andrea

i've seen it on a couple of replies not to wear a fanny pac in Italy--why not? how can someone get into them if they are in front of you close to your body with numerous zippers? any alternative suggestions to carry stuff and keep hands free aside from shoulder bag--

Art

Hi Andrea, I guess some people don't like them because you stand out as a tourest. We are tourests anyway. I have been wearing one for several years turned around as you mentioned and have had mo problems. They can be undone from the back but I find them better for carring than anything else that I've tried.

Deb

Hi Andrea!<BR>You really might want to take a look at Rick Steves' Grafitti Wall regarding safety on his website, www.ricksteves.com. There are dozens of stories about how "brilliant" pickpockets can be. To give you an idea, a couple of young girls approached a tourist "selling maps." One of them opened a map in front of the tourist above the waist. While the tourist was distracted &amp; a bit surprised by this, the other girl quickly unzipped her fanny pack to rob her. And public transportation is a hotbed, because of the close quarters. Anyway, I'm not trying to freak you out. You just need to be careful &amp; heed warnings such as the ones you've read about. People may say that it's just like being in any big city - but when you're on your first overseas trip, the language barrier (if you're not fluent) can make things a little more overwhelming and of course disorienting.

Lucy

Just as a point of interest, as an Australian I might also warn you not to be surprised if others overseas are shocked when you refer to them as fanny packs - both here &amp; in the UK fanny means a different part of the anatomy altogether!

Sue

I take a group of teens to Europe each summer and my #1 rule is all money and passports stay in neckpouches under their clothes. Noone in my group has ever lost money or passports as long as they've followed this rule. We travel with other groups of students who use fannypacks and they consistantly have been pickpocketed! The neckpouch gets uncomfortable when the weather is hot, but not as uncomfortable as the feeling one gets when you discovered you've been robbed! Also...the neckpouch can be worn around the waist and tucked into your slacks!

sylvia

I agree with our Australian friend. In the UK what you call fanny packs are called bum bags.<BR>An American friend told me that one of her fellow countrywomen silenced a busy Marks and Spencers by saying in ringing tones, "My fanny looks big in these!"

Kimerley

A "fanny" in Australia and the UK refers to a vagina!<BR>so when wearing one..never say out loud, "my fanny is killing me", "my fanny is itching me" or "..someone just stole my fanny" LOL

Carol

Same here in South Africa, very rude!<BR>We call it a MOON BAG.<BR

Fashion Police

Fanny Packs-why you shouldn't wear them, one word:UGLY.<BR>The name, the look, the, the, the whole thing is just UGLY.

Christina

I agree with the last post, that is the main reason I won't wear them, I just think they are ugly and I won't wear ugly things. I think if you wear them in front as an appendage over your stomach, you are less likely to be pickpocketed, but you will probably be more of a target simply because you are wearing one as they are so easy to pickpocket, steal or slit the bottom from; also, it's a SURE target as most likely anyone wearing one might as well wear as sign saying "I'm a tourist and all my valuables are right here." So even if you are in a group of tourists and pickpockets know it, they just like to target fanny packs. In my opinion, it is hardly polite to comment on your "fanny" loudly in public regardless of what you mean by it, this is crude in the US, also, to make loud remarks in public about your ass. I have never heard anyone refer to the pouch as a "fanny". If it's any consolation, I have a German friend (real German) who loves to wear them on vacation also, she thinks they are good because they leave your hands free.

Howard

Ugliness aside, the fanny pack is very, very easy to rip off. As I heard one American tourist victim say in Florence, "It was gone in two seconds! I couldn't believe how quick he was."

elvira

A woman on one of our trips was on the up escalator from the subway; the piece of scum-sucking swine ahead of her STOPPED at the top of the escalator. As she struggled to keep her balance (she couldn't get off; he was blocking the exit, and the stairs kept moving), he reached around and unzipped her fanny pack. She fortunately had only tissues, nasal spray, etc. so lost nothing of value.

Martin

Re the British/Australian/South African correspondents commenting on the "real" meaning of fanny... don't be coming to America and asking if you can "pinch a fag" &lt;grin&gt;

yyy

We just returned from 9 days in France and the only people we saw who wore fanny/waist packs also wore shining white tennis shoes. Most were extremely overweight and loud and obnoxious. No one could miss that they were from the USA.<BR><BR>If you want to look like that, go right ahead, it's your right. Just don't keep asking about it here and whining.<BR><BR>You can look perfectly in style with a small purse and dark shoes, try it, you might like it.

Steve

Martin- Don't worry, we won't pnch any of your American fags, as we have plenty of our own.&lt;grin&gt;

jj

A quick swipe of a knife across the bottom of the waist pouch (sic) will slice a gap big enough for all the contents to fall out and someone behind you to pick up what you trail behind you. You never even know what happened 'til you get back to the hotel and notice a slashed, empty pouch.

Carol

Martin, "fag" is not a word we use in South Africa, well certainly not anyone I have ever known.<BR>Maybe I can be a trend setter, I can keep my fags in my fanny pack, then change the name to fag pack, COOL!<BR>hehe!

sera

American tourists in Europe with their fanny packs, t-shirts, shorts, sneakers and camcorders -- so very, very depressing.<BR>

Lucy

Plenty of our own 'fags' here in Australia too - afterall we do have the G &amp; L mardi Gras her in Sydney! People tend not to refer to cigarettes here using that term anymore &amp; its considered very non-PC to use it for its other meaning as well. I've also found that people who use bum-bags in Europe also tend to wear those ugly parachute material track suits in garish colours that must be like a beacon broadcasting they're an un-savvy tourist to potential pick-pocketers. PLEASE use a moneybelt for all your valuables or a pouch that fits inside your shirt prevent having your trip ruined by stolen passports, money etc.

curious

Not that I would carry a waist bag anymore, but I'm curious...couldn't a thief slit a shoulder bag just as easily as a waist bag? Is there something about waist bags that make them easier to slice?<BR><BR>Also, when you carry your money in a pouch under your clothing, isn't it a little awkward to get the money out in public?<BR><BR>Just curious as to how other people deal with this. I've always carried my passport in a pouch under my clothing, while keeping my money easy to get to in an external bag. This probably wasn't the safest procedure, but it worked for me.