foreigners: the expat (white immigrant from richer country) and the immigrant (brown or black or Asian immigrant from poorer country). You’ll find that, in general, those who are extremely anti-expat also happen to be extremely pro-immigrant, but in the “woke” way, basically, not the “not racist” way, if that makes sense. The worst are the young wannabe Marxists funded by their parents money, there are plenty of those. But, to be fair, amongst the expat-hating crowd there are also those with actual arguments, like how expats are partly responsible for pushing up the prices of housing and everything else so much and don’t bother to ever learn the local language. It’s a fair criticism. On the other hand, you’ll find that people who work at startups or “business” companies (consulting, law, etc.) or generally people who have a more global mindset and have travelled quite a lot themselves, are super welcoming of expats. So don’t worry, people are not going to throw tomatoes at you when you’re out strolling by, but also don’t expect to be treated kindly if you behave like a tourist with 0 interest in the local Catalan culture. Catalans get a bad rep for being dry and everyone will tell you it’s impossible to break into a Catalan friend group. The first part is partly false: they are more serious than most of the rest of Spain, but they are wayyy more approachable than the rest of Europeans, even other Southern Europeans like Italians. As for the part about the friend group, well, that is kind of true. The chances of you breaking into a group of all-Catalan friends who have been friends since childhood, where probably half of them don’t even speak English, are virtually 0 if you only speak English. And still, I have a friend who managed to do just that, he came from Italy, learned Spanish very quickly (it’s similar to Italian) and got a Catalan girlfriend, and very quickly started learning Catalan as well. So, here’s your lifehack if you want the locals to like you: learn Spanish first, but DO NOT stop there. Learn Catalan. The marginal effort of learning it when you know Spanish is almost zero, they are very, very similar. If you learn Catalan, even the Marxist kids funded by their parents will like you. Speaking from experience here :) Good luck and post here again if you got any other follow-up questions, I’ll be watching around for new posts!
An Anonymous User 9 months ago
Fixed!
What’s it like living in Barcelona as a digital nomad?
Hey everyone! I’m considering moving to Barcelona for a few months (maybe longer) as a digital nomad. I work remotely and want to experience life in Spain while staying productive. I would love to hear from anyone who has lived or is currently living in Barcelona as a remote worker. A few things I’m curious about: What's the day-to-day life like? Cost of living, community, safety, weather, etc.? Are there good coworking spaces or cafes for remote work? How's the Wi-Fi and overall infrastructure for digital work? What’s the digital nomad visa process like? Is it easy to apply and get approved? Any issues with taxation, banking, or residency rules I should be aware of? How do locals feel about digital nomads or foreigners staying long-term? If you have lived there or are currently there, I would appreciate any honest insights, good or bad. Just want to know what I'm walking into before I commit. Thanks in advance!
temptemp 9 months ago
Work
Fixed!
What’s it like living in Barcelona as a digital nomad?
Hey everyone! I’m considering moving to Barcelona for a few months (maybe longer) as a digital nomad. I work remotely and want to experience life in Spain while staying productive. I would love to hear from anyone who has lived or is currently living in Barcelona as a remote worker. A few things I’m curious about: What's the day-to-day life like? Cost of living, community, safety, weather, etc.? Are there good coworking spaces or cafes for remote work? How's the Wi-Fi and overall infrastructure for digital work? What’s the digital nomad visa process like? Is it easy to apply and get approved? Any issues with taxation, banking, or residency rules I should be aware of? How do locals feel about digital nomads or foreigners staying long-term? If you have lived there or are currently there, I would appreciate any honest insights, good or bad. Just want to know what I'm walking into before I commit. Thanks in advance!
temptemp 9 months ago
Work
Startup hell, especially when employing
Having a startup in spain is living hell and very hard to keep profitable. Everything is taxed to the max, no startup benefits, rediculour building regulations and certifications/licenses, getting your VAT back takes A YEAR (if you are lucky) and if you employ parttime personell you pay fulltime social security for them which basically relates in more than double the salary cost. No wonder this country is not growing, has huge unemployment numbers and you see entrepeneurs typically last no longer than 12 months.
