Pickpockets
 

I'm not a fan of the Daily Mail but this is useful advice

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ways-soar.html

Clever.

hmmmm,

Is the "concealed hand" its own category or just a variant on the "easy dip"?

Discuss

<While crime on the railways has fallen for a ninth successive year, incidents of passengers having their mobile phones, purses and mobile devices pinched have soared.>

So just keep your smart phones or any valuable phone in a secure place - otherwise pickpocketing instead of soaring as MissP's headline seems to scream is in actuality dropping - IME you have a lot less to worry about in London or the U K than most countries but yes there are pickpockets everywhere - just take proper precautions and the problem goes away.

There's a new scam turning up in my home town, Calgary, Alberta. It targets older people and seems to be particularly focussed on those for whom English is a second language. A youngish woman approaches and gets way too close and fastens a necklace, watch or ring on the target whilst managing to take off their existing necklace, watch, or ring. She is talking non-stop and totally confuses the target who ends up losing precious (maybe $$ or maybe memories) jewellry.

I've come to expect pickpockets or street scams when we visit Europe and we are appropriately cautious. My husband's latest tactic if someone approaches us asking "Do you speak English?" is to keep moving, shaking his head saying "Je suis norvégien." (I'm Norwegian.) That certainly baffled the scammers!

We are planning a trip to Italy and while we don't have smartphones (perhaps the last people on earth who don't) my husband and I have maps and other travel info on an iPad and Kindle Fire and are wondering whether we could safely walk around with them in hand, or whether they might be snatched away. When not in use, we would keep them as securely hidden as we could manage. Comments?

On the rare occasion, drchris, when I did this in Paris in May, I felt like an idiot. No one else was doing it EXCEPT in Metro stations and at bus stops where all kinds of people were checking routes and schedules on all kinds of devices.

This doesn't mean you shouldn't or won't but it does rather scream "I don't know where I am or how to find where I want to go. I am here to be taken advantage of should you be so inclined."

I did see people using larger devices (like my iPad mini) in cafes and so forth, so you can sort of leapfrog ahead by stopping and checking, then going on to another point.

iPad and Kindle Fire and are wondering whether we could safely walk around with them in hand, or whether they might be snatched away.>

Though you used to hear of thieves on screaming mopeds snatching such stuff in all my times in Italy I've never felt threatened by someone brazenly snatching something from me - like at an ATM machine - it's more of a sly get you without knowing you were gotten deal - Italy ain't Spain where you may well get mugged IME.

Ackislander and PalenQ - Thanks for the responses. We are usually walking about guidebook in hand, so we are obviously tourists (though we do try to be aware of our surroundings, and one of us tries to stay "on watch" while the other is reading). I suppose we should bite the bullet and get smartphones so we could listen to walking tours by Rick Steves, etc, but that's one more device to learn how to use. I only have the iPad because my employer got it for me! It's tough getting "old" and trying to keep up with ever changing technology. And I find it hard to tear a book apart and carry only the pages I need, though perhaps I'll break down and do it this time.

We've been going to Paris at least annually the last 12 years, and this is the first time I've ever been cautioned by a service person at a café to not set my camera (a small cheap one at that)on my table; he said they just come racing by and are gone before you can move. And this was in the 15th, not a particularly touristy area. Sad.

Pickpockets have been fishing for my husband's wallet on 4 occasions in Italy--all at major train stations and frequently on the stairs/escalators-- but he has become an easier target as he's older, heavier, and has a limp as, well as liking a "fat style" wallet that is pretty obvious no matter where he's keeping it.

I have had great luck using a reisenthal brand tote with secret inner zipper and zipper that closes the bag top altogether. The straps are just right to fit over the shoulder yet tuck in under the armpit so you can hold onto it in a relaxed-looking manner with the same side's hand grasping it--with the zipper to the front, they'd have to get under my arm-pit to get into it. It's nice looking enough but just looks like I'm going to get the day's produce from the market with it. I keep nothing of real value in it-camera, Kleenex, sunscreen etc. and add my purchases (supplies or souvenirs) as needed. I keep a minimal amount of money like 10-20 euros for small purchases in it so I don't have to access my purse as much. My actual purse is across my body, shielded by the Reisenthal tote that is clamped tight to my body. From the side or front it's hard to even see my purse, let alone get to it thanks to the tote. My husband has always made it a point of walking on the "street side" (gentleman that he is!) so I don't really worry about a motorcycle drive-by. When walking under dubious circumstances I tend to drop back directly behind him as if to make more room on the sidewalk for those approaching, but it's more to use my husband's size as a dissuasion. In large cities, I do the money belt as well.

If you find a system you're confident in, it is easy to be relaxed yet alert. Happy Travels!

Oooh dr chris, speak for yourself! Lots of us on these boards are at least in our 50's and competently use all manner of iPads, iPods, iPhones etc.

I'm 74 and have a laptop, iPad and iPhone. An iPhone is essentially a small iPad. The only difference is that you can make phone calls.

Or, an iPad is a giant iPhone that you cannot use to make phone calls. ((H))

inb4 WiFi calling is making a phone call.

An iPad is also a stupid great big ridiculous looking substitute for a camera.

But an iPad is not nearly as bulky as the 3 books I would otherwise want to take along.

<i>An iPad is also a stupid great big ridiculous looking substitute for a camera.</i>

Yes. Yes it is.



<i>But an iPad is not nearly as bulky as the 3 books I would otherwise want to take along.</i>

But an iPad is bulkier than a Kindle and a smartphone.

We've been going to Paris at least annually the last 12 years, and this is the first time I've ever been cautioned by a service person at a café to not set my camera (a small cheap one at that)on my table; he said they just come racing by and are gone before you can move.>

Yes and a Korea friend recently was sitting in a McDonalds in Paris with his smart phone and two young gals come by and thrust some sheet of paper in his face with some plea for money on it - the old ruse by these types - and after he said no thanks they gals bolted with his phone in hand.

Cathie's - We are older than that but actually are quite proficient with technology. Otherwise we wouldn't be able to research our trips in such detail (not to mention doing all of my work-related paperwork via computer). I am simply not a fan of apple products (although I am able to take wonderful photos of my granddaughter with the iPad) and was simply trying to be humorous. I work with the elderly and have great respect for them, technologically proficient or not.

topping - I think this type of info is great preventative info - heed the warnings and know that there is a real danger out there and the problem IME goes away as you take proper precautions rather than being an easy mark, like my naive Korean friend was when he smart phone was stolen in a Paris McDonalds by an age-old trick.