dutyfree

I just got back from Rome again last night and thought that I would let you know about something that needs to be reminded to all who are traveling (especially overseas?). I went to the US Embassy in Rome to have them sew more passport pages into my passport while I waited. While waiting in the embassy, I came across a woman who was rather beatup and in a semi upper body cast trying to get another passport because her other one was stolen.It turns out that she is 83(looked much younger than that) who was traveling through Sicily with her niece of about 50.Her husband had passed away but had been Sicilian so she wanted to come over and visit the relatives and the country he loved so much. They were in Catania when she was mugged for her purse. She had all her travelers checks,about 400 euros in cash plus the 250 euros that she had just gotten out of an ATM with passport,driver's license,etc. taken. She was about 20 feet from the hotel (ironically I have stayed at this hotel in Catania and it is in a very quiet residential area) when the incident occurred. She refused to give up her purse and was dragged a half block she said(won't let go of the purse) before he got it away from her. People in the hotel (including her niece heard her screams and came running). I am sharing this because I have more and more people on my flights lately who have never been overseas(alot of cruises in Europe) and do not understand about "personal space and being aware of people and surroundings" especially at ATM's.I see them being VERY careless with their passports on the plane and sometimes not thinking that they are going to countries where they do not speak the language, money differences,etc. combined with major jetlag upon arrival.They say they "know" but they really don't when its their first time overseas.Remember to always take someone with you to "ride mental shotgun" while you are at an ATM.DON'T take everything in your purse or backpack when you are out.Look for people that are in your area of the ATM and then seem to be walking behind you on the street.The woman said that the guy had followed her from the ATM. Ironically, the poor woman said that this was the first time that she had not photocopied her personal info(passport,id's,credit cards) and taken it with her-would have saved alot of time and effort.I know that this has been addressed soooooooo many times on this board but I just wanted to remind everyone that you have to be vigilant about your personal safety when out and about.(On a personal note, she still loves Sicily .)

janisj

Oh - that poor woman! Another reason to use a MONEY BELT. Even if I were mugged the most they would get would be 1 credit card (or 1 ATM card), maybe &euro;100 at most, and my cosmetics case and water bottle. No reason to fight for a purse if it doesn't hold all your worldly goods <u>and</u> your passport too.

Nothing else of value is usually in my handbag - oh except a camera sometimes

FainaAgain

Oh, this is awful, poor woman!

Thanks for reminder, DutyFree!

LoveItaly

Hi dutyfree, thank goodness this poor woman did not end up with a broken hip! I agree 100% when getting money from an ATM.

Also, I remember back in the 1970's..purses were being sold with some kind of a metal bar through the strap so that the strap couldn't be cut. Friends of ours in Italy told us that is dangerous as if someone tries to cut the strap and they can't one can get dragged (especially if the thief is on a Vespa or some type of motorscooter) and consequently can really get hurt. That made sense to me. I never wear my purse with the strap going across my torso for the same reason. I just have the strap over my shoulder. If they want the purse they can have it, much better than getting injured. All of my women friends in Italy hold their purses the same way..strap over one shoulder.

dutyfree

TTT for the weekend crowd?

chatham

LoveItaly, Purse with a metal strap is still sold at Magellan or Travel Smith. I've thought of buying one. Not now. Thanks, Joan

Passepartout

I wonder if (and why) a typical thief would persist after discovering that a purse strap didn't yield to whatever implement they failed to cut it with.

Wouldn't they be more likely to move on to a softer target rather than risk being injured <i>themselves</i>? Newton's Laws of Motion (equal and opposite) apply on motorscooters, too.

LoveItaly

Hi chatham, the subject came up because I didn't have one and started asking friends while I was in Italy where I could buy a good looking one and thus the conversations took place. I almost forgot about it until I read dutyfree's thread. What a horrible experience for that woman!!

I, like most of us, do not put a lot in my purse. I have a photocopy of my passport, some money, one credit card and one of my ATM cards if I know I will be needing it that day. Tissue, comb etc. Consequently if a thief wants my purse I would not be happy of course but hopefully I wouldn't be injured. If travelling by train I put what I will need that day in a cosmetic bag. I put my small wallet, passport etc. in seperate zippered pockets inside my purse. Of course if my entire purse was stolen I would lose everything but there is no way to 100% protect one valuables. Travelling light sure helps though IMO. And I am trying to improve on that!!

gracie04

What an awful experience for that poor lady. My heart goes out to her. It makes me glad that I wear that money belt and keep money, credit and ATM cards in seperate places.

