Just a brief letter regarding the escalation in street beggars, particularly in the more traditional residential areas.

I have just returned to the city after two years and living in the Eixample.

Just the other day during a brief stroll from Diagonal down to Plaza Catalunya, I passed 20 or so. The majority of these were what I consider to be professional beggars. In the past I have looked on with sympathy but now this has been replaced with resentment. Many of these people are looking for an easy way out, and cheating ordinary working people who are sometimes too easily taken in, out of their savings. Surely this rise has not gone unnoticed by the Barcelona council. Are they doing anything about it!? It’s got to be bad for the city and the tourism business in general.

Solutions are not always easy to find, I know about that. For now though I invite anyone who is being constantly hassled to follow my lead and invest in a water pistol and give each one, that is clearly a fake a good soaking on passing.