suec1

We were recently in Luca Italy and while strolling along a pedestrian street my husband was approached by a young man wanting him to sign a petition against drugs. My husband, being quite the agreeable guy, was getting ready to sign the petition when I came up and grabbed his elbow and said - "its a scam" - but I couldn't remember how this deal goes down. My husband thought I was being paranoid, but wasn't there something on this board about these petitions? I did scan the crowd to see if there was a tricky partner waiting to lift his wallet while he signed.

BigRuss

Oh for the love of Mike, why in the h--l would you sign a petition in a foreign country considering that petitions are tied to voters or citizens and therefore your voice is irrelevant?

hazel1

Exactly what I was about to write. And I love that it was "a petition against drugs" - what the heck is that supposed to mean anyway? People that "agreeable" almost deserve the pickpocketing that is usually what this scheme is about.

jnjfraz

We see it all the time and pretend we are from some country that does not speak Italian, English or German. They can be very aggressive.... but so can the people in the big cities in America. Just walk on by.

Michael

<i>l would you sign a petition in a foreign country considering that petitions are tied to voters or citizens and therefore your voice is irrelevant?</i>

True most of the time. However, a room in the chateau de Marqueyssac was devoted to petitions which were signed by visitors against a planned road that would deface the existing Dordogne valley views. Tourism is big business in that area. Perhaps the Lucca petition had a similar bent.

jnjfraz

AND we are in a very small town and these people are not pickpocketing, just creative.

Michael

Strike my last sentence.

chartley

We were in Venice about 15 years ago, soon after the fire at La Fenice. We were stopped by someone who was involved in a survey or petition of some sort concerning the rebuilding of the theatre. We got chatting, and discovered that he had not only studied at university in our home city in England, but had lodged with someone who both my wife and I had worked with at separate organisations.

It is usually easy to distinguish genuine and bogus approaches. In this case, it led to a memorable conversation.

november_moon

Yes, the idea is that while your attention is diverted, your pockets will be picked.

nytraveler

The more of a "nice guy" you re the more likely you are to be scamed.

It is not necesary to be "nice" to random strangers on the stret - anywhere - at home or abroad. Walking right past without looking at them is the proper approach. (No need to run them down - but no need to interact - AT ALL).

The scammers count on the nice guys as the most confused nd best marks. (Remember whenyou were 5 years old an your mother told you never to talk to strangers. Well, she was right.)

StCirq

Pen in one hand, clipboard in the other....surely you get the drift.

suec1

I'm thinking hazel1's pockets may well be safe if agreeable people are "deserving" targets of pickpockets. Just sayin. I did find the approach silly but my husband was tired of looking at historic buildings and willing to engage in conversation.

vox_iena

They are common all over Italy (there is a stand with 2 or 3 guys every time i go to stadiums, concerts, etc.).
Basically they try to make you sign for a petition against drugs, then, since you are aware of the drug related problems, they ask you to help their cause with a donation. They are not pickpockets, still what they are looking for is your money

Nikki

Most people have an impulse to be friendly and helpful. It is easier for some people to fight that impulse than for others.

Ackislander

This is common in Boston and Washington DC.

If it is a petition, I tell them I am a Canadian. If it is a request for money for youth basketball or whatever, I speak the five or ten words of Serbo-Croat that I know. It it is religion, I ask them to meet me at my church on Sunday morning. If they will give me an hour, I will give them an hour. So far, no one has taken me up on it.

If I bother to speak to them at all.

interestedparty

This same thing happened to me in both Venice and Rome. In Venice we just walked right past them. In Rome they physically got in front of us and then followed us for a few seconds. This is a pretty common scam from what I've heard. The plot is just what vox_iena said: they want to trick you into donating to a fake cause.

First, the entire thing makes no sense if you think about it for one second. Asking only foreign nationals to sign a vague petition "against drugs" is highly suspicious—who are they giving this petition to anyway, drug dealers? You don't see them walking up to Italians do you? Second, I've seen multiple references to this exact scam on the Internet and in guidebooks. They just want to pressure you into making a donation that the scammers will then pocket themselves.

Fortunately this is easy to avoid. Don't make eye contact and don't stop. Just keep walking. They will quickly be left behind. Being rude is the best way out of this type of scam.

StCirq

Well, I live in DC and have never encountered it here, and I walk all over this city.

But anyway, in Europe, it sure helps if you can yell back at them in their language that you know what they're up to. One reason I love learning other languages.

goldenautumn

All these people speak English. Obviously, and they aren't easily scared. They're ex-addicts. But let's jump on a 2-year old thread on Fodor's to brag about how we swagger around Europe, braying in foreign tongues.

And some people don't notice much about what is going on around them even where they live, and their thinking processes lead them to conclusions that if they never noticed something, surely it doesn't exist, right? These people are quite reminiscent of some anti-substance abuse programs in the US that come close to being cults. Part of the re-hab is evangelizing aggressively and getting donations.

http://www.lautari.it/

But sure, come to Europe and spend your time yelling at people with problems in the native tongue. Maybe it impresses people in DC.

StCirq

<<They're ex-addicts.>>

How in hell do you know that? Or anything else about them, or DC for that matter?

<<These people are quite reminiscent of some anti-substance abuse programs in the US that come close to being cults. Part of the re-hab is evangelizing aggressively and getting donations.>>

Which "people?" What in hell are you talking about?

And if you don't think it pays to be able to say "NO thanks, get out of my face," in a European language when threatened or approached by someone suspicious, then you're just stupid, considering you live there. Using a message board just to deride someone for having foreign language skills is also just a stupid tool. Apparently you're offended that some of us can actually speak in foreign tongues. Maybe you thought you were the only one who could do so. Pity.

cathies

I don't understand how you could know that they all speak English. It isn't a 2 year old thread, just a little over one year.

I can't speak many langauges, but I've managed just fine by holding my hand up to block them and other scammers, trinket sellers etc and very firmly saying no.