Pickpockets in Rome
 

My husband and I are leaving on 6/26 for our first trip to Italy. We're flying into Rome and will be there for 4 1/2 days, then Venice for 3 days, Urbino (where my husband is speaking at a meeting) for 4 days and back to Rome for 2 days before we fly home.

I've been reading that pickpockets can be a problem, especially in Rome and I was hoping for suggestions on what worked best for carrying documents and money. Any other information would be helpful.

Thanks!

Use a money belt, the same for anywhere else you visit.

And just be aware of your surroundings always.

While it always makes sense to be careful in any major city--or anywhere for that matter, I don't think you have to be any more cautious in Rome than you would be in New York City, Chicago or Los Angeles. We never carry large amounts of cash and rely on credit cards and ATMs when we travel. We always leave things like passports in our luggage--or if you feel the need, you can use the hotel safe--and have separate photocopies of them. But our experience in Rome in full tourist season is that it is no different than any other city.

Pickpockets are a problem in any tourist area/train station etc. in any city. If you use a money belt you won't have any problems. If you don't then be sure and keep your hand on your purse especially when you are on public transportation as it is stopping. Pickpockets like to grab and jump off the bus/train/subway. Some will try to hand you something to distract you and occupy your hands so they can grab and run. Just be aware in crowded areas.

We were in Rome in March and we were very concerned about pickpockets. We both carried moneybelts at all times and kept a firm grip on our cameras. I wanted to note, though, that we never felt unsafe at anytime during our stay in Rome. However, its always important to use common sense, as in any large city. Use a money belt and keep a firm grip on your belongings and you should be fine.

The pickpockets in Italy's big cities are much slicker than I've ever seen or heard of in the US. They are often gypsies (especially children) and work in gangs - one or more to distract you by begging, touching your arm, shoving a piece of cardboard at you with some coins on it, etc., while another one goes for your pockets. They are very, very good - you won't even know you've been touched.

My advice:

- If you find yourself the target of a gang (or individual) like this, start yelling and flailing around - not so much trying to hit them, as ensuring that they don't make contact with your torso. And they don't like the attention you'll be attracting.

- Avoid crowds, e.g. on buses or in the metro.

- It's okay to carry a wallet in a front pocket, just keep your hand on it in your pocket whenever anyone is within reaching distance of you.

Purse snatchers are also something of a problem. Carrying a purse slung across your neck and shoulder, bandolier-style, is usually an effective deterrent. When in a crowd, clamp it firmly under your elbow and in front of your body, not at your side where someone could come up behind you and slit it open.

On the upside, it's extremely unlikely you'll be mugged at gun- or knifepoint in Italy!


best regards,
Deirdré Straughan

http://www.straughan.com

As others have said, the pickpockets like to work in crowded areas such as the Termini railroad station. I haven't seen many gypsies (usually the kids) when I've been in Rome lately. Another method is sometimes used in airport where someone "accidentally" spills a drink onto your clothing and as they are helping you clean it off their accomplice is either picking your pocket or the one of the person you are with whose attention is glued to you and what has just "happened" to you.

But sometimes it is pretty difficult to avoid crowds and busy places and that is why I strongly second the use of a moneybelt and I'd put my credit card in it as well.

If you go this route get yourself one that is convenient to use, either around your waist, suspended from around the neck, whatever...if it isn't convenient to use then you won't do so.

On previous posts such as yours someone used to big mouth about how they would just hit someone who had the audacity to pickpocket them. Please believe me, by the time you realize you've been hit the thief will be long gone.

Have a great trip

I found a moneybelt uncomfortable so I used a neck pouch - and just carried enough cash for the day in a wallet in my front pocket and made sure I was aware of it. As a woman I could not imagine anyone getting into my front pocket withou me knowing about it, but then I've heard these guys are good.

The only thing I ran into was getting on the train in Termini, someone did fingered the zipper on my purse but I noticed it, turned around and she ran off. There's was nothing but a guidebook there anyway.

Joelle

Thanks for the advice. We've spent a lot of time in major cities so we should be okay. I was thinking of using a neck pouch and then a waist pack for camera, glasses, medication etc.

i found a great pair of cargo pants at old navy that has snap buttons. and it has a pocket on the front which is just small enough to fit credit cards and cash. i'd like to see someone unsnap that button. heck it's even hard for me to do it sometimes. just a thought. also storing stuff in the side pockets near your knees makes it nearly impossible to get at.

i saw a fellow wearing some cargo pants with a small pocket on the back of the pants near the ankle. it was a zipped pocket. great location to store stuff.

