|
Pickpockets are a fact. We had one of our group nailed in Rome on one trip and another person nailed in Madrid a few years later. You have to stay aware. If you see a young girl nursing a baby and asking for a hand out you are face to face with a pickpocket.<BR><BR>One thing we do is for my wife to carry one credit card and me another card. If one of us gets picked we kill that card and still have another one to use. If you do get picked: CALL THE CREDIT CARD FIRST, THEN POLICE. The credit card cancel is more important because the police have not caught anyone since the summer of 1964.<BR><BR>Another tip: When driving a car...keep the doors locked. A good friend of mine was driving with his wife in Nice. They stopped at a light in busy traffic. Two guys on one scooter pulled up, opened the passenger door, grabbed her purse off her lap and raced away...all in about 3 seconds. No way to chase them with all the traffic. The purse had their passports, cash, plane tickets and hotel key. A major hassle.<BR><BR>These people are very good at what they do. Just stay aware!
|
We were in Italy for 12 days last spring, and saw one interesting pickpocket incident outside the Forum in Rome. Three pre-teen gypsy girls ran up to a college age American man - two of them held his hands, while the other one tried for his wallet. Needless to say, he knew what was going on and went ballistic. Luckily, his family was close by and stopped him from beating on the girls, who ran off screaming.<BR> All in all, we felt quite safe in Rome, even on the infamous 64 bus. I did carry a 'down the pant leg' money pouch to feel safe however.
|
he should of beat the girls, may be they would stop. I beat up two pick pockets in Florence.
|
I bought some great pants from LL Bean that has two zippered pockets in the back and one deep zippered pocket in the front. They were great. You could also sew in a bigger pocket into some old pants for the same purpose. <BR><BR>This didn't do me much good; however, in Leige, Belgium when I had some stuff stolen out of my back pack in a crowded rail station.
|
What I don't understand is: everyone knows about the pickpockets, yet no one ever seems to do anything about it. Do Europeans just take it as a fact of life, I would not want to worry about gypsy or any other pick pocket every time I went out into my own city. I live in a suburb of Los Angeles and I am cautious about my purse, but to constantly think I am about to be picked would rack my nerves.
|
It's not that it's accepted, it's just not as profitable to pick residents' pockets. <BR><BR>Europeans deal with ATM cards -- they have "chips" that US cards don't. They can use them for small purchases, therefore don't carry a bunch of cash. <BR><BR>If you were a pickpocket, would you target tourists (who are "oohing and ahhing" at the sites, generally carrying their valuables with them) or locals (who carry just enough money for small purchases and know exactly where they're going)? <BR><BR>Pickpockets generally go for tourists, armed thefts and assaults are generally for locals.<BR><BR>Note my liberal use of "generally".
|
My husband prefers a "shoulder holster" type money pouch, in it we keep credit cards and passports, we carry a small amount of cash (usually enough for one day) on us for easy access (small enough if it got stolen or if we got 'held up" we could give it away and not be hurting too badly". )Interestingly my sister in law is currently on holiday break from a semester abroad and is backpacking around europe. Just this morning my mother in law emailed me to tell me that Jessica had her wallet and money stolen out of her purse on a train ride in Italy. Luckily for her, she kept her passport and credit card in her money belt.. but it just goes to show you.. not a pleasant feeling especially on holiday.
|
Just went back and read not from Concerned.. I live in Los Angeles too, and rarely worry about pick pockets, but then, I am not stromping around crowded pedestrian places or riding public transpo very often. My best friend used to live in downtown San Franciso and got pick pocketed or attempted pick pocketed 4 times in 3 years. Likewise, I had someone reach for my bag in NYC... and in grade school my mother had her purse stolen off a bus in D.C. I don't think Europeans are any less aware of the problem then people in the US are, but living in L.A we don't have a lifestyle that lends itself to pocket picking.. just my opinion and I live in Hollywood.
|
Thyra, you have brought up good points. I guess if we were at tourist sites often we would have to be more concerned. In general though, I do keep my purse on my lap at a restaurant or wound around my chair or feet and I do hold the top of my purse in any crowd.<BR><BR>The only time I was picked was at a line in a bank in town, when a grandmother urged her granddaughter to reach into my purse. I caught her, but later I noticed a gold barette was missing.
|
MAKE SURE IT'S AN EXPRESS BUS. THEN THEY'RE STUCK WITH YOU A FEW MINUTES UNTIL THE NEXT STOP. THEY GOT ABOUT $20 IN LIRE OUT OF MY BUTTONED BACK POCKET, BUT I YELLED AT THEM UNTIL THEY GAVE IT BACK. IT WAS KIND OF FUN. BTW, ALL THE IMPORTANT STUFF WAS IN MY MONEYBELT.
|
Has anyone here ever tried to pickpocket a gypsy? Their pockets must be a treasure trove. Just a thought, maybe we should band together as tourists and turn the tide.
|
Curious...lol.. good idea, although after watching a pickpocket get caught in Greece I would think twice. This young guy had tried to pick the purse of a Greek woman at this outdoor restaurant... she noticed him, so he ran away. Some g|Greek bystanders chased after him, caught him, and dragged him back kicking and screaming to the woman he had targeted.. Well to the general approval of the crowd she "read him the riot act" in Greek the punched him!
|
<BR><BR>"Has anyone here ever tried to pickpocket a gypsy?"<BR><BR>No, but I love the idea!
|
While I appreciate that this thread has offered a good discussion of various methods to avoiding pickpockets I also think it has taken on a decidedly racist tone. It is clear that there are many Gypsy (or Roma, as they would prefer to be called) pickpockets in cities such as Rome and Paris. However this does not meant that Gypsy = pickpocket any more than African-American = car jacker. Negative stereotypes about gypsies are one of the main reasons that this group has remained so economically disadvantaged. Few people realise that gypsies are a ethnic group that were persecuted in many countries. For example in Romania they were owned as slaves (similar system to American slavery) until 1872 and they also suffered greatly during the Holocaust. <BR><BR>I'm not trying to be preachy I just think it would be better if those contributing to this thread referred to pickpockets as 'pickpockets.'<BR><BR>otherwise this thread has some great tips on avoiding pickpockets
|
| All times are GMT -8. The time now is 10:41 AM. |