"It was only because I screamed so loudly, Fay Wray style, that he ran away and I kept my purse."

I'll bet you terrified the poor boy!

Some posters troll internet boards ( changing their user name every six months)
so to lecture posters with condescending - I KNOW better- attitude.

How about " going back to school" to learn Manners 101.

danon, I've been here since registration in 2003. I've never changed my screen name. She exited the car and left her purse in it.

Well, whether the op is real or not will probably never be determined. I have been to Barcelona twice and have fortunately never had a problem with pickpockets. I love, love, love the city and hope to be able to get there again. I am fairly paranoid about being pickpocketed much to the chagrin of my husband who feels that will not happen to him. I am always alert and hope that I am aware enough not to be pickpocketed but know that it could happen to anyone. That said, Barcelona is a wonderful city to visit and people should not be scared off by the possibility of being ripped off. It could happen in any city.

size,
I was not referring to you.

Sorry, since I was who used the phrase Travel 101 I thought you were danon.

I am sorry this happened to you. My son was pick pocketed in Barcelona, my friend in Paris and I have been pick pocketed in my hometown, San Francisco.

My sister was held up at knife point in San Francisco and our family home was broken into once. Our neighbors were burglarized in their home, tied up and threatened. My son had someone steal some of his belongings while he was asleep in his dorm room at college.

My point is that these things can happen while traveling and also at home. It is unfortunate, but it happens. Certainly, some areas have higher crime rates than others and it pays to be careful at home and abroad.

Going to Barcelona in September. First post or not I appreciate the OP's reminder to be vigilant. Because of it's statistics on crime I have friends who chose to go elsewhere than Barcelona. Maybe it's their loss but that's their choice.

Yes regardless of the alleged fraudulent intentions of the post by Rovert and danon - the fact is that you should be on extra EXGTRA vigilance in Barcelona and those who want to deny there is any unusual problem here are simply doing a disservice to naive travelers going there.

I am uncomfortable with saying if you leave something unattended for a few seconds it is your fault for having it stolen. Even in high theft cities, the chances of being victimized are small. If you haven't been pick pocketed it might have a little to do with your vigilance, but more to do with luck.

<If you haven't been pick pocketed it might have a little to do with your vigilance, but more to do with luck.>

I agree with.

But I also believe you can improve your odds by: not hanging your purse over the back of a chair in a restaurant or setting it down on top of your suitcase in a busy train station and walking away from it (both examples that have been posted on these forums in the past as ways someone got "pickpocketed").

<If you haven't been pick pocketed it might have a little to do with your vigilance, but more to do with luck.>

I strongly disagree - anyone carrying a day pack on their back is at risk a lot more than those who do not - especially if they look like a rich foreign tourist.

Alerting to the problem can only help - denying there is an unusual problem here is sending exactly the wrong message - either thru ignorance themselves of the problem or or purposefully mis-stating the scope of the problem to protect a place they love.

In life you take chances, even when you stay in the safety of your own comfort zone. Anything can happen anywhere! And pickpockets are everywhere as covered by the national news last night.

If you're reasonably cognizant, you take normal precautions. If not, you can easily become a willing victim.

I truly doubt anyone is a "willing victim" to having their stuff stolen.

If you're reasonably cognizant, you take normal precautions>

many veteran travelers have reported being victimized in Barcelona and Madrid - I know from my very veteran European traveler friend - 40 trips and counting - that she was reasonably cognizant and takes normal precautions yet on a Sunday morning in front of Atocha station she was violently attacked and left bruised and battered in the gutter.

Such violent crimes are rather unheard out IME outside of Barcelona and Madrid - Google Muggings in Barcelona and you get zillions of hits - do so for Paris, London, amsterdam, etc and there are relatively few.

Even cognizant travelers who take proper precautions can be victimized in those cities - anyone who says it is not more a problem there than other place in Europe is either naive or lying IMO.

Barcelona is the fourth most visited city
in Europe ( after London, Paris and Rome ) with 7.5 million
visitors in 2012.
Must be an lot of naive travelers in the world.
They are probably not aware that PQ's relative was mugged in Madrid 35 years ago.

Agree with danon. Message taken, and now onto new threads about what fabulous Barcelona is all about.

I know quite a few people - some of whom are very seasoned travellers - who were pickpocketed or mugged in Barcelona. It's a lovely city, and one that I enjoy visiting, but you really can't let your guard down there at all. It wouldn't put me off returning, but if I was the victim of a crime there, I don't think I'd be back.

I really sympathise with the OP, and shame on those victim-blaming. An incident like this can really ruin your holiday, and when it's your honeymoon, it's all the more distressing.

Must be an lot of naive travelers in the world.
They are probably not aware that PQ's relative was mugged in Madrid 35 years ago>

There you go again with your complete denial of the problem and that Barcelona is just another city in that regards.

GOOGLE: MUGGINGS AND CRIME IN BARCELONA AND YOU'LL GET A ZILLION HITS

Playing it down and denying it is so much misinformation but keep it up - statistics belie your pathetic efforts to do so and I cannot think of why you are doing that. But go ahead and others will put the record straight like the MANY folks above, many veteran travelers, who have been victimized in Barcelona - tell them they are naive tourists.

Thanks, ohtheplaceswewillgo for alerting others about what happened to you. It was good to read that you are feeling better in San Sebastian.