Witness to pickpocketing
 

I’ve read tons of articles and threads about pickpockets. Rarely mentioned is what happens when someone witnesses pickpockets in action. Have you had this experience? Did you shout, try to help the victim, shrug and walk away? Just curious what the onlookers do when a group of street kids gang up on a person, for example.

And, P.S., do the police ever nab these people in action?

I've written this before but again, I missed a train in Florence so my friend and I waited for the next train and the whole time we watched a network of thieves working the station.

It seemed to be a multigenerational family, the grandmother held all the cash and her adult children would come and hand her their loot. The children would give their loot to their parents, etc.

What the hey, I pushed the wrong button.

Anyway, the grandmother was pushing a cart with lots of luggage on it all around the station.

The police watched her and did nothing, the kiosk people did the same. We warned a few tourists who were standing by us but there was not much else we could do but watch. It looked like they were well established at the station.

The funny thing was they were all well dressed so you wouldn't be on guard when you saw them. It was amazing.

As I picture that grandmother with all the loot, I wonder, "Do the pickpockets ever get pick-pocketed?" ;)

In Madrid at about 8am on a Sunday morning a relative was mugged near Atocha Station - thief wanted to get her day pack off and she wanted to get it off to give to him since it had little of value in it. a struggle ensued and she and he ended up in the gutter - the struggle lasted for about a minute whilst shopkeepers opening their stores steps away did nothing.

I saw a guy trying to get into someone's backpack on the bus once.

Gave the pickpocket the evil eye, and tapped the backpack owner on the shoulder to let him know he should be careful.

I often tell people using public transit at home that their bags are unzipped. Pickpockets here are less common and less skilled than in Europe, but they do exist, and there's no reason to make it any easier for them.

I just saw the 2nd part of your story story, SeaUrchin. It is amazing.

PalQ, what a terrible experience; I hope your relative wasn't hurt too badly.

Good for you Lesli; I'd like to think I'd do the same if I saw someone about to become a victim.

Hi M,

The police don't bother about petty crime because it takes up too much of their time. This is true all over the world.

Onlookers don't want to get involved because it takes up too much of their time. This is true all over the world.

On a bus in Florence, the lady standing next to me whacked a pickpocket with her umbrella when she found his hand in her purse.

There then ensued an act from an opera, with him complaining about the pain inflicted and she complaining about how he tried to rob her.

After several minutes of this, I stepped in to turn the opera into "opera bouffe", and eventually forced him off the bus.

A good time was had by all. :)

((I))

My husband and I were on a subway train in Madrid during a rush hour time and I was able to get a seat. More people got on at the next station so it got crowded and my husband, (6' 2"), who was standing in front of me, was pushed toward the middle of the aisle by a good sized younger man. As the train proceeded to the next station, I became aware that this fellow was slowly sliding his had into my husband's jacket pocket -since I was sitting I got an eye-level view at his attempt -.
My husband was totally unaware of this because of the crowded situation. However, as an old school teacher who was used to keeping my eye on junior high school students, I reached out and grabbed his arm and in a loud school teachers voice said, "Stop that, right now"!! Of course, he probably didn't understand what I said , but he (and everyone around him) knew what I was up to. He jumped off the train at the next station; my husband turned around to see why I was yelling , and an old lady next to me said, BUENO !!! So, beware. What everyone told us about the crowding and jostling on trains, etc. was true. Also, this guy's attempt at pickpocketing was in vain - my husbad had his money and charge cards safely in an inside pocket.

Way to go, Ira!

Well done, Chestnut.

((I))

---- And Lesli.

Way to go, crimefighters!

My wife's cousin and his wife were strolling along a street in Rome several years ago. He was carrying his daypack dangling from his left hand and two guys on a Vespa came past and the guy on back grabbed it. He held on, and because he was a good bit bigger than the thief, pulled the thief off the back of the Vespa. To hear him describe it, the guy was almost horizontal as his partner drove the scooter away, and he end up on his back in the street. His wife proceed to beat him with her umbrella.

