Local police shut down makeshift barbershop on Gijón beach in Spain
A chair, a comb and a pair of clippers were all it took to set up a barbershop on San Lorenzo beach; local police removed the entrepreneurs with four officers.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Local police shut down makeshift 'barbershop' on Gijón beach
A chair, a comb and a pair of clippers. With that kit, two young men set up an ephemeral barbershop on San Lorenzo beach. The session, however, lasted less than a blow-dry: the local police showed up with four officers and ordered the closure of the makeshift establishment.
The scene, which could be seen this afternoon on the Gijón sand, has sparked a war of opinions. Some see it as an example of barrier-free entrepreneurship: zero rent, zero licences, zero taxes. Others believe the beach is not a commercial premises and that misuse of public space justified the intervention. Even the most pragmatic found a solution: the hair stays in the sand, but a quick swim sorts it out.
The detail of the shirt, from Atlético Nacional de Medellín, adds nothing to the substance of the matter, although some used it to drop stereotypes best ignored. The controversy, in any case, reflects the recurring tension between the informal economy and the regulation of shared space.
The question remains: should the city council chase down these initiatives, or would a smile and a broom be enough? In Gijón, for now, the answer has been a Solomon-like one: you can sunbathe, but you cannot offer services. That said, the early closure of the barbershop saved the customer from paying. Or maybe not, because the police never got around to charging him.
A chair, a comb and a pair of clippers. With that kit, two young men set up an ephemeral barbershop on San Lorenzo beach. The session, however, lasted less than a blow-dry: the local police showed up with four officers and ordered the closure of the makeshift establishment.
The scene, which could be seen this afternoon on the Gijón sand, has sparked a war of opinions. Some see it as an example of barrier-free entrepreneurship: zero rent, zero licences, zero taxes. Others believe the beach is not a commercial premises and that misuse of public space justified the intervention. Even the most pragmatic found a solution: the hair stays in the sand, but a quick swim sorts it out.
The detail of the shirt, from Atlético Nacional de Medellín, adds nothing to the substance of the matter, although some used it to drop stereotypes best ignored. The controversy, in any case, reflects the recurring tension between the informal economy and the regulation of shared space.
The question remains: should the city council chase down these initiatives, or would a smile and a broom be enough? In Gijón, for now, the answer has been a Solomon-like one: you can sunbathe, but you cannot offer services. That said, the early closure of the barbershop saved the customer from paying. Or maybe not, because the police never got around to charging him.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (60 replies).
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