Paris pickpockets/crime
Feb 24th, 2012, 12:40 PM
#41
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I've never had a problem in many trips to Paris, riding Metros all over the place. But I usually carry cc's and money in inside zippered pockets.. other "stuff" in a purse with diagonal strap.
On one occasion fairly recently,(tired and jetlagged) at the very crowded CDG Metro station, however, I did something VERY STUPID. I had my small carryon bag on top of my wheeled suitcase, walking around, waiting in long ticket line, etc.
I happened to look down and saw it was gone. In it were my camera, sweater, meds, Bose headphones etc. (but not credit card, passport or money). Naturally I assumed someone had seen the opportunity and stolen it. Luckily for me, some honest person had turned it in at one of the information booths. So I'm just relaying this story to show that there ARE some honest people around there, too!
On one occasion fairly recently,(tired and jetlagged) at the very crowded CDG Metro station, however, I did something VERY STUPID. I had my small carryon bag on top of my wheeled suitcase, walking around, waiting in long ticket line, etc.
I happened to look down and saw it was gone. In it were my camera, sweater, meds, Bose headphones etc. (but not credit card, passport or money). Naturally I assumed someone had seen the opportunity and stolen it. Luckily for me, some honest person had turned it in at one of the information booths. So I'm just relaying this story to show that there ARE some honest people around there, too!
Feb 24th, 2012, 04:45 PM
#42
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There is a pickpocketing problem in the major tourist centers of every city I can think of. (Just hang around Times Square for a half hour - and you will spot a bunch of criminals looking for marks.)
BUT - there is a huge amount you can do to protect yourself - or a lot you can do to make yourself a victim. There is never any guarantee - but if you are street smart, confident and aware that is 99% of the soution. If choose not to be - then you are raising the chances you will be targeted. (This is like learing to be a defensive driver. If doesn;t matter just what YOU do - you have to be aware of other drivers and what idiot things they may do. After watching for a while you get a feel for who will signal right and then turn left, or change lanes with no signal - or stop in the middle of the road for no reason. To avoid accidents you have to not only be a good drier - you need to be aware that these booboos are out there and avoid their sutpidity.)
BUT - there is a huge amount you can do to protect yourself - or a lot you can do to make yourself a victim. There is never any guarantee - but if you are street smart, confident and aware that is 99% of the soution. If choose not to be - then you are raising the chances you will be targeted. (This is like learing to be a defensive driver. If doesn;t matter just what YOU do - you have to be aware of other drivers and what idiot things they may do. After watching for a while you get a feel for who will signal right and then turn left, or change lanes with no signal - or stop in the middle of the road for no reason. To avoid accidents you have to not only be a good drier - you need to be aware that these booboos are out there and avoid their sutpidity.)
Feb 25th, 2012, 05:41 AM
#44
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. ,I have a clip lock chain thru the hole of my wallet zipper and attach it to the hole of my purse's inner zipper pocket.No way could someone lift my wallet without me knowing it. I keep my credit cards in a zippered pocket pinned inside the purse's iner pockett-. Even I have trouble getting to them sometimes!
Feb 25th, 2012, 07:20 AM
#45
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I stayed in Times Square, and sometimes one block away for about six months of last year, and never had the least problem. I don't think Paris is bad for crime as far as European cities go at all, but I do think there are more pickpockets there than NYC. I don't think I've ever seen a thread on here where multiple people are complaining about being pickpocketed in NYC.
Mar 1st, 2012, 01:38 PM
#46
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I've been pickpocketed once out of eight trips. I made it easy for them. A friend who lives in Paris and I were catching up after not seeing each other for several years. My handbag was on the floor and I was deeply engrossed in our conversation. The pickpockets took euros and dollars out of my wallet but fortunately returned the wallet with credit cars to my purse. The clue is to pay attention at all times and keep your purse on your body.
Mar 1st, 2012, 10:13 PM
#47
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I use the same purse and wallet when I travel as I do at home and here's why- I'm comfortable with my purse, I'm in tune with it, I can intuitively use it, it's like an extension of myself. I'm used to keeping it close, to having it tucked under my arm or on my lap or between my feet. I can sense when something's wrong with my purse. We have a very, very close relationship.
The first time I went to Europe I did the money belt thing and used a new "travel" purse with all these secret secure zippered compartments for everything and I was a complete and total mess. Every time I wanted the hotel key or a couple of euros it took me several minutes to remember where they were hidden, which resulted in lots of standing on the sidewalks searching through my bag, totally distracted from my surroundings, feeling pissed off or panicked.
After that I realized how stupid it was to use a new, different system while traveling for the purpose of being more secure. The person who thought up that particular safety travel trip must have been a man.
The first time I went to Europe I did the money belt thing and used a new "travel" purse with all these secret secure zippered compartments for everything and I was a complete and total mess. Every time I wanted the hotel key or a couple of euros it took me several minutes to remember where they were hidden, which resulted in lots of standing on the sidewalks searching through my bag, totally distracted from my surroundings, feeling pissed off or panicked.
After that I realized how stupid it was to use a new, different system while traveling for the purpose of being more secure. The person who thought up that particular safety travel trip must have been a man.
