You're My Best Friend

A month on. 12 June I spoke about the scratch card malarkey in Alcúdia; here we go again.

I despair of some people. One of the scratch-cardists' sites is on the corner opposite New Pacific in the port. I wandered past the other day. Some buffer had got himself engaged in conversation with one of SC-ists. There was something about the old dictator; an old buffer giving it large with his vague knowledge and believing his interlocutor was in some way a mate. Some tourists need a slap. Everyone becomes a mate or best friend - and in some cases (bars for example) they sometimes do become so - but many are anything but. They want your money - period. The SC-ists more than most. Engañabobo. That buffer. The SC-ist could have seen him coming, happy to listen to what old twaddle and buffery was on offer in exchange for the potential handing over of a four-figure credit-card remuneration. One born every minute, and one born every minute who is prepared to serve himself up on a plate. Let's have a nice chat with this nice young man, and now let's pay for something we don't want and can't afford. Engañabobo.

The people who can afford to hand over a Mastercard in return for some holiday club deal are precisely the people who do not get suckered. Probably because they have their own villa anyway. It is those who cannot afford who get mullered. Frankly, some of them deserve little sympathy. All the talk of lack of tourist spend, and then some guy takes you to the side and entices you into a situation in which you can hand over maybe four or five times what you have budgeted to spend for your two weeks. Perhaps some other businesses could learn something from the SC-ists, because they surely are doing something "right" or they wouldn't still be around.

A translated copy of the letter that was sent to "The Bulletin", which was the same as the email which I received that sparked all this off back on 12 June, is doing the rounds at the town hall, which means the police as well as the tourism department. The tourist office people know, as the police will and many others, where the main centres of SC-ism occur. If you don't, let me tell you. Opposite New Pacific, by the Alcúdia Garden and at the top of The Mile.

I have been unsure about the status of the SC-ist operation. Perhaps others are similarly unsure. But when the person who sent me the email tells me that when the police put in an appearance and the SC-ists scatter and then return later in different clothing, one has to ask why they might do this. I've said before, and will say again, there is no issue with people looking to earn a kosher euro or more, but that ain't the case if tourists are being given grief, hassle, bother and abuse, even if some of them, some of these tourists, can be seen coming.


And some rather unpleasant news. A stabbing. Place: Sabor Latino, part of the Bells empire. Don't know the end result, but it wasn't pretty by all accounts. Rather more pleasant, though not totally pleasant, as will become clear, something that just suddenly appeared. Where was the photo op in "Ultima Hora" with the mayor and other worthies? When did it happen? Two to three weeks ago, according to Marina at the paseo tourist office in Puerto Alcúdia. Can't say I'd noticed till yesterday. What is it? In fact it is a they. Toilets. Public lavs. A wooden privvy place near to the tourist office. Marina was somewhat concerned about the cleaning arrangements. Once a day, it would seem. And the loos are only open when the tourist office is open, not that its management has anything to do with the tourist office. So, if you get taken short on a Sunday or at night, you won't be able to use the loos. To be honest, having peered in and got something of a whiff, I would advise paying for a coffee or something and continue using the nearest bar. I suppose it's good of them to have put some public loos in place, though I'm not sure they exactly do anything for the paseo.

Finally, and it just shows what a free gift of a bottle can do, word up for the arrival of Homer's favourite beer at Vamps. Yep, Duff Beer makes it to Alcúdia. And I shall be partaking of the bottle on finishing today's entry. Not actually sure what the whole deal with this is as Matt Groening has said he would not license the name, but there is a Cerveza Duff website, so ... or should that be ... doh. And oh ... what would happen to the Duff brew if they brought in beer price controls? Nope, I don't know either.


QUIZ
Yesterday's title - the controls were set for the heart of the sun, Pink Floyd, and here it is, all ten minutes of it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5_0iZQ-TuA). Today's title - easy.

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