Correct me if I am wrong, but I do not believe that the British Bars and Restaurants etc openly display and sell, even to under-age minors, pornographic tat, and I think that that is the point in question and hence that is why Sanji never mentioned, (I'm sure she will correct me if I am wrong here) the British in her post.

What I and I think most people find objectionable in as far as the Chinese tat shops are concerned is the pornographic filth that they choose to sell. If they got rid of all that rubbish and instead sold good old fashioned spanish souvenirs, then no one would really care whether the shops were managed and run by the Chinese, the Brits, the Germans, the French, the Swedes or old uncle tom cobbly and all.

Thats just my humble opinion but I would invite you to take some time and read as many of Sanji's posts as you can across all the boards on this excellent site as she is a mind of information on Benidorm, she knows a lot more than any Tourist Information site can ever hope to know, and she is even prepared to go out of her way to go 'undercover' if an HT member has a question or a query about a Hotel or a bar or a Restaurant in Beni.....and all this in her OWN holiday time.

Anyway, back to topic, I don't think this post is meant to critisize the Chinese, far from it, but rather the 'stuff' they sell.

As was pointed out very clearly in Sanji's original post...

The authorities have been called in to take action against the prolific sale of pornographic items at discount stores.

. The article also mentioned that these stores were in the main owned, managed and operated by Chinese Nationals. I have been to Benidorm on numerous occasions and I have yet to find one British owned 'tat' shop selling pornographic filth.

Sorry I have not read all your posts, just wondered why the british were not mentioned

Presumably because this thread is about CHINESE Tat shops! Sanji states quite clearly that She is not against the Chinese nor any other race, I suppose if she was feeling particularily verbose, she could have included French, German, Italian, Japanese, Welsh, Irish, Scotish, Outer Mongolian too! etc etc. Benidorm is in Spain, and Sanji is advocating a Pro Spanish stance here, not an anti anyone. Its a stance I would anticipate most people would agree with.

Personally I would not like to see many more British establishments opening up in Benidorm either. However because of the make up of the Benidorm tourist industry, quite a lot of British Establishments exist to meet a clearly defined area of need. One can understand the point of these places, and realise why they are there. I cannot however understand the point, or indeed the need for the Chinese shops that this thread is about. Its not a racist comment, just an observation on the ownership of these places. They dont seem to be geared for the Chinese, The Spanish or indeed most tourists. They sell vulgar, shoddy items and it can be quite embarrassing if you are a family with young children, having to constantly walk past them. If these shops were owned and staffed mainly by British people, my thoughts and I know Sanji's too would be exactly the same...get rid of em! - Regards. - Taggy.

I make no excuses for feeling this way and couldn`t care less if they are selling porno stuff or rice krispies....because I would still shut them down and kick them out

Sorry if I misunderstood but quote above seems to want them out no matter what they sell.

Sanji is advocating a Pro Spanish stance here, not an anti anyone. Its a stance I would anticipate most people would agree with.

Hi Taggy....thats what I wanted to say myself, but did'nt. I agree entirely. And yes I myself would adopt that stance.

bazjea
The point about the Chinese shops is...that when you`ve seen one then you have seen them all, and it is quite obvious that one supplier is infiltrating the resort with the same goods...ever heard of the mafioso.?
Whilst this thread is about Benidorm, I could go off "on one" about the Asians/Indians and their electrical shops on the Canary Islands and the rip off scumbags that the majority of them seem to be, although I`m positive that the members/lovers of Tenerife would tell me not to paint everyone with the same brush, well from my own experience and listening to the tales of woe from holiday makers, that for every 3 genuine/honest traders there are 30 crooks....but I can remember the Canary Islands before they took over the resorts.

Getting back to the Chinese shops in Beni...it is nothing but cheap tacky cr@p that you can find in a £ shop in the UK and I could never envisage another race selling such cr@p.

As far as the British bars are concerned some are providing a service to the holidaymaker, but when they take over a resort then I would kick them out as well, and believe me I would kick some of them out of Benidorm and other resorts tomorrow.
The only time you would ever see me in a British bar is if I was desperately needing the toilet and I was at the point of platting my legs.
The "talk of the coast" was the last club I went in and if I wasn`t a big queen fan, then I wouldn`t have stepped inside there either, but this is MY choice and I have to accept that what I like/dislike others may not...this does not make me a better/worse person than them, because we all pay the same money and their/your money is as good as mine.

I have taken an interest in Spain for quite a few years now, I have tried to learn the language, I have Spanish friends, I read Spanish papers on-line, I learn about the WHOLE country, I briefly watch Spanish TV and I constantly listen to Spanish music,...I couldn`t tell you who is in the English charts if you asked me, either singles or albums.

When you have Spanish friends then you get to hear the other side of the coin, things like the sh*t wages they get, the long unsociable hours they work, the house prices (thanks to mainly the British) that they cannot and NEVER will be able to afford now...the immigrants who will work for a pittance because they don`t get the giro through the door every week and they force unskilled Spanish people out of work, with a landlord still wanting the rent.
Spanish shopkeepers who cannot cope or compete within a resort when the Chinese or the Asians and their financial backers move in, and the British selling pie and chips for a few Euros.
British people who pay extortionate prices for houses like shoeboxes and set up their own communities, never integrating or learning the Spanish language, but yet will moan about the Asians setting up their communities within the UK.
And the sad thing is... that without the tourists then some of them would step back 40 years into the Franco days where they were indeed peasants.
I`m gonna shut up, cos you (I hope innocently) have opened a can of worms with me.
Besos xxx
sanji

Okay, I think enough has now been said about Chinese shops, both in this and previous topics. Probably best to let it close now.

David