Mar 2nd, 2012, 02:02 PM
#49
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I'm probably over-protective of my handbag when I'm traveling, and I also have to watch my daughter's handbag since she carries an open tote and believes nothing bad could ever happen to her.
I wear a messenger bag and use a quick link to "lock" the top zipper to the shoulder strap. Also use a quick link to attach my apartment key to the inside zipper so I don't have to dig around the bottom of the bag to unlock the door. For cool weather trips, I've had my local alterations shop add inside zippered pockets to my jackets, just big enough for a credit card, some folded cash and a copy of my passport. I really don't like wearing one of those under-your-pants money belt things. I feel fat enough without them.
I wear a messenger bag and use a quick link to "lock" the top zipper to the shoulder strap. Also use a quick link to attach my apartment key to the inside zipper so I don't have to dig around the bottom of the bag to unlock the door. For cool weather trips, I've had my local alterations shop add inside zippered pockets to my jackets, just big enough for a credit card, some folded cash and a copy of my passport. I really don't like wearing one of those under-your-pants money belt things. I feel fat enough without them.
Mar 6th, 2012, 12:13 PM
#50
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No pickpockets in Paris as some say above, based on their years of travel there? Well my Korean friend last week found out just how wrong that is - if you are, like him, a naive traveler blind to the danger then you may well be victimized.
His story:
A friend of mine from Korea visited Paris last week and was victimized by an old Parisian scam - young gypsy girls stealing his I Phone right inside a McDonalds - the same ole ruse many folks have relayed on Fodor's before - young gypsy girls (Romany is PC I know but gypsy is a word everyone will know) approached my friend with a large piece of paper and showed it to him and asked him if he wanted to buy it?
My friend says he was reading something on his Kindle and the I phone was right next to the Kindle in a box containing both Kindle and I phone - the girls covered up the Kindle-phone with the large sheet of paper - my friend told them no he was not interested in buying the sheet of paper.
And lo and behold after the girls quickly left he found his I Phone was missing - one of the two girls having pilfered it while his attention was diverted by the other girl showing him the paper.
He gave chase after realizing what had happened but to no avail.
And now is where the Shame on you Paris for allowing this to happen over and over by the same two girls!
My friend went to the local Police prefecture to report the incident and they told him that they knew these two young girls very well as they have been doing this exact same thing many times around the Opera.
And then my friend asked the cops if they coud issue a bulletin to cops around the Opera to be on the lookout for these 'well-known girls' and the police responded 'no it is up to you to find them - even to stop them and search them.
Wow I thought when I heard this story - in Paris you have to be your own cop? I just cannot believe that - if a French person was robbed the cops would tell him - we can do nothing - it is up to you to track them down and recover your goods?
Well anyway if the cops knew what these girls were doing all the time around the Opera why do they let them get away with it? I know there is something about them being so young they cannot be arrested, etc - but I find it hard to believe if authorities know a child is stealing constantly from naive foreigners that something cannot be done about that.
So shame on Paris for allowing IMO naive foreigners from constantly being bamboozled and victimized in public.
Caveat emptor - be very very leary of kids coming up to you in Paris - this type of scam has been going on for a long long time.
Know the problem and IMO the problem is no longer a problem.
His story:
A friend of mine from Korea visited Paris last week and was victimized by an old Parisian scam - young gypsy girls stealing his I Phone right inside a McDonalds - the same ole ruse many folks have relayed on Fodor's before - young gypsy girls (Romany is PC I know but gypsy is a word everyone will know) approached my friend with a large piece of paper and showed it to him and asked him if he wanted to buy it?
My friend says he was reading something on his Kindle and the I phone was right next to the Kindle in a box containing both Kindle and I phone - the girls covered up the Kindle-phone with the large sheet of paper - my friend told them no he was not interested in buying the sheet of paper.
And lo and behold after the girls quickly left he found his I Phone was missing - one of the two girls having pilfered it while his attention was diverted by the other girl showing him the paper.
He gave chase after realizing what had happened but to no avail.
And now is where the Shame on you Paris for allowing this to happen over and over by the same two girls!
My friend went to the local Police prefecture to report the incident and they told him that they knew these two young girls very well as they have been doing this exact same thing many times around the Opera.
And then my friend asked the cops if they coud issue a bulletin to cops around the Opera to be on the lookout for these 'well-known girls' and the police responded 'no it is up to you to find them - even to stop them and search them.
Wow I thought when I heard this story - in Paris you have to be your own cop? I just cannot believe that - if a French person was robbed the cops would tell him - we can do nothing - it is up to you to track them down and recover your goods?
Well anyway if the cops knew what these girls were doing all the time around the Opera why do they let them get away with it? I know there is something about them being so young they cannot be arrested, etc - but I find it hard to believe if authorities know a child is stealing constantly from naive foreigners that something cannot be done about that.
So shame on Paris for allowing IMO naive foreigners from constantly being bamboozled and victimized in public.
Caveat emptor - be very very leary of kids coming up to you in Paris - this type of scam has been going on for a long long time.
Know the problem and IMO the problem is no longer a problem.
Mar 6th, 2012, 12:44 PM
#51
Don't confuse pickpocketing with snatching. Snatching is nearly always due to the victim's own negligence whereas pickpocketing is sometimes a problem of circumstances, even to extremely vigilant people.
