The police/guardia civil in Spain are now, bit by bit, taking the mickey out of everyone. Their main targets are the British ex-pats but the Spanish people are getting caught up in their dubious, not to say illegal, antics. Not content with their shenanigans on the border with Gibraltar, they are extending their arm of harassment right across Spain.

A good friend of mine, let’s call him Pete, was pulled over by the guardia civil (trafico) for not stopping on the thick white line at a junction with a STOP sign. My friend said that he had stopped and his very honest 12 year old son confirmed that he HAD indeed stopped. The guardia proceeded to fill out the forms for a one hundred Euro fine regardless. The intimation was “Your word against mine matey” There was nothing Pete could do so he has had to pay. The sting in the tail, however is that there is a right of appeal. This costs you two hundred Euros but it is none refundable. Do the maths. It is clearly not worth it.

To counteract this abuse (trying to boost the local bankrupt Town Halls finances), I have purchased an in car video camera which simply attaches to the windscreen and is powered by the cigarette lighter socket. The picture is superb and it also records sound. So, we have film evidence of both accidents and, the sharp practices of the local police. These are going to be a must have accessory and Pete is already considering getting one. They can be purchased on Amazon and other sites for between £20 and £100. Mine, a Prestigio Road Runner cost about £60. It comes without a memory card so you can buy whatever size you want. The recording is “looped” so when the card is full it just records from the beginning again, wiping out the previous recording. So get a spare, just in case you have been involved in an “incident”. The recordings easily transfer onto a computer. Big brother is watching you officer!