Hi Adam

i thought BCM would be alright as long as they had there PRS in the BCM sqaure beacuse it is owned by BCM - correct me if i am wrong please

also i have heard from my friends (Katys Bar and restaurant SOn Matias Beach, oliveris and Zanis in Son Caliu there that a few bars are not happy with this and they seem to think that the Mayor will change his mind once the value of Calvia starts to drop, Calvis is the richest Muincipal in Baleric islands and this si largely due to magaluf and the tourists

I think it will be a gret loss to Magaluf and surrounding areas.I think it is the minority who dislike PRs.I have always found 99% of PRs very polite.
a no thank you is all it takes. Politeness is rewarded with politeness.

well in my opinion its the best thing to happen to magaluf , dont get me wrong i have mates who are PR'S who are great at there job . but its the most annoying thing getting hassle of these people when you know were you want to go . if you read the resort reviews the majority of complaints are about the TOUT'S , the resort is fantastic and will only get better without them . the bars will have to compete with prices etc to win custom

Hi folks, sorry for delay in replying

Firstly wLondon

It's a bit confusing with BCM square, as I believe it's regarded as private property, and therefore outside the control of Calvia. However although the freehold is owned by BCM, there are leaseholds to Bobby's Tavern, Baco's Coyote Ugly etc, and I assume therefore BCM have no entitlement to PR in BCM square - they never have before. The PR's in the square were never regulated by Calvia anyway, but all the bars I mention above had PR's on the streets, obviously trying to get punters into the square and these will be banned.

BCM's PR's were obviously outside the club on a night (I believe these will be banned) and during the day at various street corners. They mainly handed out leaflets to interested youngsters, and didn't cause a lot of annoyance, although those areas were always a disgrace, with thousands of discarded flyers littering the pavement, and empty drinks cartons etc.

As regards the bars who are opposed to it, I have some sympathy. There are specific bars, such as Alex's up the strip which are down side streets, and without PR's their business will be badly affected. I'm not sure what you mean by Calvia's value falling. If you mean this ban will affect tourism, I don't agree, infact there is an argument that it will encourage more visitors. I don't think there will be many who think to themselves "I'm not going to Magalluf because there are no PR's" but I think there will be those who maybe will come because they are banned.

With the greatest respect I cannot agree with your suggestion that Calvia's wealth which is unquestioned, is largely due to Magalluf's youngsters. There is a huge, and I mean HUGE amount of money in this area, but only a small fraction of that is due to the tax that they collect for PR bibs, and even bars. The politicians are concerned that the "Lager lout" reputation is fuelled by hundreds of PR's on the streets offering free shots, two for one offers etc, and most importantly they are often a source for the supply of drugs. They believe that outlawing them will partly improve this image, and frankly I don't know whether it will or not - I don't think any of us will change their minds, so we may as well just go along with it, and see what happens.

Pipefitter

This isn't to do with the politeness of the PR's and I agree with you, the vast majority were pleasant, and accepted a refusal. However I personally have had the displeasure of rude and overly persistant PR's and the first 5 or 10 are bearable, but when you walk up the strip, you maybe have to turn down 30 or 40 PR's, and you've got to admit it does get tiresome. I would have sacked any PR who was rude, but they did have to put up with some pretty awful abuse themselves.

Jim

I'm trying to be impartial, and obviously I know lots of PR's and feel sorry for them. It will have a big effect on the resort - fewer workers, less demand for workers accomodation, more unemployed people looking for work etc etc. It will interesting to see how it pans out!

Having said all of that it wouldn't be the biggest surprise if Calvia Council changed their minds. A very cynical friend of mine suggested that Brown envelopes may well be flying around the area at the moment, with used bank notes in them - we will see. The fact is that these people are voted in by mainly Spanish voters - and they have an election manifesto that says they will banned, and we all know that Politicians never go on their word, don't we?

Cheers

Adam

Adam as someone who has stayed in or visited Magaluf for the last
10yrs I would welcome the ban on PRs if it happens.

They can be a pain in the backside at times and I have had a couple of incidents with them over the years,
but I must admit they are not as annoying as the Lucky Lucky men selling there tat.

Sitting outside a bar on a night can really test your patience with those people !!!

So will they be banned ? , because that would be good news.

I would also just like to say Adam,

Thanks for all the info you have put on this forum regarding Magaluf and Majorca,
I for one have found it very useful in the past, please keep posting.

Rondel

First let me explain, I both work and live in Magaluf, however I have no connection with the bars and discos - other than drinking in them.

I have mixed views about them, the more experienced staff are ok, they get to know the residents and don't give us too much hassle. The problem for me is more the younger and newer PR's who work on Punta Ballena. On one occasion I was literally dragged into a bar by a young female PR, it annoyed me that - had our roles been reversed, I a 27yr old male could be in serious trouble for dragging a young female into a bar against her will. Yet she gets paid to do it.

It will be interesting to see what happens, it is difficult to imagine walking up Punta Ballena without any PR's.

It will take a lot of policing to enforce this ban, and as soon as one bar start employing illegal PR's the rest will soon follow. I know of several bars and discos that regularly flout the law, they simply budget for the meagre fines that they receive. So I can imagine that the PR's will still be there but working illegally.

So the question is then: Is it better to keep the PR's but under some sort of control, or make it illegal and have no control?

Calvia police seem pretty stretched over the summer dealing with all the drunks so are they going to be able to enforce a ban on PR's?

Another concern is that the PR's in question having just come over from the UK will be getting themselves in trouble with the law, without even realising they are breaking it. With the bar owners able to wash there hands of the whole affair.

