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FOOD AND DRINK

Flirting craze at Mercadona supermarkets takes over Spain

Mercadona's flirting craze appears to have gone a bit far in Spain as police have been called in to deal with crowds, stag dos have been held at supermarket branches and staff have been forced to remove pineapples during 'flirting hour'.

Published: 4 September 2024 10:25 CEST
Flirting craze at Mercadona supermarkets takes over Spain
Pineapples have had to be removed from Mercadona supermarkets during 'flirting hour'. Photo: LiangKai Huang/Unsplash

If you’ve popped into Mercadona to do some shopping recently, you might’ve received some funny looks… or smiles or prolonged eye contact, a wink, or even someone crashing their shopping trolley into yours.

That’s probably because you accidentally went during ‘flirting hour’.

What are we talking about? Well, for those not in the know, it all started with a TikTok video that’s gone viral and now everybody in Spain’s talking about it. 

The idea is that if you turn up at a Mercadona branch between 7pm and 8pm, that’s la hora de ligar (the time to flirt), and there’s a secret love language to follow as well.

Putting a pineapple upside down in your shopping trolley means that you’re ‘available’ and ‘interested’. 

There are different supermarket aisles where you have to go to ‘hang’ based on your age group (you can read in more detail about the rules of Spanish supermarket flirting here).

But what started as a bit of fun seems to have gone a bit too far and is getting a little out of control. 

Once the trend went viral, scores of people began going to Mercadona between 7-8pm in stores across the country.

In one Mercadona branch in the Basque city of Bilbao, the sheer number of people descending on the supermarket for la hora de ligar meant that the security were overwhelmed and had to call the local Ertzaintza police. The numbers, Basque media reported, “far exceeded the usual capacity of a normal day.”

Even Spain’s pensioners are heading to their Mercadona to flip pineapples and find a potential suitor. 

Staff in some Mercadona stores have also tried to pre-empt the flirting hour and started removing pineapples in anticipation of the rush of singletons looking for love. A video posted on social media shows a worker removing a trolley full of pineapples to prevent the pineapples from being misused in an attempt to find love.

In another viral video, a group of young men staged a stag party in the store in which they dressed the groom up as a giant pineapple and wheeled him around in a supermarket trolley.

There are also articles in Spain’s main newspapers telling readers the latest fashion trends that can be worn to ‘get lucky’ at their local Mercadona branch.

It’s safe to say this social media trend has snowballed. Perhaps this writer is overly cynical, but one has to wonder how much of this was cooked up by Mercadona’s marketing team in the first place.

This trend and the viral videos that have come from it do all seem very convenient for Mercadona, Spain’s largest supermarket chain that had a turnover over €32 billion in 2023 alone.

Its owner, Juan Roig has openly admitted that the company has taken advantage of inflation and raised its prices in recent years.

And for the romantics among our readership who think this is all a bit of fun, the fact that rival supermarkets Lidl and Carrefour have also got involved in the scheme and launched rival flirting hours suggests it’s working… whether intentional or not.

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DRIVING

The illnesses and health conditions you can’t have when driving in Spain 

Spain has increased the number of illnesses and health conditions that will prevent people from legally driving or from renewing their licence from next year onwards. From mental disorders to cancer and heart problems, here’s the full list.

Published: 6 September 2024 14:51 CEST
The illnesses and health conditions you can't have when driving in Spain 

The recent update of Spain’s Traffic Law means that from 2025 a greater number of people in Spain will not be able to get behind the wheel. 

Toughening conditions for drivers based on health conditions is a measure aimed at curbing traffic accidents and road deaths. 

In the words of Spain’s Traffic Authority the DGT, “in order to get behind the wheel safely, the driver needs perceptive, cognitive and motor skills”.

The DGT has divided the health conditions that are incompatible with driving into nine categories: vascular, cardiac, psychiatric, neurological, endocrine, digestive, respiratory, oncological, chronic and degenerative. 

It’s worth noting that the level of symptoms displayed and medical reports presented can influence the decision. Not all driving bans based on illness are permanent either.

However, if the detrimental medical conditions are confirmed and long-lasting, driving for that person becomes illegal in Spain. 

They will not be able to renew their licence either in some cases, or as we will see below, a certain amount of time after their operation or illness will have to pass first.

The penalties imposed by the DGT for those who flout the rules range from €6,000 to €200.

Below is a list of the health conditions that make driving illegal in Spain, or which will result in your licence being revoked, not renewed, or at the very least keep you off the road for a period of time.

Vascular diseases 

Large vessel aneurysm or dissection: a favourable report from a specialist will be required to renew your licence, valid for between 1 and 10 years. Six months after an operation, renewals are granted for between 1 and 2 years. Drivers considered still at risk of further vascular problems will be deemed unfit. 

Ischemic attack (mini-stroke): Someone who has suffered a mini-stroke will have to wait 6 months before applying to renew their licence.  

Heart disease

Arrhythmias and surgeries involving a pacemaker, heart valve prostheses and cardiac revascularization: People who fit any of these descriptions will not be able to drive until one month after the operation, in some cases three months.

Cardiac syncope in the last six months: These people’s licences cannot be renewed, except if there is a favourable report from the cardiologist.

Acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) : If you suffered a heart attack, you will not be able to drive until three months after it happened and you should also wait three months before renewing your licence. This may only be extended for two or three years.

Mental disorders

Dementia, anxiety disorder, personality disorder, depression, sleep disorders, obsessive compulsive or intellectual development disorders, ADHD and alcohol or drug dependence: People who have been diagnosed with any of these conditions will not be able to drive unless the disease manifests itself in a mild manner and there is a favourable medical report that deems them fit to drive.

Neurological diseases

Loss of consciousness in the last year: Drivers who have suffered this due to neurological reasons will be considered unsuited to drive.

Epilepsy: After the first seizure or only seizure, 6 months must pass and with a favourable report presented for the person to be allowed to drive. In this case, their licence will be valid for between 1 and 10 years depending on their circumstances.

Transient ischemic attack (mild stroke): The person must wait six months before getting a medical report which if favourable allows to renew their licence for a year. 

Endocrine diseases

Treatment for diabetes, hyperthyroidism or adrenal diseases: Depending on the severity of the condition, the person’s driving licence may not be renewed. 

Diabetes: Once again, a positive medical report will be needed to renew your licence for between 1 and 5 years. 

Hypothyroidism and parathyroid disease: A doctor will have to give you the go-ahead for you to be able to renew your licence.

Digestive diseases

Nephropathy (kidney disease): A certificate of good health from your doctor will be needed to renew for between 1 and 10 years.

Kidney transplant: If six months have elapsed since the transplant and there have been no subsequent problems, a favourable report from the nephrologist allows you to drive legally in Spain.

Respiratory diseases

Chronic dyspnoea (shortness of breath): People with this condition cannot renew their driving licences in Spain.

Obstructive sleep apnoea: You can renew your licence for up to three years, but you need the go-ahead from the doctor.

Cancer

Oncological diseases: if the oncologist’s report is favourable, the validity period of a licence for a cancer sufferer in Spain is one year. When there is no evidence of cancer and no active treatment, a driving licence can be renewed for five years.

Onco-haematological disorders: As a general rule, driving licences cannot be renewed until 10 years have passed since symptoms have completely remitted for any onco-haematological cancer. However, one and three-year renewals can be offered when the oncologist gives the go-ahead. 

Other chronic and degenerative diseases

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), muscular dystrophy, osteoporosis, Parkinson’s or rheumatoid arthritis: Spain’s DGT doesn’t allow drivers with any of these illnesses to get behind the wheel.

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