AussieFrance

Not just in Starbucks and not just Americans! I've been living in Paris for 37 years. I was sitting on the terrace of a restaurant and stupidly had my phone on the table. A young guy threw a paper in front of me begging in Spanish and walked away with the phone underneath it before I even realised it. Yet a few months before I accidentally left my phone on the table on another terrace (bad habit, huh?) and when I came back a few days later, they had kept my phone for me. Now I'm more careful of course. My daughter was in the metro listening to music on her iPhone and suddenly the music stopped. She only had the earphones left! She bought black earphones so that it doesn't look like she's listening to an iPhone. And she's being more careful now of course.

janisj

"<i>Also, I really think there is grounds for a class action lawsuit against Starbucks for failure to warn and protect customers who are being assaulted inside of their Paris stores.</i>"

come on . . . that is silly.

I don't think you'll be happy visiting any European City, but then again I can't think of a US city where the same or similar couldn't happen.

adrienne

cafegoddess - I'm the only one who was snarky? What about RoadyWarrior who is totally snarky against Paris and the police and the airport police and Starbucks and their staff and their CCTV - this person is snarky against just about everyone except the thieves. But I guess that's ok with you.

RobertaL

I not even going to address the iPhone. I'm wondering why after several trips to Paris I've yet to carry a "safe purse" or safety pin my front pants pocket closed. Am I naive or lucky? Or just from New York?

Who knew Paris was so unsafe for Americans? Oh, the humanity! When I return in the fall, I'll be extra careful to stay away from Starbucks. Zero intentions to order a grande nonfat pumpkin latte in Paris.

Trophywife007

RobertaL, No one in their right mind messes with New Yorkers. This from a California girl with a native New Yorker for a MIL.

PalenQ

I not even going to address the iPhone. I'm wondering why after several trips to Paris I've yet to carry a "safe purse" or safety pin my front pants pocket closed. Am I naive or lucky?>

both IMO - but it depends on what you have in your pants - your pants may well have been entered by a pickpockets hand and you did not even know it - carry an i-phone in there half exposed and you are inviting problems.

LarryJ

Very often the same absent minded American tourists who get robbed thanks to their own carelessness are also the same people who are so eager to give the gypsy beggars who beg for money on the streets of Paris pretending to be deaf and dumb or pretend to find a gold ring in front of you as you walk down the street and offer it to you for a price of course. These people come from eastern Europe but make lots of money in Paris thanks to the stupid American tourists visiting Paris. Thanks to these clueless tourists those of us who live in Paris must put up with this trash endlessly. This post ought to make me very popular on this forum but expats living here know I speak the truth.

ocn

Your Lucky.... In San Francisco , the Low Lifes just Punch You In The Face and take your phone or lap top. Sometimes they get caught if your phone or laptop has a GPS that can pinpoint where your stuff is. When caught, they usually have about 5,6 or 7 of them. They fence them for about $80 bucks, or less. Never walk around with it out in the open,,, treat it as 5 One Hundred Bills waving around in your hand while you walk through LoliPop Lane,holding hands with Shirley Temple.

cigalechanta

Right on Larry and ocn!!!

justineparis

How do these thieves know you are an American tourist,, cause, Canadains look just like you, wear same brand clothes, and most of us have similar accents etc,, so why or why to people like RoadyWarrior always have this "American " persecution complex?
RoadyWarrior
Sorry this happened to your daughter and it would be scary for anyone let alone a child,, but I think you are vengefully painting a whole city black because of this one event. My friend was killed in Hawaii,, yet even I was not as stupid to blame Hawaii,, so sorry, my sympathy extends only to your daughters trama, not to your ridiculus rant against Paris.
PS,American cops never did solve my friends murder,, maybe because she was only a Canadian?? ( and yes, I am being sarcastic)

kappa1

> Paris buses even have a lengthy warning posted in French, English, Spanish and Chinese about being very careful with one's "electronic devices."