Many years ago, I was surrounded by Gypsies near the Colusseum in Rome, and while the Mother distracted me for 5 seconds, the children (ages 5 or 6 up to 12) expertly grabbed the entire contents of my purse. There ensued a great adventure involving several hours at a police station, then waiting for money to be wired from home), and replacement of passport(it was worth the wait in line at the consulate, because I saw Ursula Andress waiting in one of the lines! (Yes, fshe was even more beautiful in person than on film!) But since then, I use a combination of the following, depending on place, time, and circumstances:
1) AWARENESS-most important-be alert of what's around you at all times (IOW,don't bury your head in a map while walking along the street, or standing on a crowded bus)
2)LEAVE PASSPORT ORIGINAL in the safe at your hotel, along with a copy of all the credit card numbers and the international numbers you need to report a loss or theft of these cards.

3)Before leaving, try to join a registry where you only call one number and they notify everyone else in the event of loss or theft. Carry a copy of this information with you always.

4)DIVIDE and SEPARATE YOUR MONEY. I own a neckpouch, a strap-on leg pouch, and a money belt. I don't always use all at once.
I usually put some cash in a money belt, some in a pouch along with a photocopy of my passport,and other ID
If I'm wearing closed toed shoes or boots (my boots have a little pocket sewn inside), I always keep my greatest amount of cash there, and smaller bills where I can get them easily.

Another method: I (a female) buy a padded bra, take out the padding, and put some extra money and bank card in there.


But I try not to use credit cards too much because of the heavy transaction fees associated with ATMs, added to the exchange rate, make this so expensive, IMO. I have sometimes been able to get a little discount for using cash at a hotel or when shopping.

Another tip I saw here or another travel site awhile back: Carry a small inexpensive purse filled only with something like tissuepaper, or a snack, then carry valuables in a simple plastic bag like you would see in a market. This way, if the p (thieves won't grab a plastic shopping bag!

We've been to Rome several times without incident. But last year, my husband had his wallet lifted on a bus to the Vatican. Was in his front pocket and he's always said "I would know it if someone tried to touch it" Ha! We subsequently met a young Swedish tourist who'd had his cargo pants picked on the subway. So I think the best thing is to just travel around with a credit card and money stashed somewhere in an inner pocket or down your front, etc. You might want to carry cameras and stuff in local shopping bags. I'd not wear anything that would give me away as a tourist (packs, money belts, etc... tho they'll spot you soon enough if they're looking for marks.

Just came back and didnt see many gypsies in Rome. There are a few,I didnt see anyone get pick pocketed cause they are way too good at it.

A pair of cargo pants with snaps wont do you much good. Before I left I purchased shorts and cargo pants with zippers. I still keep my hands over my pockets.

Now Milan on the other hand is loaded with gypsies, 2 years ago I got surrounded by about 10 young 14 year old punks, they are like Hyinas, they tried to goat me into a fight one of them slapped me in the chest, my first reaction was to deck the kid, but my old NY sense told me run my ass off which I did and they didnt follow.

In Milan they are in all of the parks you cant miss them.

Make copies of your passport a good idea is to scan them onto your computer and make sure a family member has access to them, they can email them to you if needed.

I was just in Italy for a month (Milan, Venice, Florence and Rome) and had no problems with pickpocketing. I was suggest being careful, as you would be in any major city. Try making sure that your money is in an inside pocket of your purse, and not just in a wallet that can be pulled right out of the top of your purse. You really dont need to keep your passport on you while sightseeing, unless you will be traveling that day. Leave your passport and any money you wont need for that day in the hotel safe (most will have one in your room).

My husband had his pockets picked in the Termini area by gypsies who grabbed his arm and distracted him. All they got was a map, I had the money and credit cards in a money belt under my clothing. My daughter says that when she was in Rome a guy she was with was distracted by a gypsy who tossed her baby at him. When he reached out to catch the baby, she picked his pockets. What could he do? Let the baby fall on the ground?

My son was pickpocketed in Paris...had his money in the side pocket of cargo pants with shirt covering them... Family members who scoffed at my paranoia stopped laughing.

