We recently spent a week in Barcelona with no problems at all. My parents spent two weeks there with no problems either. I think if you hang out on the bottom part of Las Ramblas - which we thought was a horrible place to visit you are more likely to be pick pocketed. Everywhere else seemed fine just common sense vigilance required.

I've heard about Barcelona's bad fame in regards with pick pocketers. For this reason, I'm particularly careful when I'm around the very touristic places, like the previously mentioned Las Ramblas. So far, everything has gone smooth for me and no problems with thieves.

Exactly IMO knowledge that a problem does indeed exist - in Barcelona's case a big problem - knowledge of it will make tourists take precautions and greatly lessen the chances of it happening.

ribeirasacra, a nicely written piece, but nevertheless, as the Barcelona hotel desk clerk warned me "Yes, we do have a lot of pickpockets," I chose to stay alert for a misdirection, grab and go, etc. As texasbookworm says, we were very aware of the situation and, thanks to this forum, went there with the proper forethought of security.