An Anonymous User 9 months ago
Business
Startup hell, especially when employing
Having a startup in spain is living hell and very hard to keep profitable. Everything is taxed to the max, no startup benefits, rediculour building regulations and certifications/licenses, getting your VAT back takes A YEAR (if you are lucky) and if you employ parttime personell you pay fulltime social security for them which basically relates in more than double the salary cost. No wonder this country is not growing, has huge unemployment numbers and you see entrepeneurs typically last no longer than 12 months.
An Anonymous User 9 months ago
Business
The government is always corrupt
The government is always pure corruption, it is madness. The bipartisanship does not cease, and we are governed by a mafia that seems to be going to be like this for many, many more years.
An Anonymous User 9 months ago
The government is always corrupt
The government is always pure corruption, it is madness. The bipartisanship does not cease, and we are governed by a mafia that seems to be going to be like this for many, many more years.
An Anonymous User 9 months ago
RENFE R2 is useless
It has been a few years since I have seen a train arrive on time. 90% of times it also arrives between 10 and 20 minutes late. About 25% of times it simply doesn’t arrive at all. This is in the Barcelona area btw.
An Anonymous User 9 months ago
RENFE R2 is useless
It has been a few years since I have seen a train arrive on time. 90% of times it also arrives between 10 and 20 minutes late. About 25% of times it simply doesn’t arrive at all. This is in the Barcelona area btw.
An Anonymous User 9 months ago
Friend got mugged twice and had bike stolen in 1 year
Friend lives in Canovelles, Barcelona. Absolute shithole of a town. If you are not a local do not dream of going in there, you WILL get mugged. Anyways a few months ago, he was unlocking the main entrance door on the ground floor to enter his apartment building, when two Dominican guys tap him on the back, show him a large machete and tell him to go inside. They go inside, make him unlock his phone and show them the password, take the phone and wallet, leave. Just a couple months later, he gets mugged again at knife point, this time in Granollers by two guys, either Moroccan or Algerian. And just last week, he gets home just to find that his bike (which was in a dirt parking lot next to the apartment building) got stolen. He reported it to the cops and they found it thrashed in some random spot, all totaled, two days later. They didn’t even sell it for parts, the thieves were probably just bored and decided to take the bike and fuck it up. Ah, this same guy saw two Moroccan dudes stabbing each other in front of his balcony barely 2 months ago. He called the cops, they said they would send someone. The cops appeared 40 minutes later when there was no one there except blood on the floor. Here’s the kicker: he doesn’t even live in the bad part of town. Fucking third-world ass country.
An Anonymous User 9 months ago
Friend got mugged twice and had bike stolen in 1 year
Friend lives in Canovelles, Barcelona. Absolute shithole of a town. If you are not a local do not dream of going in there, you WILL get mugged. Anyways a few months ago, he was unlocking the main entrance door on the ground floor to enter his apartment building, when two Dominican guys tap him on the back, show him a large machete and tell him to go inside. They go inside, make him unlock his phone and show them the password, take the phone and wallet, leave. Just a couple months later, he gets mugged again at knife point, this time in Granollers by two guys, either Moroccan or Algerian. And just last week, he gets home just to find that his bike (which was in a dirt parking lot next to the apartment building) got stolen. He reported it to the cops and they found it thrashed in some random spot, all totaled, two days later. They didn’t even sell it for parts, the thieves were probably just bored and decided to take the bike and fuck it up. Ah, this same guy saw two Moroccan dudes stabbing each other in front of his balcony barely 2 months ago. He called the cops, they said they would send someone. The cops appeared 40 minutes later when there was no one there except blood on the floor. Here’s the kicker: he doesn’t even live in the bad part of town. Fucking third-world ass country.
An Anonymous User 9 months ago
Being an autónomo is a scam
Literally the worst thing you can do. I get hit with hundreds of euros per month despite me having just started my businesses and having 0 income. FOR WHAT?
An Anonymous User 9 months ago
Being an autónomo is a scam
Literally the worst thing you can do. I get hit with hundreds of euros per month despite me having just started my businesses and having 0 income. FOR WHAT?
