Aaah the 64 bus, also known as the "pickpocket express". I came so close to being robbed in May this year. It was morning peak hour and the bus was packed. Two scrawny gypsy girls got on at a stop, one had a very uncared for looking baby with her and the other a bundle of blanket that may or may not have contained a newborn baby, who knows? They immediately started to make their way to the rear door, almost impossible given the crowd on the bus, then with much huffing and puffing they made their way down the bus in the other direction. This was repeated several times with the older baby lurching around unhappily. I have a slim line bag that goes diagonally across my body, with a zip along the top. I had my hand firmly over the top of the bag while this was going on. Sure enough when I got off the bus the zip was open just a little. Fortunately not enough for them to get lucky, but they had definitely tried.

I tend to wear cargo pants and spread my cash out through a few of the pockets.

Before a recent trip to Costa Rica, our group bought purses, backpacks and safes from PacSafe.

http://www.pacsafe.com/www/index.php

All of their products are enmeshed with steel so they can't be cut open and the bags have lots of pockets so things can be scattered around. The purses have detachable straps with metal hooks so that while you're dining, you can wrap the strap around the arm of the chair (or elsewhere), making a snatch and grab virtually impossible. And the portable safes are great for hotel rooms that don't have safes in them. They're enmeshed with heavier steel and have a steel cord to wrap around a railing or other immovable object.

They're a little pricey, but the peace of mind is worth the cost, IMO. Also, you can find a lot of their items cheaper from other online retailers.

My family of four were taking the train from Brussels to Amsterdam and lost a bag to the very old dropped coins trick. This was our first trip to Europe and train travel. We were still pretty hyper about getting on and off quickly so our first mistake was sitting right next to the door. We each had a large bag and a small bag. We had them right above our seats so we assumed they were safe. As we approached a station a guy acting like he was just getting up to get off, dropped some coins. We all leaned over to help pick them up. Unknown to us at the time his buddy,who came from the other direction, grabbed one of our small bags. The first guy thanked us for our help and got off. We didn't even notice until we started to get off in Amsterdam. I felt really bad, but really didn't lose much. Some grapa for my son-in-law, an Italian speaking Winnie the Pooh for my granddaughter and my 25 year old 35mm camera. The thing that scares me is if he had taken my sons small bag he would have had, our rail passes, my son and daughter-in-laws pass ports, all their money and credit cards and their camcorder. Dumb to have all in one bag! Dumb we got caught like that too. Now we travel very light. One small bag that never goes overhead. No purses. We use money belts,our front pockets,and day packs for unimportant stuff. I also try to notice people around me. We are on vacation so I don't want to be too paranoid, but even at home I pay attention. After that trip, we have gone back to Europe four times and have not had any trouble. After rereading this I know it sounds really stupid that we all leaned over to help, as we have heard of this scam before, but it happened so fast. It was just something we did without thinking.

Ditto on not carrying a purse.

Keep your hands on anything that contains something of value.

Also, find breaks in long trips to SLEEP. Fatigue and lugging around too many bags makes you more vulnerable.

If you carry a backpack, wear it in front on your chest while on public transport.

Depending on where you live, you have to really think differently when travelling abroad. We're not used to kids being used as decoys for street theft, we offer help to a stranger and not realize it's yet another decoy for theft.

my friend was robbed in paris
had justgot out severalhundred euros topay an artist and was walking back to pay him
was approached by a 'drunk' youth who started manhandling him saying
'i can lift you"
got his hands round my friends backside and tried to lift him
only a few seconds later did my friend realise it was a ploy to get his wallet out of his back pocket
someone picked up the wallet and disappeared in the crowd
the 'drunk' took off too
he did actually smell of alcohol but obviously was just well doused

Hello Sydney2K:

Yes, like many other travelers, we too were robbed one time.

We had a rental car parked at Ko Olina beach on Oahu and I left an old jacket inside the car. Stupid. We usually put things in the trunk and do so before we arrive to our destination. Seems that the local thieves there use a scope to watch the parking lot from long distance. The jacket was 10 years old but a favorite of my wife so she felt the loss.

When we returned to our unit, I immediately called our credit card company and had the account number canceled and another issued. The car rental agreement that must stay in the glove box had my number.

In Mexico on a three day excursion we took only a hand held bag. Cash was stolen from it by hotel staff. Not a good idea to leave cash in a bag that does not lock.

On a several day cruise in Fiji [part of a longer trip] a travel alarm clock was stolen from our luggage at the conclusion of that trip. Small but a problem and irritating.

Another time in Madrid, I was taking a picture of a famous statue when I was stopped by a 'tourist' who asked me for directions. At the same instant a 'plain clothes police officer' stopped the both of us to 'warn' us about thieves. He asked the first person if he had money and to produce it which he did. The 'police officer' examined it and returned it to him. He then asked me. I said I had no money, that my wife had it and she was some distance off. The 'police man' pointed to one of my many cargo pants pockets which happened to have a note book, insisting on further checking me out. I produced the note book and began to speak in a louder and louder voice. "It is a note book, no money." I said.

"I have no money." I said. I held out my hands and in a louder voice said, "I have no gold." He soon told me to be careful and he moved along.

It is true that I do not wear jewelry when I travel and not much at home either. My money is spread around in many pockets always with something else in the same pocket. I never travel with a wallet - too bulgy and I don't need much of what I carry at home. But speaking loudly attracts attention and thieves do not want that.

I would not have made any further issue about this but my wife who watched from afar while I took my pictures did tell our hotel. They replied that no Spaniard would do that. And no police would ask to see any money and in fact would never stop a tourist.

Lesson? Well, keep your goods out of sight no matter how old. The car repair from the break in cost more than the jacket was worth, my further loss. Put items away before you drive off, not when you arrive. Keep your money distributed so the risk is spread and the amount to be lost is reduced. If you stand in a crowd to watch a demonstration, keep your fist around your cash in your pocket. Speak loudly to attract attention. Be watchful of where you go and how you get there.

We walk or use taxi a lot and have our hotel call for us. When we want to return, we stop at a restaurant or store and ask if they will call us a taxi. This has never failed nor have we been refused this help.
If you carry a back pack, carry it in front.

I now use a small digital camera but I keep my hand through the handy strap. It is safer this way from theft but mostly from dropping which would be it's end of life.

We do not usually carry our passport but store it in a hotel safe or in our locked luggage. We use a photocopy where we can - not always acceptable.

We travel with two medium sized hard side cases that lock. We keep them both locked all the time even if they are empty. One locked and one empty is an identifier.

I would say that thieves are not the result of foreign countries but are to be found at home as well. It is the evident traveler who is the risk. No matter how we try to blend in, we still stand out as foreigners.

In Mexico, we stood out as we are both much taller than the locals. Because of this we were chased and hounded relentlessly by shirt and hammock sellers. we could not escape, no matter where we went we were taller than most so we stuck out.

In a Spanish speaking country other than Argentina, my wife who grew up there is immediately recognized as a Portenio with the first words she speaks. My colouring and height, not to mention my beard, shows me to NOT be a Latin, therefore a foreigner.

I hope this is of help to some.

Woodie

Woodie, you bring up the interesting concept of "blending in" when abroad. Sometimes you can pull it off better in some countries than others, but it is something to be congnizant of.

Sometimes I will carry the day's newspaper in the local language in my arms while walking about or on the subway.

We either don't talk or talk quietly to each other on subways so everyone around us doesn't hear our American English.