Excessive worry about pickpockets
 

I see many posts that evidence a phobia about being robbed while on vacation in Europe. Why is it that people think that Europe is a place that requires extra precautions, like wearing money belts, splitting up your valuables among your various pockets, etc.

Every day I read in my local paper about muggings, murders, rapes, in my hometown! I'm careful no matter where I am to make sure there is n't some wacko or run-of-the-mill thief ready to accost me.

Why is anyplace in Europe any different?

By the way, I live in Northern California.

Hi Tinling LOL, I live in Northern California too and certainly relate to what you are saying!! Guess that people figure IF they have a problem while in Europe it is more difficult to handle then if they are at home and that it no doubt true. I try to cover all basis if I have a problem and in all my decades of traveling I haven't been a victim of crime fortunatly. But know it can happen. But it can happen, as you indicate, anywhere. BTW, where do you live? In am in Vacaville. Take care.

Being robbed in a foreign country is both more likely and more annoying than being robbed at home.

I live in Paris. I'm not likely to be victimized by a pickpocket because :

-I don't hang out much in the touristy spots where the pickpockets are operating

-Being in a familiar place, I'm much more likely to notice that something, or someone's behavior, is abnormal

-I don't look like a tourist, so, I'm unlikely to be an interesting target : I won't have an expensive camera, nor plenty of cash in my wallet

-I'm way more likely to complain to the police and to press charges if the pickpocket is caught.

-I wont be distracted because I'm looking at a map or taking a picture.


And anyway, even if I'm victimized, at worst I'll lost a minimal amount of money and will have to get a new ID and a new CC, and it won't be a major hassle. On the other hand, if I were a tourist, I could have lost my passport, all my money and plastic, my plane tickets, etc... and it could be a major issue to have everything settled down in and/or from a foreign country. My vacations could be ruined. I could also have lost expensive stuff.

So, as a parisian, I'm not very concerned about pickpockets. But if I were a foreigner vacationning in Paris, I most certainly would be.

I have never had a phobia about being robbed while on vacation in Europe. However, I have had pickpocketers attempt to take things from me on the metro in Paris and in Rome, and my husband had his wallet lifted getting on the Circumvesuviana in Naples.

I grew up in New York and have lived in Chicago and Boston and never had such attempts made. Well, there was that time a guy grabbed my purse waiting in Penn Station, but that was some time back in the sixties.

Words! The magnitude of the danger or nuisance is increasing. Gross populations are increasing; hence the total number of 'bandits' is increasing. Perhaps personal risk is a stable factor as we have an increased number of travellers. Is there any way to get a monthly report of charge card thefts by countries from Visa and Mastercard?

GSteed,

If population growth means there are more criminals, it also means there are more potential victims, so this in itself does not increase your risk of being robbed.

if you would like to keep thinking that the european thieves/ mafia organized crime bandits are just as few/prevalent as the n. california ones.. go ahead.
i wish you luck on all your travels.

many travellers do not come from N.Y., Chicago, L.A.,etc, nor do they normally use public transport.

many come from small town america where they are still leaving their carkeys in the car, house unlocked, etc.

i feel it would be a DIS-service not to politely WARN people of the possible dangers awaiting them in their touring country, ..

you want more info?? go speak to any american consulate office and ask them how many unfortunate incidents happen DAILY to unsuspecting unwary tourists.

yes, these things happen elsewhere, but AS A TOURIST your chances OBVIOUSLY grow due to your new lifestyle in the visited city.

Solution: Take heed to good advice given here, and get on with your well-deserved, much awaited dream vacation,.. enjoy it, but try to be more AWARE of your new surroundings and background activity.

I don't think it's so much that Europe is different as it is that I'm different when I'm in Europe. In my own city, I'm mostly at home, at work, in my car or on a transit system I'm familiar with so I don't have to concentrate on where I'm going. And even then, I'm always very conscious of my purse.

When I travel I'm distracted by sights, crowds, unfamiliar places, etc. I'm also probably carrying more than I do at home so my hands aren't as free to stay on my purse.

Also, I'm unlikely to lose my passport in my own city but if I lose it in Italy, it's a big deal.

I don't use special security items like money belts but I do try to be more aware of my belongings and my surroundings when I travel. And I don't mind hearing about scams and pickpockets here but I have no problem putting it in perspective.

