“We arrived in Barcelona just after 9pm and as we drove out of the port we realised that the sat nav was still set to Palma.
“The traffic was horrendous and while we tried to reset the sat nav a scooter overtook us and the driver, flashing his lights, started waving his arms about telling us we had a puncture to one of the rear wheels. We thought this rather strange because the vehicle would have alerted us to any problems with our tyres, plus we had just driven off the ferry and would have noticed. Then, the light came on indicating we had a flat. So I started trying to locate an all-night garage while my husband called the SOS vehicle assistance number.
“Then, all of a sudden a chap on an electric scooter appeared alongside shouting at us and offering to help change the tyre. We declined and we didn’t have a spare any way. However, he began banging on the rear of the vehicle telling us to get out so he could help. We continued to ignore him but he then appeared on my side of the vehicle and opened the door and began banging on the dashboard, shouting at us to get out.
“It was terrifying, I was extremely frightened. Fortunately my bag was at my feet and I had a foot on it, I’m sure that’s what he was after. Eventually we managed to get him out of the vehicle and limped on to a garage driving on a a hub cap only to then realise that the guy had at some point opened the boot and stolen my husband’s rucksack which had his computer and all his gear in.
“The garage staff were great, we then needed two tyres at a cost of 1,000 pounds and continued to Andorra where we intended to stay the night.
“However, to file the police report my husband had to drive back into Spain to the nearest police station before we could continue our journey back to the UK and we only have two days left before our 90 day limit expires.
“It was a nightmare and we never intend to use Barcelona again. Going over we sailed via Denia and will do so in the future, or Valencia, but we’re never going back to Barcelona. I hope this serves as a warning to all travelling through Barcelona by ferry,” the Bulletin was told.
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I had 2 guys do the same last year, they looked Algerian/Morroccan. As I don't trust anyone I got out the car with one of those big heavy metal steering wheel locks the size of a baseball bat, guess what, they ran off. Cowards.
We had a similar experience in Barcelona early in the New Year, although a lot less violent. Whilst we were parked at the check in for the ferry terminal on our way across to Mallorca. A couple of guys kept coming to the car, pointing at the boot, of course like an old fool I got out to check. My rucksack was stolen out of the car, along with money, credit cards, driving licence ID etc. Fortunately my passport was in another location. We are booked on a ferry via Toulon for our next visit……