It does bring up a question, though. I usually travel with other people, so we can cover eachother at ATM's, but what would you do if you were traveling solo?

Johanna

concernedposter

To answer the question about why the thief would persist, it is well known that the more a victim struggles to keep whatever is being taken, the more likely it is to be really valuable.

Passepartout

That may or may not be true (and saying &quot;it is well known&quot; doesn't make it valid). The thief's calculus includes not only the value of the target, but also the difficulty of getting it, chances of apprehension, and odds of injury (see Newton, above).

The last three of the factors mentioned depend on the differential between the strength and fitness of the parties. If an 80-something has something that a 20-something wants, I don't think the topic under discussions matters much. But a fit 30-year old woman (it seems to me) stands a much better chance of keeping her belongings if they're in a purse with a reinforced strap carried cross-chest than otherwise.

phoenix79

Well, I guess it's whatever choice you want, but I believe that 'there is always a first time' and bo be 'better safe than sorry'. For me that means wearing a moneybelt as ghastly as it seems to some people. I'd rather put up with its discomfort and whatnot than to wear none or leave my belongings in a hotel safe.

cwojo99

I have heard about making copies of the passport. Which do you carry when out seeing the sites though? Do you carry the photo copy or the actual passport? Silly question I am sure, but I am traveling to England next May...

bookchick

Horrific, dutyfree, but I understand you wanting to share the info.

Cwojo99, when siteseeing, you carry the copy with you, and the original is stashed away in your hotel safe. If your room doesn't have a safe, the concierge of the hotel should be happy to put a sealed envelope with your passport in it into the hotel safe. When you check out, ask for it back, and s/he will hand you the original sealed envelope.

BC

CarolA

I carry my passport in my moneybelt. The copy is locked up at the hotel.

As a solo traveler, I make sure I am very AWARE of where I use the ATM. I also don't keep the excess cash in my purse. (The bathrooms at McDonald's come in useful.. drop in and put your spare cash in your moneybelt)

And of course the most important part..

NOTHING in that purse, money belt etc. is worth your life, just give it up. The story dutyfree posts could have had a much worse ending up to and including death... nothing in your wallet is worth that!

Weezie

Terrible story.
My husband is one of those who just doesn't think about/worry about theft. When he arrived in Rome 2 weeks ago he left his passport in the cab. The cab driver went back to the hotel looking for my husband. Hubbie wasn't there (didn't know the passport was lost) but this cab driver persisted, found him and returned the passport. Just a note to say that there are truly wonderful people everywhere and sometimes some people are just lucky, and some people, like this woman, are just not.

P_M

Weezie, that is a very nice story.

My Dad, I'm sorry to say, is not very cautious when he travels. Last year we were on the Paris metro and I saw his passport hanging out of his jacket pocket. I felt bad for this, but I had to give him quite a &quot;talking to&quot; about guarding his passport, and I insisted he either keep it in a money belt or in the hotel safe. He's very lucky I saw it before a pickpocket did.

MelJ

The first time I was in Rome (mid-1990's), our very seasoned tour guide told us sh had just had her purse grabbed off her shoulder the previous week. As she crossed the street, the thief, a passenger on the back of a scooter, grabbed the shoulder strap of her purse and pulled her down into the street, dragging her a bit before she could let go. Her advise was NOT to cross your bag over your head because you could be killed if they grab the bag you are wearing.

Same trip, a Spanish nun behind me in line at the Vatican Museum was in an arm cast. She'd been mugged at Pisa two days previously.

I ALWAYS wear a money belt.

Lawyer50

Paper copies are fine, but a good backup is to scan your passport at home and email it to yourself. If lost/stolen you can open email at an internet cafe or your hotel, print the passport copy in color, and have proof for the replacement at the nearest Embassy or Consulate.

Passepartout

&quot;...a passenger on the back of a scooter, grabbed the shoulder strap of her purse and pulled her down into the street, dragging her a bit before she could let go...&quot;

You mean an adult female's total mass on one end of the strap wouldn't have unseated a scooter passenger pulling on the other end? I'd like to see the physics of that encounter analyzed. Really, I would.