We were in Rome a couple months ago and attempts were made to pick pocket us twice. Any time you are in a crowd, you are a likely target. The hustle and bustle of bumping and swaying in close quarters can confuse any intrusion into your space. First suggestion - don't let an attempt spoil your trip. Best way to do this is to prepare. Make sure that there is nothing that you don't mind losing in your pockets. For your shoulder bag, use a bread twist, a piece of wire or a small carabiner to secure the zippers. Use a money belt securely around your waist, under your clothes. If your hotel has a safe, leave what you can there. Don't hesitate to sternly warn off anyone abnormally close to you. Keep your hands on your belongings and face your travel mates. Always be aware of your immediate surroundings. If it happens, laugh it off, feel sorry for the poor soul, and know that becuase you were prepared they were not successful. Happy trails!

If you see a poor young girl with a baby on her arm asking for help for her baby....you are looking at a pickpocket. They will clean you out quick.

We always take 2 credit cards to Europe. My wife carries one card, I carry the other card. If one of us gets picked we still have a good card to use after we cancel the other card.

If you do lose a credit card call the card company before the police. It is more important to put a stop on the card as the police will take a long time to write a report and do nothing else.

Italy has pickpockets all over. I do not care what any other posters say. It is the one country that I have numerous friends that have been picked in crowds, trains, busses, subways and solo. They are not dangerous...just very, very good. be on alert and you should be okay.

Given everyone's stories about being pickpockets, I thought I'd let you know to also read this thread.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34410518

There's a whole bunch of stories about people NOT being pickpocketed.... Don't get all panicked, it didn't happen to me and it doesn't happen to everyone, as you will read.

I live in and have traveled all over Europe, and the only place we had anything stolen was Barcelona (pickpockets took husbands wallet on the underground). I don't have a moneybelt. Do you wear a moneybelt when walking around your own hometown? Just be sensible with your valuables.

"Do you wear a moneybelt when walking around your own hometown?"

I'm sorry but that is a silly argument. Do you carry your passports on you in your hometown? Do you take out the equivalent of $250 a day from the ATM everyday to go out every night and buy suvineers in your hometown?

Joelle

I don't carry my passports around when sightseeing, and don't carry more cash than I would at home. I think I'm just as likely to encounter a pickpocket in Antwerp, where I live, as in New York or London, where I used to live.

Well, it's still not a valid argument, most people do carry their passports, as it is required in many countries, and many people like to go to places that don't take credit cards, which requires carrying more cash than they would at home, and so caution is more in order for most tourists (whether in Rome or New York) than if they were in their hometown.

Joelle

Lots of good advice here! I recall both my wife and I having our wallets lifted on an crowded Athens bus (our guards were down having been in a rural area).

Always a good idea to use money belt/pouch. And in any big city watch your surroundings, avoid crowds, and be aware of distractions. Yes, I recall gypsies with kids operating in the Forum.

Bill in the Ozarks

I just can't bring myself to wear a moneybelt. But I make sure I have a bag that I can sling across my chest if I'm feeling vulnerable to pickpockets. I've never encountered a pickpocket in my many trips to Italy, but I have been importuned for money many times in the Naples train station and on the circumvesuviana. Oh, and there's a woman at the taxi stand at Termini in Rome who insists on helping you with your luggage and then asks for money.

Again, thanks for all the replies. I was amused by the one about it being the same as my home town. We moved to Indiana several years ago and it is nothing like NYC or Boston.

I did go onto e-bags last night and decided to get a pouch for money and passport and a bag that can be worn either across the body or around the waist for camera, sunglasses and medication. My husband is debating between a money belt and a pouch. He'll see which one feels better.

I'm not worried about this, but I do want to be prepared.

On our 3 nights in Rome recently we were not bothered by anyone. Never felt unsafe and we walked everywhere. Did not spend any time at the termini or in the metro though. I think those are the prime spots. Two years ago my Dad was on the Rome metro and felt somebody lift his wallet. He reacted quickly and grabbed the guy but they are so good that the guy had already handed the wallet off to his accomplice who is gone. So even though he caught the guy he just gives you a "who me?" look because the evidence is long gone. Bottom line: take moderate precautions and DON'T SWEAT IT!

After 5 weeks in Europe last year, our only theft was in Venice when one kid managed to grab my 14K gold Medic Alert bracelet. I don't suppose he found many takers since it had my medical condition etc. engraved on it!