At a lovely hotel in Milan my husband got onto the elevator to go down to the lobby for something while I was getting ready so we could go out for the day.

On the next floor the elevator stopped, a man got on that gave my DH a "funny feeling". The next thing my DH knew this fellow was trying to get into a briefcase of the Italian fellow next to my husband (he was an Italian businessman). My husband elbowed the pickpocketer (well the wanna be pickpocketer) real hard and yelled something to him in Italian. Someone else stopped the elevator at the next floor and the pickpocketer was pushed out of the elevator by several Italians. My DH was than given a round of hand clapping along with a round of "bravo, bravo". That evening when we went to leave the hotel for dinner the hotel management treated us to two rounds of drinks in their beautiful lounge. To this day I wonder happened to this pickpocker. Guess he took another elevator ;;) and found another victim. The hotel had no idea who he was. My DH wished that the elevator had not been stopped so that the pickpocketer could have been dragged to the reception desk.

I was mugged in Palermo last year in the lobby of my hotel. After brandishing a knife and taking my wallet the guy then robbed the hotel cash drawer. I screamed and screamed and tried to get my wallet back to no avail...tore his shirt, though! The guy ran from the hotel with me screaming behind him. The hotel help cowered and the onlookers across the street looked while the guy took off with his loot. I must say the police were very nice..let me call my card companies (Amex is of no use, by the way) and then gave us a tour of the city from their squad car. Makes a good story now but I was VERY angry, not to mention flat broke without a dime an hour after my arrival in the city! With a sprained finger, too!

I had a near run in with a pickpocket in Madrid. I was looking at the necklaces being sold by a street vendor when suddlenly my mom yelled 'Look!' and the vendor quickly moved me around to the side of his stand. Later, my mom explained that she could see this guy coming up right behind me and reaching for my back pocket--in full view of the street vendors. All of these people know each other (probably why pickpockets don't get pickpocketed?). I wouldn't have lost anything except a days worth of ticket stubs, but it made me really grateful to have a money belt.

My dad did find a hand in his front pocket at a market in Arles once, but again, since he had on a money belt, its just another interesting experience.

Probably my favorite pickpocket story occured when one of my friends, B, was working in Madrid one summer. She was at an outdoor cafe, seated on the outside and had set her backpack by the side of the chair (first mistake). Someone grabbed the backpack and started running. When B, a 6'3" college basketball player stood up and started chasing the thief, shouting in Spanish, the thief looked behind him, saw her and threw the backpack to her and started running away even faster.

I think it is good to be prepared and cautious but reading a thread like this one just before a trip, is like watching a highjacking movie on a plane flight... just not a very good idea if you want peace of mind and to avoid needless worrying.

What if the title was "Who has never seen a pickpocketing attempt in Europe?"

Good point, Suze!

I've only witnessed one attempt in my many trips (which have included the much-maligned city of Naples.) And have never personally been a victim.

That's really strange - I've been to Europe hundreds of times, and I've never been either a victim or witness to a pickpocketing.

I did see a woman snatch a cell phone at the Burger King in Waterloo Station a year or two ago. She was apprehended before she'd got 50 feet.

I've only been to Europe five times, visiting four countries, but traveled by train and public transportaiton, both solo and with a friend... never saw anything and definitely never had anything happen to me.

Let's bump it up to my entire circle of friends, many who travel extensively, now we're talking dozens of countries on a couple continents... still not one personal story or witness of pickpocketing.

I'm not saying it doesn't happen, I just think when it does it get talked about a LOT.

As I've said here many many times before, a person does not come home from a European vacation and get on Fodor's to post "I went to XXX and did not get pickpocketed, didn't see anyone get mugged, did not have my passport stolen, my hotel room was not broken into..."

