lyb

I'm planning my first trip to Italy in June/July and by reading all the posts about pickpocket, I'm starting to feel that I need to have the equivalent of a car alarm set up on my body!! <BR><BR>So, I had a thought, since there are people who definitely are pickpocketed, and I'm sure many are not, I started wondering what the percentages were. How many people are NOT pickpocketed? Is this a case of the odds being in your favor of NOT being pickpocketed? Because after reading everyone's comment I have images of walking down the street and being constantly assaulted by one pickpocket after the other. For anyone who remembers the Airplane, the opening scene where all Robert Hayes is walking through the airport and punching out one person after the other as they ask him for donations....that's what I envision the pickpockets to be like in Italy after all the posts.<BR><BR>So if you've not been pickpocketed while in Italy, please write a post and let's see how many people managed to avoid the wild roaming pickpockets of Italy.<BR><BR>Lynn

Cicerone

Been traveling to Italy and Europe on and off since 1981, now live in Switzerland, NEVER been pickpocketed...<BR><BR>Grew up in NJ, worked in NYC for a few years and the only place I have ever been pickpocketed in the world is in Rocerfeller Center at Christmas a few years ago...

Isobel

I have visted Rome, Florence, Venice, Verona and have never been pickpocketed.<BR>If you go to any city you obviously have to be careful. In Rome certainly I understand you have to watch your bag on the buses. However, when we were in Rome we walked everywhere. We did come across gipsies coming around us once but I just shouted at them (the gipsies in Rome are now dressing better to disguise the fact that they are gipsies)<BR>Dont wear a shoulder bag over your shoulder - have it over your chest or a rucksack. Thats what we did - however, this only applies to cities. I must admit I have never felt frightened in Italy.

violagirl

I've travelled quite a bit on mainland Europe (I live in Ireland) and have never once had anything stolen. I'm careful, without being over-careful.<BR><BR>I visited Venice outside the main tourist season (February - after Valentine's Day, before Carneval), and had no problems with pickpockets.<BR><BR>Some of the precautions I took in Venice (and in Prague and Madrid which are as bad, if not worse for pickpockets) are:<BR>- If you wear a money belt, wear in inside your trousers/skirt. <BR>- Don't take money out of it in public: have small sums in your bag.<BR>- Avoid those little purses that hang around your neck, they are way too easy to steal.<BR>- Make sure you can see the opening of your bag with any valuables in it. i.e. rucksacks on your back are kind of pointless, people can steal from you without you knowing.<BR><BR>And (in my opinion) the most important:<BR><BR>- Don't worry about it. If you are convinced you will be pickpocketted, you will be. If you keep checking your pocket/bag to make sure that everything is still there, you will signpost to any potential thief exactly where your valuables are.<BR><BR>Have fun, be careful, and I'm sure you won't have to worry about theft at all.

Francois

Don't panic----common sense will take care of any concerns. Don't forget--COMMON SENSE, not what if's..<BR><BR>Enjoy Paris and don't be so wimpy.

Bootman4U

&quot;Common sense&quot; from my many trips to European cities and having been blatantly pickpocketed in Barcelona (where, oh WHERE was my attention at that moment???) means USE A MONEY BELT AT ALL TIMES and keep it CONCEALED under clothing. Leave passports and tickets in the safe at the hotel.

Bootman4U

And you will feel VERY &quot;wimpy&quot; if your valuables get stolen!

Peep

I live in Munich and travel around Europe (and elsewhere) a lot and have never been robbed (knock on wood!). However, a good friend was in Rome a few weeks ago and had her purse snatched. She was around the train station at night, had her hands full of luggage, stopped to ask directions and only had her purse held by the strap for a minute and someone grabbed it and ran. She KNEW better than to hold her purse like that but it was only for a minute but that was enough! She no doubt looked like an easy target under the circumstances.

turnip

I felt the same way LYB. Especially so inregards to all the stories I heard about Italy. It seemed like if a person believed all the stories were true I would probably be mugged getting off the plane all the way till to our cab ride back to the airport for the journey home.<BR><BR>Our personal experience was that we weren't bother a single time. Yes, we wore our money belts as usual and took the normal precautions, but tother than that we just relaxed. Italy turned out to be one of our favorite destinations and we're heading back this summer.<BR><BR>Go and have a great time.<BR><BR>Cheers, the turnip<BR><BR>

Ursula

lyb!<BR>Sorry, absolutely no experience with pickpockets in Italy or anywhere else in Europe, where I live.

