The days of buying a thirst-quenching slice of watermelon or a bottle of water while you’re sunbathing on the beach in Palmanova, Paguera and Magalluf are well and truly over.
Calvia Local Police are patrolling the beaches from 10:00 and they're adopting a zero tolerance attitude to fruit sellers.
"When we are here there is no forgiveness," said one Beach Unit Officers who added that unauthorised street vending in a public space carries a fine of 600 euros.
The last person selling fruit on local beaches has been reported 11 times in the last 14 days and has not been seen on the beach for two weeks.
"He is the last of the family clan of fruit sellers and sometimes comes with a woman. He doesn’t wear gloves when he sells fruit, doesn’t adopt any health controls and doesn’t give people receipts,” said an Officer who’s thrown him off the beach numerous times. "We are always here and if he sells one batch of fruit, so be it, but we are here in 10 minutes."
The Beach Unit Officers in Calvia started the season on June 1 and will be on duty every day until October 31. They have developed a good relationship with local retailers and have identified around 100 thieves this summer. In early August they had to help remove a British tourist who smashed up his hotel room and yelled at workers and other guests.
On Friday morning there were no fruit vendors on Magalluf beach.
13 comments
To be able to write a comment, you have to be registered and logged in
I think this dates back to some historic law to do with beaches in General there are things your simply not supposed to do that basically if you move off the beach area the law wouldn't-Couldn't touch you its some thing to do with bothering people but not specific to the poor fruit sellers who I have happily bought from over the many years I have been to marjora Portugal and the likes Maybe the paper could clarify this as being correct I stand to be corrected if wrong
What harm does a fruit seller do?!!!! People need to eat more healthy and get more vitamins. This poor guy gets fined by the police, but the drug dealers in Placa Drassana in La Lonja (just outside the government building) can sell drugs EVERY DAY without being fined?! How is that? And where is the police for that? As always such big hypocrisy !
There is so much worse going on. Pickpocketing, muggings, assaults and generally very loutish behaviour and this is what the authorities crow about. Banning fruit sellers! Looks to me they’ve gone for the easy low-hanging-fruit option! Sorry, easy pun!
Imagine having so little to worry about in the world, that some bloke trawling the beach in 35 degree heat to sell a bit of fruit sets you off. ‘But he isn’t wearing gloves’ Oh god where is the humanity, save it you bunch of wet wipes.
How many times have we heard this zero tolerance in the past, prostitute/ thieves, drug dealers lucky lucky men the list goes on. I feel sorry for shop owners trying to make a living legally, paying rent and taxes for everyone else just to walk along the seafront and sell the same stuff. We will see anyway
Are the Looky Looky men going to be banned from selling their false products? I witnessed them walking into restaurants on Sa Coma beach last week and troubling people trying to eat their meals!
"The last person selling fruit on local beaches has been reported 11 times in the last 14 days and has not been seen on the beach for two weeks." Reported 11 times while he/she wasn't there?
Is this a joke? What has happened to Mallorca and the love it used to throw to everyone, tourist or local. Talk about poor PR this is just another maddening decision. The people selling the wares of fruits/drinks should be applauded for getting off their backside to earn a little extra not made to look like thieves. Try getting your tens of thousands of unemployed on benefits back to work instead of pinching income via fines of those that are trying to earn a living. Simply sad from your Island's Government, hang your heads in shame.
And what does he do with the money he makes spends it in local Mallorcan business win win I’d say
But he’s accompanied our holidays since 2004. Melone, Ananas, Kokosnooos. A hula hula hula. And his son in tow. The police were happy to turn a blind eye for years. Where are we going to get out ‘kokosnuss’ now.