I've only been robbed once in my traveling life and that was not in Europe, it was in Vancouver, BC. We made the mistake of leaving things in the car where they were visible. The thief didn't get anything of value, just an umbrella and a cheap jacket. We think that because we left a road atlas in the car it was obvious we were tourists so he thought there could be something in the car worth stealing. The worst thing about this ordeal was losing a vacation day, as we had to replace the broken window on the car. It was a valuable lesson.

But getting back to the subject, if you look too much like a tourist, you could be robbed anywhere, even in a fine city like Vancouver.

I don't think it is only about Europe but rather any place that hordes of tourists are gathered. As already mentioned many people going to Europe do not come from major urban areas and lack the natural "city-smarts" of those who do. You *know* tourists most likely have lots of cash on them, cameras, etc. and are often distracted, disoriented, even intimidated and make an easy mark for petty theft.

While there is a bit of a phobic tendency in these posts here on Fodors, I think it is equally silly to pretent that the situation does not exist, because clearly it does (for some people in some places).

The only time my pocket was picked was on the Metro in Barcelona.

I do not think pickpockets target tourists and visitors exclusively and some of the techniques are clever enough that anyone, tourist and local alike, would be (and are, IMO) at risk.

We used to stand up on the second level at Termini and watch them working down below...lots of "locals" were targets.

I'm not sure that this "phobia" as you call it is really that..but i do think the risk is real in many situations and places. Should it cause panic or dysfunction/overwhelming anxiety? No.

I agree wholeheartedly with clairobscur. I live near a large tourist area, and though I don't frequent the area, when I do I don't particularly take special precautions. I live here. I know the 'hood, and all the scams that people perpetuate on tourists. There is an "attitude" that natives have that other natives recognize, and therefore cause them to be less of a victim.

Plus, I think it's just realistic to know that in America we have a higher instance of violent crime and outright stealing than pickpocketing. I'm usually a pretty observant person, and I've never observed this in any large city I've ever been in within the US. I think it is far more common to have one's possessions grabbed or one's car broken into than a hand slipped into a purse or pocket, but that's just my observation.

And yeah, being in the US, I'm not normally in the habit of carrying around my passport and it is far easier to get my CC and ATM card replaced than when I'm in a foreign country where I know no one and don't speak the language and am unfamilar with the laws. In the US, I'm on my home turf - no matter the state. In Europe, in many ways, I'm a fish out of water.

I don't believe people should develop a phobia about these things, but it is best to be wise and know what types of scams are out there to wary of!

P_M, I'm not the slightest bit surprised. As a resident of Vancouver, I'd warn anyone who has a rental car to be especially vigilant about removing everything from sight and from the trunk. After hearing dozens of stories, I know what a target these vehicles are. I don't know where it places on the list of most likely car theft places, but I'm sure it's near the top in North America.

I traveled to NY City once a week for 20 years using crowded subways, mostly the Lexington Avenue line. Never bothered at all. I was pickpocketed in Rome on my second trip there. Now I always use a money belt and stay aware of my surroundings whenever I'm in big city in Europe. To do otherwise is foolish.

Europe isn't different than any other place. It's just that if your at home and someone steals your handbag with all your credit cards, id etc in it, most likely you'll still be able to get home. You know the local language, a phone call will probably get you a ride home where all the paperwork you'll need to deal with the theft is stored. Plus, most of us have a support system in family or friends to turn to if we are victims of crime.

In a different country everything changes. I'm not paranoid, just practical. If my passport is stolen, I may still need to eat before the mess is cleared up.

LoveItaly: Just up the road in Sacramento. I'm leaving for the country you love in a few days. Going to Tuscany and then the big three, Rome, Florence, and Venice.

This is an unusually sane discussion of this topic-- I hope it lasts!

I wanted to add that for many of us, speaking for myself in the US, we don't walk the streets at home the way we do in major European cities. I live out of my car, and as hdm says, I'm more vulnerable to it being broken into (although this has never happened to me.) It stands to reason that a particular type of crime that relies on close physical contact is going to happen in places where you are not in a vehicle.

I agree. We have been traveling for many years now and have never been robbed nor have our pockets been picked.
My husband carries his wallet in his pocket and I carry my bag . I just do not wear flashy jewelry or leave anything valuable out in the hotel room.
I think a lot of the obsessing over pickpockets etc is just that natural tendency to be prepared for anything when going to a place that one has never been to and does not speak the language..
I lived in NYC , now live in Portland Or..

