Every week a British tourist gets lost in Benidorm due to excessive alcohol

The great accordionist María Jesús sang, “If I get lost, let them look for me in Benidorm.” Even if the British are unfamiliar with the song, they insist on following the lyrics. It is reported that at least one British visitor gets “lost” in Benidorm every week, owing to excessive alcohol consumption. All of this relaxation leads to intensive effort in another area: the Local Police’s Lost Property Office (not for people), which collected over 900 items this summer.

Let us begin with the human material, which is apparently more valuable. In the city, it’s not uncommon to come across an Englishman who asks you for directions to a hotel in the morning but can’t remember the name the next day due to the haze left by the alcoholic effects of the innumerable beers he’s had.

Fright for the relatives

This loss of sense and direction can linger for more than a day, frightening accompanying families and friends and causing the visitor to miss their way. According to the British Traders’ Association, managed by Karen Cowles, 99% of these incidents are satisfactorily resolved.

The cause is mainly excessive alcohol consumption. According to local police sources, British people come to spend their vacations in groups, but when one of them becomes stranded, they usually do not try to pick them up, resulting in drunken individuals becoming disoriented in the city, unable to recall where they were staying.

Facebook Group

In addition to this loss of location, material losses rise with the relaxation generated by alcohol use, resulting in wallets, ID cards, and phones being left behind on pavements. The problem is so pervasive that it prompted the formation of the Facebook group “Lost and Found.” Its entries provide a wide range of anecdotes. From English folks who pick up the wrong bag at the airport and transport it to their hotel to jewellery engraved with personal information.

Its pages contain images of people who go missing on nights out, as well as any insignificant object, such as a single shoe, as well as a plethora of personal identifying documents and mobile phones. The social media site also discusses the instance of a British man who lost his dentures on a night out eleven years ago. The man couldn’t believe he discovered them.

Cowles believes that the loss of both personal and goods is related to the British people’s lack of relaxation in Benidorm and the entry of enormous numbers of tourists, both of which contribute to these situations.

Office for Objects in the Police

The Local Police’s Lost Property Office is well aware of the characteristics of the objects lost by all tourists and local inhabitants. During the three months of this summer, 902 things were discovered, 175 of which were turned in, and nearly 400 were sent to the town halls or consulates in the individuals’ hometowns.

Helmets, tablets, and, in particular, cell phones are returned to their rightful owners because the Data Protection Law forbids returning them to anyone who finds them. Items are kept by the department for two years before being destroyed. The funds are placed in a designated account at City Hall.

The police maintain a Facebook page and use it with irony and humour. For example, a social media message warns, “Who said all banks are bad?” The goal was to mock the 2,500 euros discovered inside a bag, which the owner subsequently reclaimed.

Also well-known was the funeral urn that someone left in a church and that the department kept for the requisite time before transporting it to the cemetery.

Author: Derek Appleton