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Justin's Life

Welcome to my new blog. I plan to write about all sorts of things here, my life in Spain, ineresting things and ideas I've come across, places I've visited and so much more. Hope you enjoy it and please leave comments as your input is always appreciated.

The police at the door
Friday, March 5, 2010 @ 11:48 AM

There I was happily working away when what seemed to be a very big knock at the door interrupted my concentration.

I opened the door only to find a policeman standing there.

At this point all sorts of things go through your mind in quick succession:

  • What have I done wrong now?
  • Where are you taking me?
  • Has someone died?
  • Why do you look so scary?
  • Please don't hurt me.

But I really didn't have anything to worry about.  He thought I was still the president here and he was after the contact details of one of the owners who wants to sell his property.  My hand was still shaking whilst writing down the details for him.

It's a bit like going through customs crossing from Gibraltar into Spain.  Even though you know you're not carrying anything that you need to declare you still feel like you have to put on a forced "not guilty" face.  It does usually work too.

Last night I was with a friend in Gib and on my way home the Guardia Civil had created one of their usual, threatening, road blocks, blocking an entire dual carriageway.  They stand there with machine guns stopping everyone and it is frightening.  I was lucky last night, I put on my now perfected "not guilty" face and they waved me through. Phew.

But why I am worried?  I haven't done anything wrong anyway!



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1 Comments


foxbat said:
Saturday, March 6, 2010 @ 12:28 AM

On Monday I paid my usual once a fortnight visit to Alcampo in Granada. Regular visitors to Granada will know that the Ctra Jaen is closed to all except authorised traffic whilst the roadway is being rebuilt to include the new Granada Metro system and that normal traffic is diverted via a road that runs parallel and to the North of the aforementioned Ctra Jaen.
Normally after 10am this is a fairly quiet diversion but this Monday was totally diffferent. As I turned into the parallel route, traffic was very heavy and moving only very slowly.
Like the Ctra Jaen, this is also a dual carriageway but has for the most part a 40km/hr or lower speed limit. It took ten minutes to cover about 100 metres on the approach to the first roundabout and as I cleared it the reason for the delay became obvious; the outside lane had been closed and everyone being diverted into a single lane.
I didnt know Granada had so many police!
Not only the Provincial and City Police, Guardia Civil and the National Police were in attendance, several of their members in the full black, flak jacketed and ski-masked SWAT dress.
Armed?
Enough to start a small war! H&K MP-5's, scatter guns, shot guns, 9mm pistols you name it, all very much in view.
One long haired hippie looking guy, obviously the driver of an American style pick-up truck, had been pulled over onto the parking slot adjacent to the roundabout and was under very heavy guard. The National Police / SWAT team were slowly dismantling the pick-up truck at the roadside... everyone was taking a long hard look at the hapless truck driver and the police; obviously this was rather more than the normal roadside check so beloved by the G.C!
Scary!
I've been stopped a couple of times, by Granada's City Police during roadside checks and they are a very scary bunch. On both occasions however, they have just waved me on; no doubt by my English accented "Buenos Dias; Good Morning...Soy Ingles, mi Espanol muy poco!...hice algo mal?"
Scary nonetheless!

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