Given our modern climate of political-correctness, some (especially the tarot card readers in NYC) may view the term "Gypsy" as pejorative even though the term has been used for centuries and often with great (inner clan) pride, not much unlike the word "mafia." The word "Gypsy" can be found in numerous academic and news publications written and published in the last decade, or so, and writer's Peter Maas and Frank Pierson didn't hesitate to use the word in the title of their 1978 major-motion picture, "King of the Gypsies," which launched Eric Robert's career. Many of us were a little less politically correct in 1978. Some of us still are.

"Nomad" is far less inflammatory, for sure, but very generalized. The word offers no sense of belonging to a specific group which misses an important part of the Gypsy ethos.

Rom is the singular word for Romani, which is the name of the gypsy group centered around Rome. It is said that Romani derives from Romania and Gypsy from Egyptian. Since many Romani don't actually hail from Romania or Egypt, the new pc term has become Rroma, to avoid confusion or direct association with Romania or Rome. So much for a modern identity crisis.

The decision to expunge several Romani camps around Rome by Mayor Francesco Rutelli before the onslaught of tourists for the Jubilee Year pilgrimage was just as controversial as Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's decision to expunge many in NYC's homeless population soon after he took office. (Some radical libertarians insist he sent them to San Francisco.) In spite of civil libertarian outcries, not much was made of both controversies because the majority of legal residents in both cities enjoyed the newfound safety and crime-free statistics of such expulsions. Tourists enjoyed them, too.

Big cities have always attracted pickpockets of various types. The term "Gypsy problem" in Rome describes the very specific manner in which members of the Romani camps travel in groups, often using very small children as decoys, to hover, corner, attack, and steal from tourists in heavily populated tourist areas around Rome. During the 80's and 90's, the Romani presence along Via D. Fori Imperiali (leading up to the Colosseum) became infamous and notorious. (I had been approached countless times. My film cleaner spray [compressed air] made a perfectly safe deterrent.)

Many European countries currently struggle to deal with immigration issues and illegal residents that threaten their day-to-day quality of life and ages old traditions. There are no easy solutions, especially for groups of people (with no name or legal status) who have survived centuries by robbing and stealing from others.

For more on this topic, I offer:

"From Bad to Horrific in a Gypsy Ghetto" by Kate Carlisle
http://www.businessweek.com/2000/00_25/c3686071.htm

"Can I Read Your Mind" by Mark Jacobson
http://newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/news...atures/n_8628/

"Pastoral care of nomadic people: the Church's response" by Msgr. Anthony Chirayath
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/po..._chirayath.htm

I know a woman in the So. Cal. area who is of Roma decent who she is a tarot card reader and psychic to the "(movie, TV) stars" and makes an excellent living, adding to her family income.

According to her, Gypsie is a name they don't use for themselves and it brings to her mind images of dancing with tamborines and ribbons alongside a caravan with a campfire. She says the thievery is what gives them all a bad name and she looks down on the people who do it, much like she looks down on the homeless young men in Santa Monica, men who could be working but due to some circumstance prefer to beg and sit on the streets (most of them are caucasian). She isn't PC and doesn't pretend to be, she says it as it is, to her.

She is just a regular looking dark haired middle aged woman whose family owns land and homes from legit businesses (you probably don't think tarot reading is legit, but she does it as a side line, as a bored housewife).

Not that this has anything to do with being pickpocked in Rome, keep your cash and valuables well hidden, as everyone has already said.

NYCFS,that was very interesting..Thanks..

Gotta add my two cents. My wife, son, and I were in Rome earlier this month. Never felt unsafe and ended up only wearing my money belt the day we toured the Vatican (very crowded on a Saturday). We were at Termini a few times and rode the metro several times with no problems. We were cautious - wallet in front pockets with our hands in the pockets also when in crowds. With our luggage at Termini, I had locked up our bags so zippers couldn't be opened. When I needed items from my backpack, we'd move off to a spot away from crowds.

Same for Venice by the way - just be cautious and enjoy yourself. Italy is a fantastic country.

Ken

I had 2 pickpocketing attempts on me. One was scary, the second I was completely unaware of.

