A few years ago, a new word entered the Spanish vocabulary - Botellon - which (roughly) translated, means 'Big Bottle'. However, what it actually means, is that a group of kids get together in parks, squares (or any other open space), and drink.

The equipment required is simple:

Alcohol

Mixers (Coca-cola) or similar

Ice (available in bags from gas stations)

Plastic cups.

Now, the 'Phenomena' had become quite widespread and normally meant groups of several dozen, to a couple of hundred.

However, a new variation on the theme has started . the 'Macro-Botellon' which is using Text messages and the 'net to call for LARGE concentrations. This weekend there are around 20 throughout Spain, the largest so far, 25,000.

There is no logical reason for it apart from the chance to drink until you fall over. The additional benefits are:

E.R. rooms are full of teenagers in alcoholic comas

No-one in the vicinity can sleep (they usually go on until 7 a.m)

All police leave has been cancelled

Local authorities have got to hire additional personnel to clear-up afterwards..

The irony is, that these concentrations are illegal in around 40% of Spain's, the other 60% have no recourse in law. As it has now passed from being illegal to being a 'Social Phenomena' it is likely to get worse rather than better.

In a word - Terrifying...Jim (who doesn't fortunately live near these 'Phenomenas')

Here in the States we just call those "College Football Saturdays" Gatherings of drunk minors are usually bigger, like 30,000.

Every so often a couple of kids will drink themselves to death and officials will clamp down. But only for a while...

Shaun

I always preferred drinking alone.
Excessive consummation of alcohol brought out my anti-social behaviors. :-) :-)

Which I could never figure out as I wanted (still do) to remember the game. Same goes for concerts - what's the point in paying a small fortune to go see a concert if all you are going to do is take drugs or drink yourself into a stupor?

When I was a teenager my dad would have knocked my teeth down my throat if he'd known I was drinking. Now that I have 2 sons of my own I'm a bit more tolerant. Instead of loosing teeth my sons would just carry a fat lip and a lump on the head. There is no reason for underage kids to be drinking or for adults to let it happen. When kids are bored they get into trouble. Soulution, keep your kids active in sports, church, whatever....just keep them active and be active with them.

Hermon

Hi Jim

If the the law has no recourse as far as the crowd gathering then what about a law on loitering ? What age group are you talking about here ? Are they high school age, say 14 - 18 yrs old, or we talking about young adults ? In the States the mere possession of alcohol by the first age group would be a crime by itself. I don't know Spanish law, are there limits on crowds gathering in public without a legal purpose ? While here in the States the freedom to assemble is one of our fundamental rights there are laws in place that law enforcment can use to discourage young people from gathering in large groups. I know this is of little if any help. Without knowing Spanish law I can't really say much more than good luck., and hope I gave you some ideas on how we deal with the problem on this side of the great lake.
Good luck
Harry

P.S. If you are gong to be up all night because of the crowd anyway, look at all the build time you will have.

the irony is around my place kids switched alcohol for drugs. At one point in secondary four their was more extasy running our halls than students. Although this seemed to have calmed down in my grade, kids beging consuming drugs at a younger age even though they do it in small groups, they begin doign harder and harder drugs.

Frank

Is there national service in Spain?
Hoo man, sounds like technology extrapolating what I used to do...
Nowadays, me going on a bender is classified 'social phenomena'

Ola Guys

Yesterday I was at a church were a girlfriend of mine was singing in the quire. It was a nice girl otherwise there is not much chance of seeing me in a church. But that was not the point.
Just before they started singing a Brick came sailing in through the window fortunately missing a women who sat underneath it.

A Policeman off duty who was sitting there to listen to the quire ran outside while a female prison guard who was in the quire herself ran through the backdoor. Saw three teenagers (around age 13 -14) blowing joints and drinking beer. and when she asked if they saw somebody running... the three kids simply gave the names of the guys and weren´t even surprised with the news that one of those idiots tossed a brick through the window. Happily the 2 delinquents responsible for the brick through the window were quickly captured.

Now I was not an angel during my days and I started smoking quite early at 16 years and that was considered very early. And with the liberal system here you could also get alcoholics at that age. But never ever in my entire life I had thought things like... Hey let's toss a brick through a church window with the risk of hitting somebody. OR throwing stones or tiles of a viaduct on a highway (I'm not thinking this up it happened here in Holland.) The stuff simply did not happen much when I was that age.

It makes you wonder what has happened in ten years time. The papers are littered with all sorts of this type of incidents. I mean kids here start smoking at age 12 and not long after that they will find grass too... Not to mention alcohol. It is just a ludicrous view to see a bunch of these underaged leprechauns doing all the stuff that normally would happen around the age of 16 / 18. Really crazy. If my father would know I started at that age he would kick my A$$ big time, send me to my room and let me go to school with a guard.

Other side of the story is.... if I ever see guys doing stuff like throwing bricks through windows, damaging busstops, other peoples bikes, Touching and breaking stuff that is definately not theirs It is better for them that the police spots them first as I only deliver remains.

