Eliana Guerrero

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8roTwCxI1vA

A lone woman armed with a whistle and enormous courage has set herself the task of defending tourists and locals  from the pickpockets who plague Barcelona.

Eliana Guerrero became so angry by the way groups of thieves were able to freely walk around the city's underground network that she now patrols the metro on her own. 

She blows her whistle whenever she sees the thieves, who operate mostly in a dozen city centre stations including the Sagrada Familia and Placa Catalunya, and hands out flyers warning about the criminals.

"They normally run off when they hear the whistle," Guerrero told the Guardian. "But sometimes they threaten me and last week, after I stopped them robbing someone, one of them grabbed me and injured my finger."

Guerrero started her campaign after seeing a thief steal a bag from a German tourist, look inside and then throw it away – smashing the insulin containers inside, even though the tourist begged him not to..

"I couldn't believe that they would do that. Why would they throw away a diabetic's insulin?" she asked.

She began by simply trailing the pickpockets and shouting out warnings while handing out the flyers that she prints herself, but found that not enough people could hear her – which is why she bought a whistle.

"The whistle is what really gets them," she says. "That, and a sign I hold up that tells people, in four different languages, there are pickpockets at work."

About 150 bag-snatchers operate on Barcelona's metro, trains and buses, committing 90 robberies a day, according to police. The thieves form well-organised gangs that often co-ordinate the shifts they work.

Guerrero blames Spanish law for the impunity enjoyed by Barcelona's pickpockets.

"If they take less than €400, then they only get a small fine – and then only if the victim turns up to give evidence, which is why they target tourists," she said. "And the police don't have a database that enables them to tell if the thief has been arrested before.

"In Barcelona you get fined more for double-parking or walking around with your shirt off than for stealing three purses in one day."

Families with small children, pushchairs and lots of suitcases were favourite targets, she said. "Who is going to chase a pickpocket if they have to worry about their child?"

"I am very careful about my own security and don't tell anyone where I live," says Guerrero, who moved to Barcelona from her native Colombia 12 years ago.

She has become something of a celebrity in Barcelona, and has challenged the city mayor to ride the metro with her.

"Politicians and judges don't use the metro, so they don't understand what is going on," she said. "We need more plainclothes police down there, but what really needs changing is the law."

1.Why are these Barcelona places so attractive to pickpockets and why:

  • La Barceloneta  
  •  La Rambla and Place Catalunya 
  • Anywhere around La Sagrada Familia  
  • On Barcelona public transport especially the metro in the city centre  
  • The bus station (Estaciò del Norte – connection for Girona Airport)
  • The Gotico Neighborhood
  •  The Raval neighbourhood

2.VOCABULARY:


1.

Beg

a.

 exemption from punishment

2.

Plague (v.)

b.

 to strongly ask for something

3. 

Patrol (v.)

c.

to tell someone that you will kill or hurt them or cause problems if they do not do what you want

4.

 threaten

d.

 to cause persistent trouble, pain, or annoyance

5.

 trailing

e.

 keep watch over an area by regularly walking or travelling around it.

6.

 shift

f. 

follow a person

7. 

 impunity

g.

 a schedule where employees work in rotation to ensure continuous operations

8.

Fine (v.)

h.

 To grab something quickly and aggressively

9.

Snatch

i.

 To declare that someone or something is responsible for a fault or wrong.

10.

 Blame

j.

To charge someone an amount of money as a punishment for not obeying a rule or law

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

3. SYNONYM MATCH A: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1.     Hand out             

2.     Enable

4.     Native

5.      Shout

6.    Chase

7.      Shame

8.   Lone

9. Courage

10. Celebrity

                                                                                                                   

a.        Humiliation

b.       Solitary

c.       Yell

d.      Distribute

e.      Run After

f.       Country of origin

g.   Allow

h.  Bravery

i. Famous Person


4. INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN:

It is safe to say that Eliana Guerrero is a very inspirational and brave woman. Who are the women on this list and why would they be considered inspirational ?

·  Clara Campoamor (1888–1972):   

·  Isabella I of Castile (1451–1504):  

·  Margarita Salas (1938–2019):

·  Penélope Cruz  

·  Teresa Ribera

·  Ada Colau

Greta Thunberg

Malala Yousafzai

Angela Mekel

Simone De Beauvoir

Cleopatra

Indira Gandi

Frida Khalo

Oprah Winfrey

Marie Curie

Jenni Hermoso

OR 

Someone not from the list

5.Choose the correct CRIMES  :

1.WHITE COLLAR CRIME 

2.BLUE COLLAR CRIME 

3.GREY COLLAR CRIME

4.BLACK COLLAR CRIME

5.GREEN COLLAR CRIME 

 

A:is generally non-violent in nature and includes public corruption, health care fraud, mortgage fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering, to name a few.