As far as I have seen (every time I have takes Paris bus in recent years - months) the Asian language was Japanese and not Chinese. Just for the record.

PalenQ

<Very often the same absent minded American tourists who get robbed thanks to their own carelessness are also>

Bogus charge to make across the board - my friend whose i-phone was stolen inside a McDonalds was not careless - he was sitting there and all of a sudden two younger Romani if you have it gals came up to him all of a sudden and thrust a sheet of paper in front of him to read - probably the deaf mute scam - in a flash the other gal took the phone.

This was not absent-minded nor careless IMO and to characterize it as that is in my opinion rubbish. Yeh some are careless (like Robertal above) but many are not and events happen so so fast - this is why warnings are so so important so folks can be on guard. and this is why I find naive postings like Robertal's are so harmful - saying I never take precautions and never been victimized or the other day someone who claims to have been to Paris over 100 times and claims they never even heard of a gypsy problem or problem with street crime in general.

Highlighting the problem helps reduce the problem for tourists and then after reading the warnings yes only the careless will be victimized.

I blame the city of Paris for allowing these things to happen time and time again.

RobertaL

When did I say I never take precautions? Why would my post be harmful? I was questioning the safety pinning of pants pockets.

I'm aware of my surroundings in Paris. I have been approached by deaf/mute scammers many times and ignore them. My handbag is carried close to my body and I am careful when riding the metro and walking around. IMO this is sufficient in any big city.

<Paris is not a safe place for Americans> is an extreme statement made by a previous poster.

StCirq

<<or the other day someone who claims to have been to Paris over 100 times and claims they never even heard of a gypsy problem or problem with street crime in general.>>

Please learn to read, Pal. That is NOT what I said. I said very specifically that I personally had never had a problem.

PalenQ

Sorry St Cirq I was sure in the other thread about Gypsies - that was subsequently deleted - that you said you had never heard of it? I guess I recalled wrongly - right? You did not say in that gone thread you have never heard of any problem with gypsies in Paris - I would be my next trip to Paris on it that you did but I will have to say I must be wrong - right?

My apologies for putting words in your mouth if that is the case.

StCirq

Pal, I specifically said in that thread something along the lines of it would be practically impossible to visit Paris without noticing the "gypsies," the scams, etc. - and it is; you'd have to be blind - but that it had never translated into any sort of problem, or confrontation even, in my case. I believe I also said I had never heard of anyone sustaining injuries as a result of such a confrontation - I still haven't.

djkbooks

It is truly unfair to characterize American tourists as careless or clueless.

Experience comes with travel. Some of you have just been very lucky. Repeat visitors aren't usually at the major sights where the thieves flock. People who do not live in urban areas but live where such incidents just do not occur are simply not practiced in "being aware of your surroundings".

Petty thieves in Paris have increased in their numbers and aggressiveness in recent years and there is virtually nothing being done about it.

PalenQ

Stcirq - you have my apology for misquoting and you do understand that anyone who has been there so so much would have to realize there is a dicey problem with some Gypsies and to always be on guard when they approach - fairly or unfairly as likely the ones coming up are up to no good.

I have never heard of anyone being injured by Gypsies - just countless scams and thefts that I have known about since 1969 the first time I came to Paris and a little gypsy gal who seemed so playful stuck her hands in my back pocket.

so we agree on that - sorry for my misunderstanding - I just could not really believe that anyone visiting so long could say they never heard of the problem - and your have cleared that up so we are both on the same page - beware any Gypsy (and anyone unfortunately) coming up to you with a map asking you questions, thrusting a "I'm a deaf mute sob story letter in front of you, etc.

Knowledge of the problem IMO greatly lessens it!

justineparis

Well I didn't notice as many scammers, beggers , petition girls, romani,, what ever you wish to call them on this summers visit as I did two years ago,, 10 days and not even a ring trick! And I was looking, lol

StCirq

They were probably all at the Olympics!