Ferry crash in Spain strands 1,000

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Imagine spending 20 hours crammed onto a ferry with almost 1,000 strangers. This is exactly what happened this weekend when strong winds forced a ship going from Orán, Algeria to Alicante, Spain to crash into the dock. Those on board were able to get off, and the next wave climbed aboard … where they would wait for almost a full day.

On Saturday night – after boarding Friday night – some of the passengers were permitted to step off the boat for a while, before trying again. Only around 40 people did so. Traffic in the other direction was a nightmare, though. Close to 120 cars showed up for the Saturday night ferry, only to find it canceled.

Given that this was a ferry, there were no reports of time being passed via shuffle board and low-rent lounge acts. There did not appear to be a buffet, and if there was a Captain’s table, it probably had folding legs.

It looks like the Alicante-Orán service could be working again on Monday.

Drunk British tourist hands out $83,000 at Mallorca airport

by Scott Carmichael on

Usually when a Gadling article mentions “drunk tourist”, it’s about some kind of trouble an inebriated group of tourists managed to get themselves into. We’ve seen tourists that tried to open the aircraft door mid-flight, or a group of tourists that forced a plane to divert due to their behavior.

But this article is different – this drunk tourist left a bathroom stall at Mallorca airport and started handing out massive amounts of money. In total, he handed out GBP52,000 ($83,000).

Apparently the money was left to this idiot through an inheritance, and the combination of booze and downright stupidity made quite a few strangers at the airport a bit richer.

There is one snag in their happiness though – only GBP2000 of the money was in cash, the rest had been put on travelers cheques (yeah, these were British cheques), which means they won’t be able to cash them, as they can only be used by the person who purchased them, as they need to sign them.

Local police arrested the benefactor, who was described as “smelly” and “looking like a tramp”, and after verifying through the British Consulate that the funds were legitimate, they let him go. Once sobered up, I’m sure he will be quite happy that he chose travelers cheques instead of cash for his transaction.

Click the images to read more stories of booze gone bad in the skies

Man gored to death in Pamplona’s running of the bulls

by Sean McLachlan on

A man was gored to death today at the famous running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. It is the first such death since 2003.

The victim, reported by Spanish media to be a Spanish national named Daniel Jimeno Romero, 27, was killed when a brown bull named Capuchino broke away from the main group and attacked a crowd of runners. Three other runners were injured.

The running of the bulls is part of the week-long Festival of San Fermín. Crowds of people traditionally dressed all in white and wearing red kerchiefs run through the streets toward the bullfighting ring, being chased by a herd of bulls. Later in the day matadors fight and kills the animals.

As seen in this video, the man was knocked to the ground before being gored in the neck. He was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery but died of his injuries. This longer video shows the entire run as well as the fatal incident.

The festival was made famous by Ernest Hemingway in his book The Sun also Rises and attracts thousands of runners a year, many of them foreign tourists. It remains a controversial and dangerous event. Since the running of the bulls started in 1922, fifteen people have been killed, including one American, and hundreds injured.

We here at Gadling extend our sympathies to Señor Romero and his family and want to remind our readers to think twice before engaging in risky activity while on holiday.

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Spanish air contains cocaine

by Sean McLachlan on

Next time you visit Madrid or Barcelona, breathe deeply. Along with the car exhaust, you’ll be getting a whiff of cocaine, according to a recent study.

The Superior Council of Scientific Investigations tested the air in various barrios in the two cities where drug use is popular, and found trace particles of cannabis, amphetamines, and a host of other drugs besides the ubiquitous Bolivian Marching Powder.

While this may seem like yet another of those headline-grabbing but flawed “scientific studies”, having lived in Madrid for the past several years I can believe it. It’s not unusual to catch a cloud of ganja while engaged in the simple act of walking down the street, or to walk into a club bathroom and find someone sniffing off the counter (I mean really people, have you no sense of hygiene!!!) The government has recently felt it necessary to start a national advertising campaign to remind people that drugs are, in fact, illegal.

This is something that many travelers forget at their peril. While some Spaniards wink at drug use, the cops will bust your ass same as back home.

Drunk mailman threatens mayhem, grounded for half decade

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Why is it always the postmen?

Robert Russell had added “former” to his “mail carrier” title after being laid off by Royal Mail. So, he took a trip to Malaga, Spain. This isn’t unusual; plenty of people do something nice for themselves after losing their jobs. It’s great for morale.

It didn’t work.

Russell got wasted on lager and vodka in the Gatwick departure lounge. By the time he was literally flying high, he threatened to kill his fellow passengers and at one point tried to get off the plane early … via an emergency exit at 30,000 feet. The closest thing to a caring moment was when this unruly passenger yelled at a flight attendant, “Oi, blondie. Come and sit here so I can stroke you.”

Touching.

At one point, he said he would take down the entire plane … an awfully ambitious claim for a guy who couldn’t get the emergency door open. Eventually, crew and passengers were able to subdue the former postal employee, following his physical display of stereotype. .

All this happened on October 15, 2008. The Brighton Crown Court has finally ruled. Russell is banned from every airport in the United Kingdom for five years and will have to pay a fine of £4,643. A 12-month prison sentence was suspended for two years. And, in case there’s hope for the passenger’s humanity, he’s been ordered to complete 200 hours of community service.

As crazy as this incident sounds, in-flight disruptions are more common in Gatwick than you may realize. Sussex Police had to address 58 incidents on planes last year … an increase of almost 20 percent from the 50 in 2007.