1. Dressing in Jeans/Shorts, Tshirt, Athletic shoes-- i.e. obviously an American tourist.

or

2. Dressing in nice clothes with a "put together" look. By this I mean so-called European style--dark colors, closer fit, designer stuff.


To me, one says easy target, while the other says not so easy target but could give the impression of lots of money and make the try worth it.

What are some thoughts?

I'd say (2).

Lots of people in the developed world dress in jeans, t-shirts, and athletic shoes—not just American tourists. And American tourists are not necessarily a priority target for crooks, anyway.

People in nice clothing probably have money. This makes them more attractive targets anywhere.

Getting "stuck up" is, to the best of my knowledge, a rare occurrence compared to the (less harrowing?) crime of being a victim of (a) pickpocket(s) - - and I believe (happened to me once), that pickpocketing is a crime of opportunity, to a certain extent. The pickpockets look for situations, not specific kinds of people.

How do you get pickpocketed? Have the money out and visible - - for example, a ticket booth - - stick it straight back into your pocket (not in a money belt, or something difficult or impossible to remove from you) - - and allow yourself to be distracted, by talking to your fellow travelers or looking at where you are, instead of who is around you.

Having said all that - - why would you go for the look you describe behind "door number 1"?

Best wishes,

Rex

Why not combine the two? You can be chic and comfortable at the same time. Jeans, t-shirt, a nice jacket and good (but comfortable) shoes, maybe an accessory or two, and you'll look like a Parisian. It's all in how you put it together.

troll...

Tourists can be spotted a kilometer away by the way they act. Locals don't look around, except perhaps to window-shop. Out-of-towners (or out-of-countryers) tend to gawp - either taking in all the newness of their surroundings or figuring out where they are and how to get to where they want to be next.

So unless you <i>always</i> know exactly what your next step will be and don't want to absorb the scenery, it wouldn't matter if you dressed like Jacques Chirac.

i think that your whole premise with this question is wrong and that you are approaching this issue strangely.

most tourists in europe are from places other than the US. People from everywhere wear jeans, shorts, etc.

criminals have no more reason to target american tourists in europe over german tourists in france or french tourists in greece. why do you think someone would be targeted as an american rather than some other tourist? weird assumptions.

I would think that awareness of one's surroundings is the key factor to not being a target.
Keeping your valuables in a safer place make one less vunerable.

It's funny that people will take endless precautions for travel but just today I was in a grocery store and there was a shopping cart with a woman's large purse open, with her wallet in plain view. She was checking prices a few feet away with her back turned. Someone of questionable character could have lifted that wallet and continued to shop, she would have never known until she was at the checkout.

Wear a suit of armour and nobody can possibly get your wallet. You might stand out in the crowd, but nobody will think you are a tourist. But don't wear your suit of armour on the plane--it's hell getting through the metal detector!!

L84SKY--I see that all the time at the grocery store and am absolutely amazed by it! Restaurants too; women hang their purses on back of chair or put them on the floor, and someone walking by could totally take them and be gone before they noticed.

Anywhere in the world you are, it's all about being aware.

PM: no, no, no... dress like a ninja and you'll blend into the shadows...

I think no matter where you go these days you have to be more careful with your personal belongings. I am in law enforcement in a touristy area and we have people call all the time how they left their nice watch, purse or wallet on the towel while they went into the water. They always say.....I didn't think anyone was watching. Someone's always watching especially opportunists.

I moved to Florida from a big city years ago. When I go back there or any other place I watch my bag. I worked at a theme park in Orlando during college and a woman came with her 2 children and their 2 friends straight from the airport. While waiting in a line for a ride someone cut the bottom of her large purse and took her wallet camera and some of the passports.
Be safe and aware of your surroundings no matter where you are and have fun!

It's all bollocks. If you're going to get robbed, you're going to get robbed. What you're wearing has nothing to do with it....

