massimop

Boarding a train last week on my way to Milan, I spotted a wallet on the floor of the carriage, right where passengers get on and off trains, in between the carriages. I picked it up and fortunately found a picture ID inside (a Swiss train card), so I was able to find its owner on the train -- who was both totally shocked and hugely relieved to get the wallet back since it did have several important cards inside, although all the euros had been taken (fortunately, not a large amount of money)..

The victim -- a European national on holiday -- had boarded the train in Rapallo but did not know at what point the wallet had been stolen -- whether while getting on the train or moving through the aisles or stowing luggage. The wallet was inside a zippered tote. There are police in the train stations and on the platforms, and it is likely the thieves knew this and therefore got rid of the wallet before leaving the train (or they may have simply moved to another car).

Worth noting that this was an experience European train traveler (the Swiss train card was not a tourist pass). The victim was traveling as one half of a couple, both of whom were senior citizens but not in the least confused & no mobility problems. They had a very modest amount of luggage.One roller bag between them.

Money belts are an excellent idea. If you carry a wallet when you travel, keep a picture of yourself in it so if it is stolen or lost, you might get it back! Also, if you find your wallet missing on a train, go look for it if it had more than money in it. You might find it.

Finally, if you are traveling through train stations, look out for your fellow travelers. Don't crowd onto the train or in the vestibules, let others go first, don't squeeze past others in the aisles. Speak up if you think you see thieves, warn others. It's possible that you'll run into some traveler who'll mock you and tell you they've been traveling in Europe for xx years and blah blah blah -- you know, jerks. But some people will be very glad you shared what you know. Besides, it's the right thing to do.

massimop

other recent threads about theft on Italian trains.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...le-station.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...s-in-italy.cfm

cafegoddess

Thank you, it happens to everyone.

Dukey1

Now, of we could just do something about those people who steal your reserved seat on Italian trains and when you remind them they get nasty and say you are crazy. So you wait for the "conductor" to come and watch as they get up in a huff with a nasty look.

Yes, I KNOW it isn't the same as having valuables stolen but lately, for us, it has become a PITA.

massimop

I almost posted a few weeks ago about an encounter I had with a female 50+ American tourist who was sitting in my reserved seat. I had boarded the train carrying a heavy package, and when I informed her she was in my seat, she whined and huffed about leaving-- she was a solo traveler who had struck up a conversation with other American tourists seated nearby -- and then loudly demanded I get out of HER way so she could retrieve her many huge suitcases which she had parked around my seat. The train began moving, and when I attempted set my heavy package on the now-empty seat so I could keep my balance, she started yelling about giver her "space". At that point, I simply bumped her aside and sat down.

It was the latest in a series of unpleasant encounters with middle-aged solo female travelers who have been remarkably aggressive, and seem self-justifying about being aggressive and with an outsized sense of entitlement & grievance, like: "Can't you see I'm a solo woman and therefore deserve extra and I go first?" I also encounter & even host in my home many solo female travelers of all ages who are charming, un-self-absorbed travelers who are flexible and generous about everything, so where this cultural type comes from, I'm not sure -- but it's not Italy, and it is wearying.

xcountry

Hopefully we’ll get to tipping. That should get the argument going a little faster.

massimop

(not that all Italian or non-american women will brighten your day, but these American women really did peculiarly act as if the obviously world owed them some special consideration, beyond the normal wear & tear of travel fatigue that can cause any traveler to snap with momentary complaining or frustration. Getting worse over there?)

greg

>>> don't squeeze past others in the aisles.

If you get targeted, you don't have a control. A team of pickpockets create congestion on a fly usually at doors forcing you to go through the pickpockets if you want to get on or off the train at that station. The only protection against this attempt had been a money belt and a neck pouch which many dismiss as not necessary because they are so smart. They have always succeeded in extracting my wallet out of my pants pockets - but alas, they had always been decoy wallets. I don't put real wallets in my pockets when I take trains or buses or stations where they can also create a congestion on a fly at stairs and escalators. If I need to cash in these crowded areas, I use a random pocket in my shirt or jackets.

Nikki

"Hopefully we’ll get to tipping. That should get the argument going a little faster."

Wait, I thought when they steal your wallet, the tip is included.