Songdoc

Several weeks ago my friend and I were surrounded by two "gypsy" women and their children at Rome's Sunday morning Villa Portese flea market (in Trastevere). There were hands all over us as they tried to shield their actions with newspapers and cardboard. We had to agressively yell and push to get them away. I don't think it would have mattered what we'd yelled -- as long as it was loud and attracted attention.

The only thing that saved us from being robbed was the warnings on this forum. We had safety pinned all of our pockets, making it impossible for those little hands to reach anything. They even tried to get into our shirt pockets (where we had our cash for the day) but to no avail. The area was crowded but no one stopped to help us -- or acted as if they even noticed. By the way, when traveling, we carried the bulk of our cash in money belts. These precautions saved us a lot of heartache. Hopefully, you won't encounter any problems. But it's better to be safe.

BATUFFOLINA

I am italian and they tried to get a hold of me too about 10 years ago in Rome. I caught them with their hands in my back pack which contained only books (I was going to the university). I grabbed the arm of one of the kids and slapped her on her face and pushed her telling them "f*** off!". I have no pity for these scams, even if they are kids, but they are around doind all sorts of mischevous things because they know that being minors the police can't do anything to them if not keep them in the police booth for a few hours and then release them. NExt day they are around again. So my advice would be first of all ignore them and if unfortunately you are trapped by a group of them just shout POLIZIA and shove them away with no pity.

Aine

Also be aware of the people who sell the items laid out on sheets on the sidewalks in Rome. When we were there a few years ago, I made the mistake of looking at a handbag for a second, I did not even say a word to the guy and I was not interested so started to walk away. The seller, who was African, ran after me, stood in front of me and grabbed my upper arms to stop me from leaving. He was shouting in my face. It was very frightning. He even did this when my husband was there - who intervened of course and yelled at him to back off but he had to be pretty agressive to get the guy off me.

sandi_travelnut

I say "NO!" and they go away.

walkinaround

THIS THREAD SHOULD BE REMOVED

Kate

huh? What on earth for?

Patrick

Some people feel it is derogatory to all gypsies -- politically incorrect, I suppose. How silly! Anyone who can't see we are only talking about pickpockets, are the ones that should be removed.

This is no different than someone asking what to do when accosted by a band of teenagers. Does that mean we hate all teenagers? Of course not. It's just a way of identifying who we are talking about. Anyone who denies that there are gypsies causing trouble in Rome and playing pickpocket all over Europe is just plain ignoranty of the facts. I wish some people could get over this politically correct kick.

mitchdesj

If there are good law-abiding gypsies reading this forum, they should chime in immediately and protest this thread......

sheila

That's nonsense, Patrick.

They're almost certainly NOT gypsies.

Even if they re, they're thieves and beggers, and to be condemned for that not for being gypsies.

put the word "black" in instead of "gypsy", and see how that plays.

Sometimes it's correct to be politically correct.

Aine

Actually I was afraid to say the word "Black" in my post incase I got ripped apart by those of you lurking in the shadows waiting to jump on any little thing. I carefully said it was an African man that attacked me. Will you stop being SO stupid. Next you will be saying its an outrage to call them pickpockets.

Aine

and what does "almost certainly" mean anyway??

Patrick

OK, then change the post to "people who dress like gyspies" if that makes you feel better. Sorry, if the truth somehow offends you, but this post is not about the general population -- it's about a group of people who wear colorful clothes, lots of jewelry, speak with an eastern European accent, and are what are recognized by most people who aren't blind as being "gypsies". Maybe they aren't gypsies, but they dress like what the whole world recognized by that term so it serves as a visual image. Giving a general warning to "beware of pickpockets" does not give a good indication of what to be on the lookout for. If there was a current scam going on with most of the pickpockets being dressed as elderly men with canes, it wouldn't be wrong to say "beware of the elderly men with canes who have been picking pockets at the train station" -- and anybody who would turn such a statement into a general insult to the elderly would be the one who was being silly. It would serve as a warning of who to look for. By the same token if most of the pickpockets are dressing like gypsies, it is NOT wrong to let people know what to look for.

And if I use the phrase, this blonde girl tried to solicit me, is that also politically incorrect -- insinuating that all blonds are hookers?? Give me a break, please.

Anyone who turns a simple warning into some grand racial slur is just not thinking clearly in my opinion.

Patrick

OH, and since you really want to be racial about it giving the example of "blacks", I'll stick my neck out further. I don't consider it a huge racial slur, nor a condemnation of the black race nor of the continent of Africa to say, "Beware of buying the fake purses from the African dressed black men all over Venice". Like it or not, that's the clearest way to describe the "fake purse sellers" there.

Wayne

My experience is from 4 years ago, around the Colosseum. My wife and I were approached by several children, probably 8 to 10 years old, who had all their hands all over us at once. I had carried with me a compact folding umbrella, which in the folded position can look like a pretty mean weapon. I brandished it at the kids in a threatening motion, pushed them away, and continued to hold it as if ready to hit one of them. They quickly went away, and fortunately we didn't get our pockets picked.

I feel like many of the others on this thread -- that it doesn't matter exactly what you call them as long as the term is in common use. Certainly the term "gypsies" is the most commonly used expression for these people, no matter what their original heritage.

Those who want to make this forum a battleground for petty liberal nonsense should find something more useful to do with their time.

Aine

I posted about pickpockets on another thread and I was checking to see what I called the "things?" that attacked me - I called them "Urchins" was THAT a correct term or should I have called them "filthy snotty scary brazen thieving little children?" but then I'm speaking badly about children? See how silly it is to jump all over stuff like this.

BTW - the next time you come across a band of real gypsies wandering the countryside, doing, you know, what real gypsies do, singing with tamborines around campfires and all that, make sure and tell them about the thieving imposters hanging around the cities, I'm sure they will be very P.Off.

Aine

Anybody else got "Gypsies, tramps and thieves" playing endlessey in their heads?

strass

I continue to be amazed that I made two trips to Italy and was never accosted by <i>anyone</i>, gypsy or no.

Clifton

http://www.religioustolerance.org/roma.htm

An interesting read. Wonder why they aren't fitting in?

John

Okay, been to most of Europe and seen the folks you are all talking about.
I'm going to Eastern Europe this spring (Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary)
Am I going to encounter them by the thousands?

Marilyn

I thought most of the black street vendors in Itay <i>were</i> actually African. Is someone here saying they are not?