No matter what you do, you can't avoid the tourist look. For one thing, even if you dress more nicely, something about you (usually your shoes; I notice more variation in shoe types than other things, I don't know why) will stand out. Also, the reason people dress (more or less) as tourists is because they're travelling, and want to do so more comfortably. If I'm travelling, I'm not going to dress as if I'm going to the office.

We've travelled to Europe quite a bit, and have never had an issue; haven't ever even been hassled. I used to attribute it to the fact that my husband looks southern European. But then, he dresses more &quot;American&quot; than me, usually wearing shorts, even when nobody else is. So that can't be it.

But we lived in several large cities in our younger days, and probably retain more of that city awareness of surroundings. Also, we do protect our valuables - though robbers can't know all what we do. We always carry non-valuables in a day bag, and how are thieves to know that all it carries are guidebooks, water bottles, etc?

I believe locals can tell you are a tourist, but not that you are American until you speak (unless you wear something really exceptionally stupid). All kinds of people wear tshirts, jeans and sneakers.

I don't know your crowd of friends, but none of mine who live in Europe wear &quot;designer stuff&quot;. Have you been to Europe?

I'm a little amused by your question, and I really do think it is sort of a good one. Why would a pickpocket want to pick the pocket of someone who looks like they wouldn't have anything of value? Wouldn't he be more likely to want the wallet of someone in expensive clothes? I'm not sure that your two examples of dress are necessarily answering that question, however.

Similarly I've always believed that people traveling with Louis Vuitton luggage have much more likelihood of their luggage being gone through or even stolen that those with K-Mart generic luggage.

<i>Which makes one less of a target for crime?</i>

Walking down the street with my husbands 6'9&quot; nephew-
Otherwise, an easy target depends on the desperation of the thief..( imo)

Were I a pickpocket or thief, I don't think I'd waste my time on Louis Vuitton-carrying targets. There are so many <i>poseurs</i> carrying Taiwan knockoffs of designer billboards, your chances of hitting a jackpot are vanishingly small.

It's the man or woman wearing or carrying the really understated but quality stuff who needs to be careful.

Rex is right on the mark with &quot;hitchhiking is a crime of opportunity.&quot; It truly is. I have been picked on 3 different occasions, all in Barcelona.

The first time I was carrying my wallet in my backpack (yes, outer pocket. . . I was a terribly inexperienced traveler) and it happened like this: went to an ATM and got some cash (something like $200) then put the wallet into my backpack. I then headed up to the Sagrada familia and took out the money and paid (with a big bill). Then the wallet went back into my backpack. Then i took it out again to show my friend something, then headed up the tower stairs and someone came up behind me, opened the pocket and took it. I gave them ample opportunity and it had nothing to do with my clothes.

The second time I was really en guarde, but was carrying a small (brand new) leather purse with a very thin strap. I let go of it for a matter of seconds to hold my mother's ice cream cone and this guy ran up, yanked on it, the strap broke, and there I was chasing him, screaming, and really mad at myself for having given him the opportunity. Again, it was not about fashion.

The third time was my fault as far as anything can be the victim's fault. I was at an internet caf&eacute; and my backpack was sitting on the floor right in front of me (tied to my leg) and my jacket was on the back of my chair. My friend called and I answered the phone and then, as I only had 2 mintues of time left, I put the phone into the pocket of my jacket and closed out the machine. Some guy sat next to me, asked me a question, and that is certainly when his accomplice came and lifted my phone, which was very accessible to them in a pocket.

Those scenarios told, what I noticed is that the only times I have had anything happen is when I am off guard. I learned to not carry things with me, to always be careful, to keep my eyes open, and to just be aware. After I got that into my head, I never had another problem in Barcelona whether I was sporting formal dress, casual clothes, or whatever.

Oh, and another thing is that there are very specific things that are desireable:
money
cell phones (the one that they stole from me was ridiculously crappy, so I don't think that make matters much, though I am sure a RAZR is preferable)
entire purses or bags (to rifle through the contents. . . sort of like a surprise party favor)
cameras
bicycles

Basically, anything that has great instant resale value. They aren't keeping those cameras, and many times you will find wallets in the trashcan missing only the cash and cards.