That's the thing about this message board. I've learned so much (about how to prepare for my first big trip - London), but now I am more concerned than ever about two things: pickpockets and my credit/atm cards not working. Both involve me, overseas, with no money. But, I've got a money belt, two different cards, and the knowledge I've gained from threads like this. I should be set ... right?

OK, I have never been pickpocketed, have never seen anyone getted mugged, have never had my passport stolen, have never had my hotel room broken into. And none of my family members or friends have ever had any of these experiences. The "worse" I have had happen to me was getting change from a weekly market vendor..a phoney lira bill..big deal.

Well I did have my credit card stolen while at my local supermarket but that has nothing to do with Europe. And I did have jewelry stolen while on a cruise, but again that has nothing to do with travelling in Europe.


And btw, I don't use a moneybelt or a neckbelt (whatever you call them).

I was answering Maire's questions regarding what people do when they witness someone being pickpocketed.

I think if you are rushing around on the go and focused on sightseeing you might not witness a lot happening to other people.

I had a long time to sit at the train station and it was all happening right in front of me. You would have had to have been totally non-observant not to realize what was happening. I suppose if I were rushing to catch a train I would not have noticed either.

I also hit a woman one time who was reaching into my friend's purse in Monaco!

Wouldn't it be fun to make a wad of phony $100s and let some picpocket take them?

(Fun, maybe - but illegal, fer shur.)

Bad Girl SeaUrchin \:D/ LOL

I was in Paris last December with my sister and we managed to thwart a would be pickpocket. To start with I told her not to wear her small, leather knapsack on her back but she didn't listen. We got off the Number 1 Metro at Saint Paul and took the escalator which leaves your right on the street next to the kiddy ride. There were two rows of people side by side on the escalator. I was on the right and she was ahead of me on the left with two rows of people between us. Mid-ride, the guy in front of her dropped his book and everyone on the escalator turned around to see it fall. At that very moment, the guy behind my sister (the bookdropper's partner) put his hand in her knapsack. As I turned around from watching the book fall, I saw a hand in my sister's bag and I shouted to her "watch your bag". She grabbed her bag with a few choice words, the escalator reached the sidewalk and they vanished into the throng of people.

She checked her knapsack but nothing was missing. They targeted her thinking she was alone. However even if it hadn’t been my sister, I would have automatically shouted out to the person in front of me.

There, but for the grace of God, go I.

I've never seen it in Europe, but we've only gone in the off-season, not peak tourist season.

I was a victim in NYC when I was in high school, when someone reached under my dressing room stall at a Macy's to get my purse, relieved me of my cash only and left me my ATM card. Since then, I've been extra-diligent!

Ecolszewski, the only thing I would add was a suggestion of the local passport agent, who told us to make 5 copies of our passports and to put them in all of our belongings. That way, if we lost our passport and other items, we had a copy, which would facilitate getting assistance and a replacement quicker.

Great stories everyone. I’m glad for those of you who didn’t lose anything. And way to go those of you who foiled a thief. LoveItaly, good for your DH! Sorry about your mugging ekscrunchy. I like your attitude Sfarah; as I said to Lesli, hope I react the same way, if necessary.

Robes—how about Monopoly money?

Suze & Robes--there’s another thread today, What me worry? In Rome? (http://tinyurl.com/jzpcw) that prompted me to wonder what people do when they witness pick pocketing taking place. I was curious to know if most people who had this experience tried to help or just looked the other way. That wasn’t meant to imply that most of us have been or will be witnesses or victims.

I agree, if reading about this subject increases someone’s nervousness, they should avoid reading these threads. I enjoy reading about this subject, just as I enjoy reading about packing, hotels, and clothes. Now, a thread that makes me nervous is “How much do your European trips usually cost you?” That one really scares me ;)

Ecolszewki – sorry if this added to your concerns.

Maire, I didn't mean to sound scolding (about that people shouldn't read this thread). I thought YOU were getting worried about it for yourself, and meant it to be supportive -LOL.

