Thanks jent. I really appreciate the tips here. I'm a huge worrywart, so there is no possibility of me not being cautious ;) but I really hadn't considered that there are people watching and working in teams. I was actually the victim of what I now realize was a team in Rome on a metro in the early 90s. I was 22 and felt someone reach up my skirt and into my underpants! Can you imagine? How pitiful that I was so shocked and scared that I did nothing but turn my back - which is, of course, exactly what they wanted me to do, so that they could go into my (huge) shoulder bag. Later, I saw that they'd made about a 5" horizontal slit in the leather of my beautiful bag. They got nothing - but I was just ill afterwards. So upsetting. I had been separated from my mom getting onto the train and was standing alone - I'm sure this team had also caused this separation intentionally. Anyway, I had the "excuse" of being just a girl then but now here I am traveling with my daughter.
Thankfully, my mom who speaks French fluently will be meeting us for our week in Paris. Also, we have several friends there and will be with them a lot too. Not that this will keep us totally safe but it should help.

Thanks again - I appreciate the votes of confidence and will be sure to be vigilant.

(And thanks for your encouragement about taking my daughter :) I'm so excited.)

I wear a money belt and I always encourage others to do so, for the simple reason that I enjoy myself so much more when I don't have to be alert and worried while touring.

However, complacency is the biggest enemy for me! A few years ago I got on a crowded bus in Paris with my camera in my trenchcoat pocket. A big, baggy pocket. I was taking pics so frequently that I got tired of putting it securely away and just tossed it in my pocket. Of course, it was missing when I got off the bus.

My own fault. Good lesson!

By the way, one of the best tips I've received (probably on here) was to put a rubber band around cash if you put any in your front pocket. My DH keeps some in the front pocket of his jeans just for quick easy purchases so he doesn't have to get into his money belt so frequently. A rubber band causes friction when it's slid up the pocket so it increases your chances of feeling someone trying to remove it.

Scatcat...wedgie!!!

I travel with an unfashionable backpack (ask my kids!) that has double zippers on all the pockets and sections. I've bought tiny locks and always keep all the zippers locked. When I'm on a subway or bus or just in a crowded area, I hold the backpack in front of me with the front toward me and both arms around it. Anything of value is buried deep in the deepest section with a sweater, maps, etc over it. It's probably not foolproof because I worry a bit about someone slitting the bag and removing things, but it would take some effort. My kids are the 'it won't happen to me types' so I hopes they won't have an unfortunate experience someday.

Regarding my purse back at home... in restaurants, I've kept it hooked over one knee while I eat since a friend had hers lifted from the back of her chair in NYC. She was a chaperone for a school trip and spent more time filing reports than chaperoning.

When I was shopping recently, I kept hearing the sound of little bells. I thought that I was going dotty until I heard that the local police had been issuing these
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Purse-Handba.../dp/B002L28E58
to old ladies

Last spring when we were on the metro in Athens, a group of pickpockets - well, at least, three guys - tried to steal from me. One of them started shoving not pushing but SHOVING to distract while another one tried to get into my pockets. It was obvious that we were tourists, we had backpacks and a small bag on wheels. It was crowded as hell and it really made me angry. But they didn't get anything but not from want of trying. My husband slapped one of the guys on the hand, the hand that was trying to forge in his jacket pocket. I really wished that I had know the Greek work for "thief" and I would have shouted it out! Perhaps I should have in English...

My husband was pick pocketed in much the same way Madrid. Today he keeps his wallet chained to his belt loop. We live in Seville, Spain, and these wallets with chains are very popular with younger guys - which is why most of them have the logos of heavy metal bands on them. My retiree husband felt self conscious about this at first, but now he likes having the local kids do a double take when they see him sporting a wallet with cannabis leaves and skulls on it. And he hasn't been robbed since!

In Rome about 20 years ago, we were waiting to go into the Coliseum. We heard a commotion across the street, and saw a small group of very attractive young women go up to some male German tourists and pull up their shirts - naked underneath! Not surprisingly, the tourists were caught by surprise and while they were distracted, their pockets were picked... :-(

Our Italian teacher said a good strategy when approached by suspicious characters is to yell "Zingare!" (gypsies) which will cause more attention than they like to have while picking a pocket or two. Fortunately, we never had to try that!

Hmm, just to be clearer -- it was the girls pulling up their shirts!