SuperJane Fights Back

I've recently come back from a fabulous holiday in Barcelona, Spain.

Man and I were warned before we went that Barcelona is the pick-pocket city of the world, so when we got to the airport I purchased a little over-the-shoulder pouch bag for use there - intending to sort out my items to put in it once we'd arrived at our hotel.

But....you've guessed it - three very unsavoury types dipped their horrid little hands into my handbag...before we got to the hotel and before I could my bring my little pouch bag into use.....and they almost got away with it.

Here's what happened.

Man and I had just arrived and were changing trains from the main line (overhead) onto the Metro (tube) to go to our hotel when the bloke with all the tattoos all over his arms helped me on with my suitcase, which he passed back to Man (who was already in the train carriage), but he then stood in my way when I tried to get into the carriage fully to join Man - he was blocking my way so that I was stuck just inside the door.

Quick as a flash Man realised what was going on, grabbed my arm and pulled me into the carriage and then leapt after these three blokes shouting: "Hey....What are you doing...what's that in your hand?...."

and then my sunglasses fell onto the floor and the penny dropped...they had dipped my handbag....

They leapt off the train just as the doors were shutting, so Man and I held the doors open forcibly, and I started shouting very, very loudly and pointing at them....

"They picked my pocket....Help...Help...Go after them....Get the Police....Get the Police....they picked my pocket...Help...Robbers...." (and more words to this effect.....)

Man leapt out after them onto the platform and I was left holding the doors open on my own - but some passengers quickly came to my aid and helped me keep the doors open (the guard was still trying to close them). I continued shouting for Help and the Police while Man confronted them and started shouting at them in English very, very aggresively....

"What have you got there...You'd better give it back right now....Give it here...Now..." (and more words to this effect...expletives not included)

It's fair to say that Man in a bad temper is not to be messed with. He's about 6' 4" and built like a prop forward (he's size XXL). Although there were three of them, and pretty unsavoury they looked too - they clearly weren't going to take on Man in a temper (I don't blame them - neither would I!).

Well - they looked like rabbits caught in headlights - what with Man confronting them - right up close and personal in their faces and extremely aggresively - and me shouting for the Police and making the noisiest kerfuffle you could imagine from the train carriage doorway, and passengers helping me to hold the doors open - they then placed my Passport on the seat on the platform and went to walk away.

But Man wasn't having any of this. He pointed to the passport and made them pick it up and hand it over to him personally....and they did...

Man then shouted over to me to check my bag to see if I was missing anything else - I checked and I wasn't. So he leapt back into the train carriage. And the other passengers and I finally let the doors close.

I was, by now, shaking like a leaf - very upset. Penny dropped - how much worse it could have been if Man hadn't foiled them - I could have lost my credit cards, money, passport, etc...etc...also - then the realisation that we took them on also clicked in...how stupidly dangerous was that?....they could have had knives etc (a La London) and Man could have been seriously injured or worse.

The other passengers were marvellous. They said lots of very supportive things in Spanish (I could tell from the body language). I understood two questions, one was about whether they had got away with any money (dinero) - and I was able to say No, No dinero (I know what that word means) - she then clarified with Nada (nothing) - and I was able to say Si, Nada (They got nothing).

We only had two stops to go on the Metro and our hotel was very near the station. So we checked in, and then went out immediately and found a bar. By then, we were both pretty shaken up by what had happened and also our reaction - which was instinctive and angry - but not at all sensible!

Still - at least we take great pride in the fact that those three nasty little (er...quite big actually) scumbags picked on the wrong two!

Moral of the story:

"Don't mess with Man and SuperJane".