Tinling: Just as a tourist is more likely to be pickpocketed in Old Sac, you are more likely to be hit in Rome. There just aren't that many locals in old sac and not many locals around the Coliseum

You are pretty much safe in Downtown Plaza or Arden Fair (except maybe walking across the parking lot at night) And if you WERE robbed at Arden Fair you would be minutes away from your bank branch - not 9 times zones away.

Just about anyone is safer in their own stomping grounds than in unfamilar territory where they stick out more. And it is so much easier to straighten things out, cancel accts, get new ATM cards, etc when close to home. That is why extra precautions and money belts are a good idea when traveling.

Clairobscur,
I just wanted to thank you for the best summary I've seen as to why a tourist is far more at risk than a local. Lincasanova, good points too.

I like the distinction between the *chance* of something happening to you and the *consequences* if it does.

I don't consider it "phobic" nor even a nuisance to use a money belt. As others have said, it's a LOT more inconvenient to be pickpocketed in a foreign country than at home. I know this from experience.

I do think large European cities have much more of a pickpocking problem than comparable US cities. I have lived in Brooklyn NY for 3 years, taking the subway to work (even 8 months pregnant, a prime target) and was never hassled or bothered. I lived in Manhattan and regularly took subways/buses, no problem at all nor have I ever witnessed any on all of my years of subway travel. However, contrasting this with rides on the Barcelona metro, Paris metro, Prague trains (Prague, beautiful city, big pickpocket problem)we have had several pickpocking attempts made on us. I guess me and my kids looked like targets and they just zoned in on us - but we always wear money belts and they got nothing. But, I have never witnessed this type of targeting of tourists in NYC (nor did I ever witness a violent crime on the NYC subway). I do think that the vigilance of the police department has a major deterrence of this type of crime. I have read several reports that in Spain and Paris they just can't control this type of petty theft.

" don't think it's so much that Europe is different as it is that I'm different when I'm in Europe. In my own city, I'm mostly at home, at work, in my car or on a transit system I'm familiar with so I don't have to concentrate on where I'm going."

Great comment, hdm.

Sometimes I think I'm more likely to be in an unaware stupor due to habit, while at home, than I am in a new city where I'm watching signs and looking for my destination.

MOST people do travel to many cities, including Rome, without becoming crime victims. I haven't myself, and I too live in NYC. I haven't been robbed at home either. I do walk all the time, and I use public transportation, at home and when I travel. I don't use security devices or hidden wallets, just try to be aware. I'm not saying it will never happen to me, but so far the odds have been with me and not agin' me.

That said, people should do whatever makes them more comfortable in terms of taking precautions, and then hope for the best.

I agree that many people are obsessed with theft overseas. Anywhere that tourist or others are in mass, there will be the potential for theft. Take precautions everywhere.

I had a customer that was very worried about her first trip to Europe. I told her not to worry and have a good time. I explained to her about precautions for the entire trip. Everything went fine until the return trip. At JFK Airport, she was robbed. She said that since she was back in the States, the felt that she did not have to observe my suggestions.

On the same note, many can plan easily for a trip across the USA, but get bogged down trying to plan a trip overseas. The only difference is traveling further and some language problems.

>...many can plan easily for a trip across the USA, but get bogged down trying to plan a trip overseas. The only difference is traveling further and some language problems. <

Agreed. The US is huge, and in some places it's almost impossible to understand the locals.

((I))

Excessive worry about pickpockets may be a GOOD thing. The chances of being relieved of your money, credit cards, etc. in any tourist area are a lot greater than in your hometown. People should do everything they can to avoid being robbed, ESPECIALLY if they're in a foreign country. Imagine the inconvenience (not a strong enough word) of having to deal with the aftermath, hardly what one wants to do while on vacation. In some cases, it could ruin a person's entire trip.

Call it a "phobia" if you want, but I think being AWARE of what could happen, and taking steps to prevent it, should be one of every traveler's prime considerations. To do less, is just plain DUMB.

I was helping friends, a young couple, plan a trip to Paris and Italy and they are in Rome right about now. Just before they left Seashell and I had dinner with them and gave them last minute tips and suggestions.

I was going on and on about pickpockets and wearing money pouches, etc. The young man, who is from Guatamala originally, said, when we go back to visit our countries (she is from El Salvador) we have to dress like homeless people. If they see we are coming from the USA they will pick us clean, so we know all about being aware of pickpockets. We are going to visit Europe {for the first time} and will know how to watch out for thieves, so I have a under-the-shirt money pocket so I won't have to think about it.