 

B:crimes committed against ¨¨nature¨¨ including deforestation, illegal trading in wildlife, illegal fishing and hunting etc...

 

C:mostly associated with a religious or judicial figure, who commit crimes, for example a priest convicted of pedophelia. 

 

D:is a crime that involes the use of technology without ever meeting the victim such as identity theft.

 

E: this term is used to describe a crime from an individual of a lower social class. Examples are theft offenses such as shoplifting and burglary. Violent crimes, including assault and battery. Drug crimes such as manufacturing, distribution, and possession.

 6. Questions: Fill in the blanks:

1. One of the reasons pickpockets commit the crime is because they will most probably not get caught. This means that they usually

                                                            .

2. When they do get caught, they receive only a tiny punishment, like a fine of 50 euros. This means they only receive a                                                             .

3. If the police are aware that the crimes are happening but are deciding to ignore it, then they are

                                                            .

4. If a new law is introduced, where the penalty for pickpocketing is to spend their lives in jail, it means they will receive a                                                        .

5. Saudi Arabia is very strict with thieves. If someone is caught pickpocketing, they will                                  their arms.

 6. If the pickpocketing problem in Barcelona has been getting a lot of attention around the world, then it is making                               .

7. If places like Raval are full of pickpockets, then it is                         with pickpockets.


7. Barcelona Problems: How bad are these Barcelona problems and what solutions could you suggest?

 

How Bad Is this Problem

Solutions

Pickpocketing

 

 

Air Pollution

 

 

Overtourism

 

 

Unemployment and Job Insecurity

 

 

 Traffic Congestion and Transportation Challenges:

 

 

Loss of Cultural Identity

 

 

8.Role play

Role  A – Shoplifting
You think shoplifting is the worst crime. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their crimes aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least punishable of these (and why):  

Role  B – Pickpocketing
You think pickpocketing is the worst crime. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their crimes aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least punishable of these (and why): 

Role  C – Speeding
You think speeding is the worst crime. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their crimes aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least punishable of these (and why):  

Role  D – Vandalism
You think vandalism is the worst crime. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their crimes aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least punishable of these (and why):  

Role E- Assault

You think assault is the worst crime. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their crimes aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least punishable of these (and why):  

Role F- Possession of cannabis

You think possession of cannabis is the worst crime. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their crimes aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least punishable of these (and why):  

Role G- Hate speech 

You think hate speech is the worst crime. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their crimes aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least punishable of these (and why):  

Role I- Train fare evasion 

You think train fare evasion is the worst crime. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their crimes aren't as bad. Also, tell the others which is the least punishable of these (and why):  

 

9. Questions:

General Knowledge:

1.     What are some common tourist areas in Barcelona where pickpocketing is known to happen?

2.     Why is pickpocketing a major issue in Barcelona?

3.     How do pickpockets typically target their victims in crowded places?

4.     What types of items do pickpockets usually steal from tourists?

5.     How has the rise in tourism in Barcelona contributed to the pickpocketing problem?

6.     What is the role of local authorities in dealing with pickpockets in Barcelona?

7.     Do pickpockets in Barcelona often work alone or in groups? Why?

8.     How has the local government in Barcelona tried to reduce the number of pickpocketing incidents?

Safety Tips:

9.     What are some safety tips for tourists to avoid being pickpocketed in Barcelona?

10. How can you protect your valuables when walking around in crowded places?

11. Is it a good idea to carry large amounts of cash when sightseeing in Barcelona? Why or why not?

12. What kind of bags are recommended for tourists to carry in areas with a high risk of pickpocketing?

13. What are the signs that someone might be trying to pickpocket you?

14. Should tourists trust people who offer to help or engage with them in busy public spaces? Why or why not?

Personal Experience:

15. Have you ever experienced or witnessed a pickpocket incident in Barcelona or elsewhere? What happened?

16. How can a victim of pickpocketing report the crime to local authorities in Barcelona?

17. What emotions might a victim of pickpocketing feel after the incident? How can they cope with this experience?

Cultural & Social Perspectives:

18. How do locals in Barcelona feel about the pickpocketing problem? Do they have any advice for tourists?

19. Do you think pickpocketing is more of a problem in large cities compared to smaller towns? Why or why not?

20. How do the actions of pickpockets affect the reputation of Barcelona as a tourist destination?

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