Should walking be a crime?

2
167

Email
March 22

Well it is at the moment in Spain! So that makes me a criminal, liable to a fine or even imprisonment!
You see, this morning I could not stand being under house arrest any longer and hiked up a nearby hillside to enjoy the feeling of freedom and being close to nature. I walked alone and saw only one dog walker; we briefly exchanged greetings but kept well apart. Now, I ask you, where is the harm in that?
Though short, the walk did me a power of good because being confined indoors and denied company has been making me depressed and I am sure it is badly affecting others. As a 70 year old with asthma, I am in a high-risk category and would not do anything unwise or dangerous to others, but it’s not just dogs that need to walk, people do too!

A. Walker

Read more in this week’s print edition or go to e-paper

2 COMMENTS

  1. well, i live in Villa Joyosa and on Thursday i went out to do my shopping walk, i believe we are allowed to go and do our shopping for food. I also live alone..So i had my walk to the Mercadona, on my way back with my knapsack on my back i saw some younger patrolling officers and a police car, but i was not afraid cause i had only done what was legal and that was to do my food shopping,They stopped me and asked me what i was doing, i said ive only been to the Mercadona and done my shopping, They said, no, you must stay in your house..I said, yes, i know but i am allowed to go and buy food!..He said can i see the receipt…i got a bit perplexed, but i tried to find it in my sack, at the same time i showed him the food i had bought, i found a receipt but it wasnt the right one, but an old one of 7 euros..the man sneered and said , only 7 euros, that is not allowed..i said i have another one let me find it…by this time i was pretty upset…but i did find it and gave it to him, it was 15 euros…he scowled and said if i shop i must have a bigger receipt…i am alone, so i dont buy too much at a time…He then asked for my passport and NIE nr. I told him i was a resident and had been since 2004/5….I gave him my passport and i had my nie nr…He refused to take the other receipt of 15 euros and gave both back….He then asked me if i knew the rules i said yes, but one has to go and buy food or else you can starve, he said NO!!!..i said how then will i be able to get food, he just said, keep in the house or you can be fined 3000 euros!!!….He then asked me where i lived, i pointed in the direction as it was just nearby..he asked, what is the address, i said i dont know cause ive only lived there a short time but it is in this street, He sneered and said youve lived in Spain so long and here and dont know your adress, i said i have lived in Spain, but not here..only just moved here. He then said i was a criminal cause we didnt obey their law, all foreigners are criminals he said…i couldnt believe it! He thensaid go to your house, he followed me and asked what floor do you live on, i thought , thats none of his bussness, so i didnt answer that one…He obviously thought i lived with someone, which i dont…I got my key and opened the door, he tried to enter the building with me…but i just slammed the door shut and thought that was the rudest most unpolite officer or whatever he was talking to a 72 year old woman like that. I was very perplexed when i came in and had to phone a friend to shake it all off. This is just crazy…Surely we are allowed to go and buy our food!!!?…Anyway i will report it and i have given notice to a Norwegian newspaper about the incident as i am Norwegian…..How is this going to end? And is there anybody we can report this to? Hoping for better days.Today i just kept indoors as its been raining, but i am a walker and my body gets quite stiff if i dont have my daily walks but i will survive…I just wonder if some of these young patrolling officers are taking matters into own hands and taking pleasure in being manipulative towards woman especially! And i must say its crazy that the people with dogs can go out cause the dog needs a walk, but they dont seem to understand how important it is for people also to use there body to stay bodily and mentally fit.They are actually putting people off from wanting to live here with this behaviour….but its not so easy for us who have lived here a long time to just move..and now we cant travel…..i will see when all this is over if i want to live here, not sure now……

  2. What an awful experience.Certainly try to report this,although I do notice that some sections of society here have let power go to their heads.In the local supermarket you can be met with a young lady on the checkout who waves her hands at you even though you are holding the first item in readiness & back before the red line,to put it down.In the pharmacy I was instructed loudly to approach the counter,place my paper down on the counter & step back.Actually would have done so.Haven’t been barked at in this way since I joined the Armed Forces as a raw recruit many years ago where I was considered a complete idiot.There ARE plenty of people I see carrying only a single barra in their hands so I do not understand why you had to produce this documentation.In hindsight perhaps you should have demanded HIS documentation & taken down his squad car number.As far as I am aware there is no amount you need to spend for your food as an excuse to shop.This incident is so wrong & as an elderly single foreigner myself can understand why you have queried about living here.Perhaps CBN would investigate this kind of situation because it is very upsetting for us. Alice

Leave a Reply to mary-ann weiby Cancel reply

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.