Crime in Paris ???
 

How worried should I be about crime in Paris? My husband and I have decided to go for Easter and I am worried about pick-pockets and other criminals when visiting. I have read Rick Steve's book and it is really making me worry. How necessary is it to have a hidden moneybelt? How likely is it that we will be "scammed" by people in the train station, taxi drivers, and other unsavory folks? HELP!!!

Probably no more than in any other big city

What does Rick Steve say that makes it sound like crime in Paris is abnormally high and something to worry about? It is a big city and of course there is crime, but it sounds like you are really only worried about pickpockets (I can't imagine what other typical crime you would worry about -- although there are certainly occasional "muggings" in Paris, even in the central area). Does Rick Steves imply you will likely get physically assaulted in Paris? Well, it can happen but it's not likely -- I wouldn't roam around the dark side anywhere, but it's unlikely you'd know where it is or would get there easily.

PIckpockets are a problem in any major city with lots of tourists in Europe, I'd say. That's my opinion. There is nothing to worry about if you don't have things where people can pick your pocket. I don't worry about it but I don't do things that lend themselves to pickpockets nor do I carry around a lot of valuables, although of course I have something on me.

I am never scammed by people anywhere in Europe because I don't talk or deal with strangers who are trying to sell me something or persuade me to do anything. I would never talk to some riffraff in a train station who approached me and wanted something from me or wanted to do anything to/for me.

Rick Steves is speaking to naive travelers, and he tries to stress things so that will exercise some caution. A lot still don't, from what I've seen in Paris on the metro and around town. It amazes me the people who walk around or ride the metro with open bags or purses at their sides, backpacks, men with wallets in their pockets, etc.

RS suggests money belts or neck wallets because tourists are often easy to spot, and represent juicy targets for pickpockets. If you're a thief, you want to steal the wallet or purse of the person whose carrying several hundred euros in cash a couple of major credit cards, and an ATM card, not the guy whose commuting home with 20 euros in his wallet. Knowing that, you simply want to make yourself a less attractive target (by not sticking out as a tourist), or by not carrying a wallet or purse which is easy to pick.

The same rules apply in any large city--you are no more likely to be a crime victim in Paris, than in New York. RS simply wants you to take precautions so that if you do run into a pickpocket, they don't steal something that will ruin your vacation (like your passport and credit cards).

Dear AJ,

You are safer in Paris than in DC.

Take the usual precautions: don't let go of your luggage, don't carry money in trouser pockets unless they are closed with safety pins, hold onto your purse, don't let anyone help you with your bags.

Have a nice visit.

((I))

How likely is it that you will be "scammed"? Fairly unlikely.

That said, just don't talk to "people in the train station" or other "unsavory folks".

Take taxis from an official stand or have your hotel call one for you.

Divide up your money and cards between the two of you, and keep some back at your hotel room (so everything is not in one place).

I'm guessing you don't come from a big city?

The vast majority of Paris taxi drivers are honest. A money belt is a good idea. Be cautious around any talking "approaches" by strangers in the street, on the Metro, at the airport or the train station. In two decades, I've been pickpocketed once, of a 100-franc bill (I don't carry a wallet) but I may fall into the category of guys who look too poor or not sufficiently disoriented to be worth the bother. Mainly, use common sense, keep some focus, avoid nonstop dialogue with a traveling companion while on the Metro, but also take it easy and enjoy.

Ira: "Don't let anyone help you with your bags?" Do you mean I should not let a taxi driver at the airport lift my bag into the trunk? Or let a hotel employee carry my bag to my room?

Don't let people help if they are not obviously people whose job it is to help (taxi drivers, hotel employees, etc.).

Paris is no more dangerous than any other big city. But when you're a tourist in a big city, you're always a bit more vulnerable than most people, both because you don't know the city and because you make a more interesting target (you're more likely to have lots of cash on you).

Thanks for all your comments. I don't know why I am so worried as I am currently living in London and have never had any issues. I suppose my anxiety has a lot to do with not speaking French and I'm worried that will make me more vulnerable to scams.

Not speaking French could make somebody more vulnerable to scams? How is that possible? They could not even try that in French, because you would not undertand.

The only time in our recent trip to Paris that we were subject to any crime was on the Metro. It was on Christmas Eve, on our way back from dinner. My boyfriend's brother was pickpocketed. We're all from NYC, and fancy ourselves somewhat street smart, so it was extra frusturating! The pickpockets (two men working as a team) waited until we were getting near the metro stop. One of them pretended to drop his key, and dropped down to the floor to "look" for it. As he was doing this, he knocked into my boyfriend's brother's legs, which knocked him backward into the other pickpocket. Right then, the train stopped, and both the men jumped off. Almost immediately, we realized what had happened, but it was too late. My boyfriend saw another team of pickpocketers pull the same scam (unsuccessfully) on another man a few days later. It just goes to show that you have to always be careful. It was definitely stupid for him to have his wallet in his back pocket, but it is easy to be complacent, especially once you get used to your surroundings.

If someone in plain clothes approaches you representing himself as a policeman and asks to see your passport and money, say "take me to the police station. We will give you our full co-operation there."

The man will disappear.

If you're used to London, you won't have any problems in Paris. The people who are most frightened by big cities are people who are not used to big cities, which includes many French people. Someone living in a small town or village in, say, Normandy, will be far more frightened by Paris than someone who's lived in London.