There is something similar happening in the US but rather than drinking it is usually for protests. I believe it's called Flash Mobs. It's all done by mass emails and text messages just an hour or so before the gathering. It designates a time and location. You just show up if you can make it. It's too short a time for the police to get organized. By the time the police respond the crowds have dispersed.

Flash Mobs tactics are to get a thousand people to swarm a store being protested preventing customers from shopping. Usually the crowds are college aged kids trying to prove a point.

My school probably is about 2/3 pot heads, alcoholics, and almost all of that 2/3 smokes cigarettes. First day of school in september, before homeroom, right after I entered through the doors, the very first thing I noticed was that the entire school reeked of cigarettes.

Somebody at the modeling clu I attend, was doing something at an elementary school near where live, (I thik it was renovation) and they were finding these litle plastic baggies everywhere. Makes ya think doesn't it?

We had our Local church Torched by some teenage vermin, theystole toys from the kiddies club and then torched the hall they use, when i was a kid they had a punishment called the Birch,about time it came back .

What has happened here, is that it's only been 30 years since the country chose democracy. That has created a continuing climate where the overwhelming 'philosophy' has been 'freedom of Expression' - in other words, do what you like and to hell with any possible consequences.

The country has also become wealthier than ever so think of puttimg a 3 year-old in a sweet shop and telling them to get on with it.

The problem is NOT limited to alcohol abuse, drug use is COMPLETELY out of control along with other phenomenas such as 'happy-slapping' - filming random attacks using cellphones. Two recent cases have been particularly repulsive, a homeless man was burned to death (while being filmed) and a young lad with Downs Syndrome, was beaten up by a group of teenagers and the images also recorded...

In both cases, the perps were 15 and 16 years old..Jim

Seems to be a lack of parental guidence....and parental responsiblity....
Everyone knows how to make kids, but no one seems to know how to raise them, teach them, and be responsible for there behaviors.
Morality is at an all time low, not just in the US, and Spain, but around the world, simply because no one teaches the difference between right and wrong any longer. Discipline is a joke.... set them free to do it again judges, and the bleeding hearts set them free to do it again criminal system.
And of course the nagging question..... who has been the role models for these kids???
A society that has lost it's morality, mentality, and direction is no longer a society.
I'm glad I'm a rather "anti-social" old man, who has learned to pick and choose my friends, and relationships a lot more carefully today, than I did 30 and 40 years ago.
I know I'm rather boring, driving the speed limit, using a headset for the cell phone, stopping at stop signs, and streetlights, paying my taxes, actually buying my fishing license and trout stamp, and doing my best to be a good citizen, and neighbor.
I'm happy to still be a sexiest pig, for opening a door for women, and tipping my hat to ladies. Although the hats been staying on more and more as I get older, as the ladies become fewer and farther in between.

Yes little Johnny, it's totally acceptable at 12 years old to get a spiderweb tattooed to your face, we know it's just a harmless form of self-expression, and you'll look wonderful in your grammar school graduation photos, and you'll make me and your mother so proud of you. Besides you will be real easy to pick out in the lineup, and mug shots.


That should get the feathers flying...... :-)

Not with me mate.
When I told a local politician that the best way to stop crime was deterent sentences he looked at me as if I was some kind of extremist. Mind you - I did say that crooks should get 5years hard labour for every £ that they stole!
We were taught to maintain a certain standard of behaviour, yet when we try and teach this to our own kids then the 'politically correct' crowd tells us that we're wrong.
Perhaps if we reverted to the days when a "suspended sentence" meant on the end of a rope then we'd live in a safer society where the criminal actually comes off worse than his victim.

Rant over - from someone proud to be described as a 'cynical and grumpy old git'.

hey Jim, I guess that there are a lot of people with mowhawks then!!

Interesting statement, Grumps... :-)
Have to agree though, there is not enough deterrent...My youth was harmless to others (save for a target letterbox or two. Cricket bats have multiple uses;) some 2 buck chuck (Spumante ot similar...) In a time before bloody mobile phones...
But hey, we didn't go around kickin anyone. I have a conscience, where sadly it seems less relevant nowadays...

I fully agree with your view on this dave.the so called parents are both working because they want to have it all,but they dont need it.drop there kids in daycare,grandparents or they dont care where they are.i became a daddy 5 months ago and i starded working less right away to raise my daughter TOGETHER with my wife,no daycare or other crap like that.
if people get blessed with kids,raise them to,teach them your lifelessons and they will be fine.i have to stop now,i am getting upset :-) :-)

greetings jeroen,.

My two are Twenty and twenty three now and both have good jobs and steady relationships the boy is a bit like his dad likes a beer but never any trouble, now me and Mum were strict with them and mum was quick with her right hand and "wait till your dad gets home",I agree there is no conscience or responsbilty for ones actions now days AND Im proud to say both my kids eat their vegetables. :-)

I wonder if similar things happened in the early 1800's America? Thirty or so years after our "democratic start". Not as brutal and "modern", but, brutal and modern for 1800's America? Time and Technology breed some vastly differant ideals.

Hmmm...stay low,

Cuhail

Sounds like a Saturday night kegger party. I can still see the helos and flashing lights. But now that I'm over forty it really chaps my hide when I see these kids causing such comotion.