An Anonymous User 9 months ago
Car broken into in Sitges
6 years ago, my wife and I were driving from Barcelona to Valencia in a car rental. We made a pit stop in Sitges (per recommendation) for a little over an hour to take in some views and grab a quick lunch. We parked on the main road (on a street called Passeig Maritim), middle of the day, left all bags in the trunk (hatchback) and grabbed our phones, wallets and passports with us (left our camera in the glove compartment). Once we parked, we bought a parking ticket and probably looked like tourists because it took us forever to figure out how to actually purchase the ticket on the machines. Went back to the car to put the ticket on the dashboard, locked it, triple checked that it was locked, walked down the road along the beach and grabbed lunch. Upon getting back to our car (again, about 1 hour later, middle of the day) noticed the small window (by the side mirror) on the passenger side smashed in. Opened the car and surprisingly the camera was still in the glove compartment but the back seats were down and the trunk was emptied out completely. Completely. Emptied. Out. All of our bags, 3 days into our 10 day trip: 1 large suitcase 2 carry on’s 1 backpack 1 purse. All of it. Fucking gone. Stupid pathetic Motherfuckers. We ran into the restaurant across the street (Kansas Mediterranean Bar), they were kind enough to phone the police and translate for us, and the owner stayed with us through the ordeal (she was very nice and helpful). They said there are no cameras outside their establishment or any homes because that simply isn’t a practice in Spain (by law apparently?). We ended up driving to a police station about 15 min away and stayed there all afternoon filing a report. You know what we did after? Continued with our vacation regardless of what dirty worthless piece of low life shit garbage humans are out there. We loved Spain, we went to 4 more cities after and we had obviously replaced our rental with a new one. We knew that most of the things taken were absolutely replaceable (clothes, work phone and laptop, luggage, outfits, etc) but obviously, our traveling innocence, sense of security, and overall trust of everyone around us was altered. Sharing this to let you know of the horrible situations you can find yourself in when you least expect it because of people who are simply the lowest form of human and to keep your guard up at all times. We don’t know if we were followed, if someone spotted us in the street parking and buying a ticket, if it was the car rental sticker on the back of the car, or if it was just some douchebags luck. Either way, fuck these sort of people and sincerely wish them that their worst fears in life come true. If you have any suggestions on what websites to potentially keep an eye out for “re-sold items”, any similar situations you are familiar with, any questions, feel free to chime in. (This was taken from a reddit post I saw a while ago, thought I’d share).
godigo 9 months ago
Car broken into in Sitges
6 years ago, my wife and I were driving from Barcelona to Valencia in a car rental. We made a pit stop in Sitges (per recommendation) for a little over an hour to take in some views and grab a quick lunch. We parked on the main road (on a street called Passeig Maritim), middle of the day, left all bags in the trunk (hatchback) and grabbed our phones, wallets and passports with us (left our camera in the glove compartment). Once we parked, we bought a parking ticket and probably looked like tourists because it took us forever to figure out how to actually purchase the ticket on the machines. Went back to the car to put the ticket on the dashboard, locked it, triple checked that it was locked, walked down the road along the beach and grabbed lunch. Upon getting back to our car (again, about 1 hour later, middle of the day) noticed the small window (by the side mirror) on the passenger side smashed in. Opened the car and surprisingly the camera was still in the glove compartment but the back seats were down and the trunk was emptied out completely. Completely. Emptied. Out. All of our bags, 3 days into our 10 day trip: 1 large suitcase 2 carry on’s 1 backpack 1 purse. All of it. Fucking gone. Stupid pathetic Motherfuckers. We ran into the restaurant across the street (Kansas Mediterranean Bar), they were kind enough to phone the police and translate for us, and the owner stayed with us through the ordeal (she was very nice and helpful). They said there are no cameras outside their establishment or any homes because that simply isn’t a practice in Spain (by law apparently?). We ended up driving to a police station about 15 min away and stayed there all afternoon filing a report. You know what we did after? Continued with our vacation regardless of what dirty worthless piece of low life shit garbage humans are out there. We loved Spain, we went to 4 more cities after and we had obviously replaced our rental with a new one. We knew that most of the things taken were absolutely replaceable (clothes, work phone and laptop, luggage, outfits, etc) but obviously, our traveling innocence, sense of security, and overall trust of everyone around us was altered. Sharing this to let you know of the horrible situations you can find yourself in when you least expect it because of people who are simply the lowest form of human and to keep your guard up at all times. We don’t know if we were followed, if someone spotted us in the street parking and buying a ticket, if it was the car rental sticker on the back of the car, or if it was just some douchebags luck. Either way, fuck these sort of people and sincerely wish them that their worst fears in life come true. If you have any suggestions on what websites to potentially keep an eye out for “re-sold items”, any similar situations you are familiar with, any questions, feel free to chime in. (This was taken from a reddit post I saw a while ago, thought I’d share).