What do the rest of you think?

Robin

Everyone has their idea of an ideal holiday destination, I would not visit Palma Nova or Magaluf although I enjoy a drink as do the many visitors, I have just returned from Tenerife where to walk along the promenade there you are accosted by PR's for Restuarants and Bars, Day Trips, Excursions and Timeshare, Competition is fierce and for some of the bars etc PR's must be vital, so I think that if we are offended we should stay away from these resorts, although that said some of the PR's have a great sense of humour and don't press the point.

Dave

My personal take on this is that any bar that requires a tout in the street to get people in isn't worth going into anyway!

great!

Hia all,

Anyone have any update on this? Seems to have gone quiet. I know the decision has to be passed by authorities etc but something this high profile I would have thought would be big news and sending certain bar owners (and they all know who they are!) running for cover

Hi MM

I think it's a little too early to say what's going to happen. Hardly any bars are open just now, and if they were there'd be no point in having a PR when you get 1 passing customer every 4 hours

Most people expect certain bars to flout the law, just to test the attitude of the Police, but I just have a feeling that Calvia really mean this, and maybe are looking to make an example of one or two bars - I can't afford the 6,000 euro fine so it won't be me!

Despite the odd ill-informed comment on here, PR's have been an important assett to all the biggest bars in Magalluf, and I really think it will make a big impact on the resort, and there could well be a big re-distribution of custom over these next few months. Bars sitting back and thinking things won't change may be in for a shock.

I think one of the biggest deterrents is that Calvia propose to impose a fine on the PR themselves, as well as the bar. Not many workers would be prepared to take that chance methinks.

Cheers

Adam

in ibiza playa den bossa prs are banned.but they stay within the law.by standing on bars steps.not on pavement.Hi De Hi is right in saying if you need prs then your bar must be bad.if you run a good pub/bar.the name should be enough to bring people in.
i know of many bars in hols resorts.that if you don.t get there early enough.you don;t get a seat.or you will have to wait to get in.one out one in.i know its hard for the smaller bars to compete with the bigger ones.but i love the small bars that only hold 30 or less.more like a family run pub.i have been to Magalluf many times.it really needs someone to promote a bar without prs outside pushing you in.

i never see prs in uk ie /notts and derby.

will have to pop over sometime to see how its going.if i see a nice pub with the right beers.clean ect.i go in them.

anyway thats what i think.

this is not getting at any one bar or pubs in area mention.overall view

Sorry folks

I have to say, your comments stating that "if you need a Pr then your bar must be bad" Is completely wrong!

From personal experience, if a new bar opens, how does it get a reputation? it gets one by people visiting it. If noboday knows it is there or what it offers then people will not go. I have heard a thousand times "people will not go into an empty bar". Correct me if I am wrong, EVERY bar is empty util the first person goes in! Nobody opens a bar with a tip-top repuatation. These are built over a long period and after a lot of graft and heartache generally.

If PR's did the job correctly and simply greeted people with a friendly smile and simply outlined what was on offer then most people would be happy with them. Its those who bombard you and use bully boy tactics that have ruined it for so many hard working bars. I know bar owners here who have already said they will send people into other bars to PR and persuade people to go to their bar. Thats is a disgusting tactic and all hell will break lose if this happens.

In response to the ridiculous coment that you dont see PR's in city's like Notts or Derby.Maybe thats because they do not have 150 plus bars within 2 square miles. Also, perhaps the vast majority of people in those cities live there and know where they want to go! A lot of people in Magaluf are new visitors or it may be that so many bars change hands, where they visited last year may no longer be there!

Dont get me wrong im not defending PR's but I have to take offence regarding bars reasons for having them. MY previous employer here resisted for as long as possible in hiring a PR but it became all too obvious that without one, he would be quieter than bars with one. Its very dog eat dog here sometimes and the PR ban will simply drive an already unpopular practice "underground" This will only infuriate bar owners who are trying so hard to earn a living. It will also cause huge issues between the PR's themselves. Yet again though Calvia (local authority) have come up with a scheme and implemented it with little forethought. We will simply have to wait and see what transpires.

If you are coming to Magaluf this year, have a good one.

Don't know about Prs outside bars, but the holidayclub touts in the streets should also be banned, as they can not only ruin that holiday, but cause heartache for months and months after holiday ends. If your stopped by scratchcard touts, just tell them to go away in whatever terminology best suits the situation.

Tattiedigger

No argument there at all, although they've never been legal in the first place.

The thing is, PR's outside bars were legalised, and to a certain extent organised. They had to be on contract, have paid the tax, could only stand immediately outside the bar etc etc.

However the main problem was that the police never really paid too much attention to the illegal ones, either the bars that had legal PR's but also employed a few illegal ones to hang around the Hotels and street corners, or the "Time Share" reps. If and when they were caught they only ever fined the Bar (assuming the Police knew who they were working for), never the PR.

In the case of the time share / Holiday Club scammers, the Holiday Club was normally registered "off-shore" so they could fine them as much as they wanted, but they'd never pay anyway.

This year the intention is to make the fines more severe, but also to fine the PR themselves. I'm hoping that this will take these Time Share parasites off the streets altogether, because it really is a c o n of the highest order, and they wouldn't be doing it unless they regularly come across dumb people who genuinely think they are going to win a Holiday from some arrogant (because they all are) scumbag who makes hundreds of euros a day out of people's stupidity.

If I sound too strong, I'm sure I'll be edited, but hopefully it will serve to warn some people off them.