The first attempt was very blatant, not subtle at all, and scary. I was on the Spanish steps with my 18-year-old daughter around 11:00 pm. (Lots of tourists on the Spanish steps at this time.) We were temporarily separated from my husband and son, so we looked like 2 women alone. A very aggressive flower peddlar began following us and trying to press flowers on our bodies. He was literally touching us aggressively, and wouldn't stop, even though we yelled, "No!", and I swatted at his arm, actually making contact with his arm once, though it hurt my hand more than it hurt his arm and it didn't deter him at all. I know he was trying to pickpocket us, using the flowers as his excuse...But fortunately on this occasion my daughter hadn't brought anything valuable with her, and I had my valuables well hidden. My passport was in my hotel room in the safe...My credit cards were in a secret pocket on the inside of my travel pants (if I want to use the secret pocket I can flip it onto the outside of my clothes and then upzip it.) The secret pocket is entirely invisible from the outside, especially if you don't put too much in it. The flower peddlar/pickpocket kept feeling my shirt, so I think he was either looking for pockets or a neck wallet (the strings on those neck wallets look to me like they could be easily cut or even snatched right off your head! I didn't use one.) The persistent man was frightening because he kept following us and touching us, and wouldn't go away until I found my husband and insisted that he get rid of the guy...my husband is 6 feet tall and the guy was short and working alone, so he left.

The second attempt happened inside of a museum where I was wearing a backpack. I never felt anyone unzip the pouches of my backpack, but somebody did. It was actually a security guard who told me to turn my backpack around and wear it on the front of me. Well, this thief must have been disappointed, as all I had in that backpack were some tampons and maps! After that I left the backpack in my hotel room.

Whenever I wanted to carry my purse, I never had anyone try to steal it...it is pretty hard to get into. It's a small leather purse with a wide band that is worn across the front of your body...the band is leather and too wide to bother with slicing...even if somebody had a knife there are other purses lots easier to get than mine...it's a good size that sort of rides in front of my body when I'm walking, so I can put my hand or arm over it, and it is hard to unzip, it has to be completely unzipped from the bottom to the top and then to the other side on the bottom before you can even get a hand in it. Also my purse is small and larger purses attract more attention.

I found money belts to be too much trouble, as they are so hard to get anything out of them, that I felt really conspicuous every time I tried to get something out of them. The secret flip pockets in my special security pants and skirt were much better, as it was more discrete to just flip out a pocket and unzip it and flip it back under my clothes.

While it is true somebody could rob the safe in your hotel room, our hotel rooms had good security, and I found it far more likely that somebody would get our passports if we carried them around. so we left them in the hotel room except when we visited the Vatican Museums, where I think they are required. We did carry around photocopies of our passports just in case.

I think it also helps if you don't try to look like you have things to steal! You shouldn't be wearing expensive jewelry and if somebody gets in your hotel room they should be looking at ordinary-looking luggage, you know, don't look like you are worth robbing!

We and several other passengers spotted a man on the Eurostar train that looked like a potential thief, becase he was acting suspiciously when the train was pulling to a stop. He was walking up and down the aisle looking at everyone's luggagge, and I gave him a good stare to let him know I was watching our luggage. He glared at me as if he was angry that I wasn't making it easy! None of the other passengers acted like him...passengers don't usually walk up and down the aisle studying your luggage and purses! If passengers are walking they are usually looking ahead for the bathrooms or the dining car, or they are looking down at their feet so they won't trip.

Another thing...if you feel sorry for beggars and want to give them coins, keep the coins in a separate pocket from your real valuables...because I noticed when I went to give a boy a coin that he peered intently into my purse as I started to open it, and then took my coin over to a man whom he joined...I really felt like the boy showed way too much interest in the contents of my purse, and I realized I had made a mistake, which I didn't repeat.

Women walking alone definitely seem to attract more beggars and peddlars and pickpockets than women walking with husbands and grown sons...that was my experience, I had much more trouble whenever I was separated from my husband and 22-year-old son.

Be smart and alert and don't put all your eggs in one basket! We made sure my husband and I had different credit cards, just in case 1 of us was robbed.

I was on a very crowded train and a girl was squeezing by and yelling to her friend. As I turned to see who she was yelling to she tried to slip her hand in to my purse. I later saw them in another part of the train. I warned everyone and they got off.

Over and over some posters seem to miss the concept of a money belt worn UNDER clothing. It is to keep valuables for the long-haul of a trip, not to be gotten into while out shopping each day. If you are not staying in a secure situation (hostels, in transit between towns, etc.), then passport, credit & ATM cards, money, etc. are in the belt (or neck pouch) under the clothing, secure. Daily money to spend is in an easily accessible pocket or day-bag of some sort. Again... your valuables can be put in a safe in the room or at the hotel front desk, while you are in a single location.