godigo 9 months ago
No one gives a fuck about you in public healthcare
This happened almost 10 years ago now. I split my toenail in half (which hurts as bad as it seems), went to the hospital. I called my doctor friend, she told me they would have to rip the whole nail out when I got to the hospital so it could grow back again. Well, I get to the hospital, my sock basically a pool of blood at that point, and when they finally decide to see me in, I’m greeted with the picture of doctors and nurses just chit chatting around, laughing, clearly doing anything but working, while I’m just there bleeding. Mind you this was NOT a busy day, the rest of rooms were empty. This wasn’t an issue of doctor availability because I was literally seeing them, both doctors and nurses, just standing on the corridor chatting. After a solid 40 min and a couple times where I went out there and asked somebody to please at least cover or disinfect my injury, one of the doctors decides to see me. He barely looks at the toe for 5 seconds, and says “it’s fine just let it grow back”. ???? Bro what? My toenail is fucking disintegrated fym grow it back? I tell him my doctor friend told me it’s better to rip it out, he says we don’t need to do that because it will be painful (bitch I’m already in pain). I decide to not fight about it. He’s gives me medicine for the pain and goes back to chatting with his coworkers, doesn’t even tell me we’re done until I go back out, ask him if that’s it, and he rudely dismisses me and says something like “what else do you want me to do?”. Anyway, he’s a doctor, he must know best, right? Right. It’s been 10 years now with only half a toenail thanks to that lazy fuck. PLENTY of stories like this from public healthcare. Do yourself a favor, get a mutua / private healthcare and only do public when you need to, e.g. for more serious stuff where the real professionals are.
Letse Mus 9 months ago
No one gives a fuck about you in public healthcare
This happened almost 10 years ago now. I split my toenail in half (which hurts as bad as it seems), went to the hospital. I called my doctor friend, she told me they would have to rip the whole nail out when I got to the hospital so it could grow back again. Well, I get to the hospital, my sock basically a pool of blood at that point, and when they finally decide to see me in, I’m greeted with the picture of doctors and nurses just chit chatting around, laughing, clearly doing anything but working, while I’m just there bleeding. Mind you this was NOT a busy day, the rest of rooms were empty. This wasn’t an issue of doctor availability because I was literally seeing them, both doctors and nurses, just standing on the corridor chatting. After a solid 40 min and a couple times where I went out there and asked somebody to please at least cover or disinfect my injury, one of the doctors decides to see me. He barely looks at the toe for 5 seconds, and says “it’s fine just let it grow back”. ???? Bro what? My toenail is fucking disintegrated fym grow it back? I tell him my doctor friend told me it’s better to rip it out, he says we don’t need to do that because it will be painful (bitch I’m already in pain). I decide to not fight about it. He’s gives me medicine for the pain and goes back to chatting with his coworkers, doesn’t even tell me we’re done until I go back out, ask him if that’s it, and he rudely dismisses me and says something like “what else do you want me to do?”. Anyway, he’s a doctor, he must know best, right? Right. It’s been 10 years now with only half a toenail thanks to that lazy fuck. PLENTY of stories like this from public healthcare. Do yourself a favor, get a mutua / private healthcare and only do public when you need to, e.g. for more serious stuff where the real professionals are.
Letse Mus 9 months ago