So, hopefully, they both have street smarts and will have a wonderful time. I will ask him to write a trip report from his POV, I think it would be different from our usual reports. BTW, they weren't planning on dressing down in Europe.

The fact is that, wherever tourists congregate (especially tourists from other countries who are not familiar with local customs and languages), there are people who will try to make a living taking advantage of them.

Pickpocketing is one form of taking advantage, and in certain parts of the world among certain groups of people pickpocketing has been raised to the level of an art form, if not quite a science.

Oops, I meant to add that even in areas with notable pickpocket activity, the vast majority of visitors will not have a problem. It's just more likely in these areas; not inevitable.

Anyone who spends 6 hours at the American Consulate spending $165 in fees to replace their passport knows the value of a money belt.

I've never been afraid of being robbed, but I've been lucky so far, and have tried to be aware of my surroundings when in heavily touristed spots.

When I was in Paris in September, I sat at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower on one of the benches, filling out postcards. I had the presence of mind to loop my purse through my arm, and not just leave it sitting next to me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something, and as I turned, I saw a kid walking towards me, with a hand outstretched heading right towards my purse (he was less than 3 feet away from me).

I said loudly "WHAT are you doing?" and he suddenly produced and fumbled with a disposable camera and said "taking pictures". But then he ran away.

I got up and followed him, just to see if he was really that scared, and given the police presence, I thought I'd tip them off -- but the kid was long gone.

It gave me a minute to realize how glad I was that nothing in that purse couldn't be replaced easily except for the loss of pictures in my digital camera.

I'm not phobic about being robbed here in Denver any more than I am in Paris or Timbuktu, but I do know that the cost of replacing something valuable like a passport (both in time and money), is well worth a simple moneybelt to make me breathe easier.

Jules

Are any of you familiar with the PacSafe StashSafe type of fanny pack? I have seen them at REI - here is the website:
http://www.rei.com/online/store/Prod...ry_rn=40003644

I thought this would be good in conjunction with a moneybelt. Any comments?

I just returned from two weeks in Spain and Portugal.

At our hotel in Barcelona, the HOTEL itself provided a very seriously-worded handout on pickpockets and petty crime and how to avoid it.

I went to Spain well aware of the reputation that it has for pickpockets. Although I personally had no problems, I found it interesting that the hotel apparently recognizes the problem as severe enough to make a point of educating its guests about the dangers. To me, a phobia is an unfounded fear -- and the hotel's stance doesn't make it sound unfounded.

I know for a fact that pickpockets exist in Europe and that they often rob tourists because they can catch them off guard.

I don't worry about them but I am on guard. As a routine matter, I don't carry real valuables in my hip pocket. The possessions I worry about the most are my passport, my driver's license, and my plastic money cards.

Those stay under my clothes where the thief would have to go to considerable effort to get them.

I do carry a little money in my pockets, but that is to minimize the greater risk. I don't want to be in a position to be digging for my money because that tips off the pickpockets.

I usually wear a pair of slacks with a zippered front pocket. That is not fool proof of course but I think it is harder to unzip a pocket than it is to take a billfold out of a back pocket with only a button.

Take the safeguards, be aware that as a tourist you are seen, but don't go into excessive worry.

I dunno about excessive worry about pickpockets, but this might be a case of excessive worry over excessive worry. Excessive worry, presumably, being more than one's own level of worry. :)

When people ask about costs, we assume they are trying to plan a budget. When they ask about sightseeing, we assume they are trying to plan their time. And when they ask about pickpockets, we can assume they are trying to plan their personal security. A lot of people compulsively plan their trips before they go - once abroad, the confidence this gives them allows them to relax and pick only those plans they deem will truly serve them.

As for someone who confesses to being truly afraid, the use of statistics isn't very effective as an 'antidote' since for one, it's irrelevant - it is scant comfort knowing one was the only one to get robbed. It's also not how the worry gets started in the first place: statistics are logical, worry is emotional. Emotions have their uses, but to manage them usually requires an emotional response....which is, to accept the worry as a fact (which it usually is.) Then one can proceed further... "If you get robbed, you will handle it this way...you will contact the police, then the airport...." is more useful than "Stop worrying about whether you'll get robbed!"

I think Bob Brown gave some very useful and practical advice to use. I had wondered how I would handle my stuff when I get to Italy, and he said it in a way that is practical and realistic.