Statia

I haven't been to Italy yet...going this summer...but in all my other travels in Europe (ten countries thus far), I've been fortunate enough to have never been pickpocketed.<BR><BR>I take all the normal precautions you see on this board, and I think that it does boil down to common sense and watching out for yourself. Don't get so involved in seeing the sights that you aren't aware of what's going on around you.<BR><BR>I've also gone to NYC twice yearly for the past decade and have never been pickpocketed there, either. Guess I should count my blessings!<BR><BR>Safe travels everyone.<BR>

sheila

I've been to Italy 4 times- 6 weeks in the north in 1975, including trips to Milan and Florence; two weeks in Tuscany including Siena, San Gimingano etc in 1994, a weekend in Rome in 1997 and a week in the north including the Cinque Terre and Milan again in 1999. My husband visits Ortona and Ravenna on business three or four times a year.<BR><BR>We have never been robbed, or even felt threatened.<BR><BR>

HowardR

My wife was pickpocketed in a metro station in Paris. Sure, we were pissed off at the time--at ourselves as much as at the criminal. (Fortunately, it was only 20 euro.) But, we got over it in a short time, and it didn't ruin our trip. It hasn't stopped us from returning to Europe any more than a similar incident in NYC a few years ago stopped us from going in that city from the suburbs regularly. <BR>

aj

lyb,<BR><BR>We have been Paris, Rome, London, Amsterdam,Brussels and Brugges several times over and have never been the victom of a pickpocket. I remember before our first trip I felt a little like you do. I always wear a moneybelt under my tee-top and carry a small black over the chest bag to carry camera in. I do watch when in close areas such as trains or subway systems. My husband feels comfortable with just keeping his valuables inside his &quot;inside zip&quot; coat pocket. We have been lucky but are always aware of who is nearby. I am sure that we have been targets at time but so far very lucky. That said we are going to Spain in May and since we have not been there before I am starting to worry since in the past reports on this board have been worrysome about Spain. Good luck, be safe and aware but have fun!!!!

Brian_in_Atlanta

I've walked around numerous cities in Europe with my wallet in my back pocket (as it is in the US) and have never been pickpocketed.<BR><BR>That said, we certainly mitigate our risk of loss by carrying minimal cash &amp; cards and my wife not carrying a purse. And on a crowded bus or metro, I would certainly move my wallet to the front pocket (as I would in the US).

JackOneill

<BR><BR>I've travelled all over Europe, including all the supposedly &quot;notorious&quot; pickpocket destinations.<BR>I have never been pickpocketed. I keep my wallet in my back pocket. I keep some extra cash and a credit card in my front pants pocket. I usually keep my passport in my shirt pocket. [ I hate money belts, those wallets you hang around your neck, and the other &quot;travel&quot; stuff.]<BR><BR>I almost always have a large camera bag, with several cameras dangling from around my neck (I'm a photographer.) And I'm probably easily spotted as an American. <BR><BR>If that doesn't make me the proverbial &quot;target&quot; as postulated by so many people, than I don't know what would. But, like I said, I've never had anything &quot;lifted.&quot; I carry myself with confidence, i e I look like I know where I'm going (even when I don't) and I look like I know what I'm doing (even when I sometimes don't.) <BR><BR>In other words, I show no signs of weakness. It's the old prey animal/predator thing. The wolf or lion looks for the old, the infirm, the slow, etc. So, to re-state the Boy Scout credo: Be Prepared. Know your route. Keep the map out of sight. Stay wary, but not paranoid.<BR>And have fun.

Scarlett

<BR>I have never been pickpocketed or robbed in France or England.

elberko

Even though I've SEEN pickpockets, and had one attempt on my husband, I think your chances of NOT being pickpocketed are good.<BR><BR>That said, I think underclothing moneybelts are essential.

black_velveteen

i have been to spain, italy, france, and england and never been pickpocketed. however i did have a very close experience somewhere in spain (can't remember where exactly since i visited a few different cities) - we were outside a mosque (perhaps alhambra??) and some gypsies came up to us and wanted to read our palms. there were a bunch of them, perhaps 5 or 6, and they all tried to keep me distracted. i had one hand over my purse, and they would take that hand and attempt to read the palm...so i would put my other hand over my purse, and that would take that hand...and so on. i was young at the time (17, in high school), so i didn't know that i shouldn't have even let them approach me...but i did have common sense enough to keep my hand on my purse luckily the group i was with was leaving so i went with them, but the &quot;lead gypsy&quot; had a strong hold on my left hand and wouldn't let go until finally i just grabbed some change and thrust it into her hand. that was my one and only experience anywhere near being pickpocketed. i'm sure that if i hadn't had enough sense to keep my hand on my purse, it would have been empty. someone that i was with on the trip had her bag stolen out of church (it was easter)...when she went up for communion she left her bag in the pew. that's just plain lack of common sense; i don't even do that in my church in hoboken. sorry for the long post but i hope it helps in some way!

Ronda

We have never been pickpocketed because we take precautions and thus the ATTEMPTED pickpocket experiences are amusing rather than a vacation wrecker.