Marbella Moments with Nicole King: They’re coming…

The tourist season is about to burst into action I think I should just put out a small reminder of some of the snags.

The threat of kidnapping is very real. Criminals flock to where tourists abound.  We’re easy prey whether it be for a scam, rental or otherwise, for pick-pocketers and people who specifically come to steal our children. Unfortunately, there have been a few recent incidents which have prompted me to highlight this in particular.  Please keep an eye on your children at all times and I mean all times, there are people who are ready to snatch your child even if you just turn your back for a moment.

Having your car stolen is another thing to watch out for. Don’t leave your keys in the ignition at a petrol station at any moment, or leave your car running if you’re not in the car; even for an instant. Don’t leave your child or your handbag in the car whilst loading your shopping, they are not visible at all times. Don’t leave a child in the car even whilst just popping over to a cashpoint.

Another thing to look out for is the extra tourist traffic, particularly the Brits who may also like to drink and aren’t used to driving on the other side of the road. Visitors to our city are not as aware of their surroundings and will often make false turns and abrupt stops. Please keep this in mind. Traffic is already overwhelming without the imminent influx of holidaymakers so we need to make allowances for longer travel time, not faster speeds to compensate for our lack of forethought.

Added to this chaos is the daily challenge of dealing with the trucks that trundle through our city at top speed. They have no consideration for our local traffic that potters onto the main road to take perhaps the very next exit to the supermarket. It is completely incongruous to have heavily loaded traffic ignoring our safety whilst often intimidating us by tailgating.  I think they should be made to use the toll road and only allowed down into the city at the nearest point to where they’re headed, with a permit!  In the meantime, be aware.

On this note, all of us should realise that comparably our cars can also be a massive threat to motorcyclists, cyclists and nowadays motorised scooters, defenceless against our lack of deliberation. Remember to look in the mirrors and signal before making a manoeuvre, even if just changing lanes. Just because we see a parking space or think we’ve taken a wrong turn does not mean we can pull off of or onto the road without sufficient warning to those circulating around us.

And finally, dear pedestrians, don’t put blind faith and trust in the zebra crossings.  They’re all too frequently placed at the exit of main roads and on roundabouts, leaving little time to react, in a country that doesn’t automatically stop even in the best circumstances.

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