Awwww, thank you Suze! That is so sweet!

No, I'm not nervous about this subject--right now anyway. Too many others to keep me busy! lol

LOL Maire, I agree, never mind the pickpockets and scam artist..what is scary indeed is what our next trip to Europe will cost!! #-O

Loveitaly, it felt so good to smack her upside the .....wrist....

I couldn't reach her head, she was tall.

It's no different there than here in Boston, except in your own hometown you are more(sometimes, foolishly) confident. I see it all the time here on the subway, and yell out watch your pocketbooks, wallets and usually, the guy will get off the next stop. The same goes for the molesters. I yelled out and gave the teen the advise to not sit quietly next time. They rely on that.

Ok, gotta chime in with my story...
I had done extensive research on Fodors for our family trip to Rome. I was giving a little lecture to my sister on what I had been told to do when accosted by gypsies (no eye contact, keep walking, don't slow down, clutch your bag). So next thing you know, mid-sentence, I am surrounded by gypsy children waving papers in my face and groping for my pack. What did I do but FREEZE. My sister kept walking, as we had discussed, crossed the street, turned around and stood laughing at my while I was surrounded. Finally I collected myself, grabbed my backpack and ran over to her. Of course, per Fodors, I had all my $$ and passport in my zip pouch down my shirt so no loss, and the backpack held travel books, which I saved!

I was on the London Underground several years ago with my Mom, and a nasty woman who hadn't bathed in the last decade was standing nearby. Mom kept backing away to avoid the awful stench, but pig woman kept moving closer to Mom. Finally Mom caught pig woman sticking her hand into Mom's Harrods bag, probably hoping to steal a Rolex. Little did pig woman know that all we bought at Harrod's was candy. :-))

Another time we saw a pickpocketing in Paris. The thief grabbed an Irishman's wallet, so the Irishman grabbed the thief's throat and shouted, "I want me wallet--give back me wallet!!" He was squeezing the thief's neck so hard his head was getting red, but the thief handed back the wallet. The police were standing nearby and thought this was quite funny, as they watched the thief walk away.

More great stories. Glad you didn't lose anything, Weezie. Way to go Irish guy!

Our story was in Paris. We came in by train and, dragginmg our luggage, were puzzling over how to work the Metro fare machine. A chap, reeking of booze, stepped up to help us. He was busily pointing at the screen, and demanding we watch closely. I stepped back a few inches because of his breath, and saw a well dressed young guy with a sport coat neatly folded over his left arm, and his right hand rumaging in my wife's purse.

Evidently, the folded coat was to recieve and conceal whatever treasures he would have been able to pluck from the purse.

I shouted, and he rushed away. I instinctivly made to follow, but the first guy somehow stumbled into my path, blocking any pursuit I might have planned. In actuality, I was stunned and probably would not have known what to do if I had caught the guy. All he would have gotten would have been the digital camera, as we both use money belts. DW no longer carries her camera in her purse, however.

I was the victim of an attempted pickpocketing outside the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

I heard someone shout "thief" and I looked round as a pasty faced pickpocket had his hand in my fleece pocket. A huge American guy got hold of the thief around the throat and seemed to strangle the life out of him while I checked my pockets.

Fortunately nothing was missing and then a comotion occurred as about 6 or 7 young spaniards ran into our group and in the melee the pickpocket escaped into the crowd.

The police arrived and explained this was prime pickpocket territory. As tourists admire the architecture they are not concentrating and susceptible as easy targets.

Be warned.

I've traveled extensively for years and never been very cautious, but last trip on Paris metro wore fanny pack with wires in belt and several locks and zippers and still caught a young gal with hand in the last pocket ready to remove card and cash. When I accused her she jumped back and yelled denials before running off at next stop. She had coat over arm, covering hands. I have to say fanny pack not my style and figured odds were with me and wore backpack purse in front after that.