I have every intention of being a "secured" traveler on my first trip back to Italy and France in over 25 years, but I am becoming overwhelmed by all the tales on this forum of thieves feeling about inside even zippered and velcroed interior pockets, slashing bags with knives (although nothing of monetary value inside) or, as in Paris, of slicing a woman's neck while trying to steal her neck-hanging money belt. and Canada, plus one trip to Hong Kong.I have never been pickpocketed during any of those travels. I have made over 35 trips to Ireland and England, with only one trip to the continent back in the 70s, and have traveled extensively in the U.S. And I am not going to stuff a wallet full of paper and parade about the Paris Metro system trying to attract a thief in order to find out. It might if the would be thief picked the wrong side of the pocket to look for the zipper. One friend of mine who is extremely street smart said that the zipper would not hold up a real expert. I have never had an expert tell me if a zippered back pocket was a deterrant or not. I do not know if it was the skinny feel of my billfold or the fact that it was in a zippered pocket that foiled him. In my case in Paris, even if the thief had been successful in lifting my billfold, he would have gotten an old piece of leather, $7.00 US, and my voter registration card. There are ways to conceal your passport, airline ticket, and credit cards. ![]() I have been stopped because I had keys and coins in my pocket. I also doubt very much if you could get a pistol through airport security. As for a knife, those guys probably have bigger ones and know how to use them. You could easily wind up in more trouble because of the weapon than the thief, if you pulled out a pistol and tried to use it. The European cops don't take lightly to smuggled firearms. Nor does it exclude some of the vandalizing behavior that you encounter from time to time on the Paris Metro.Īs for toting a concealed weapon, I don't suggest it. Now this does not rule out some of the clumsy attempts to rip or cut a pack off of you and run. I learned that the guy had fingered my pocket only when another passenger on the Metro train asked me, in English, if everything was still in my pockets. I never felt a thing other than the fact that the fellow bumped into me as I entered the car while he was pretending to read the route map posted above the door. Fed Up that if his pocket is picked sucessfully, he probably will not know it until well after the fact. Having been the target of a pick pocket in Paris, I would can assure Mr. Good Afternoon or Morning as the case may be. On the flip side of that, complacency about it will greatly increase your risk. Sjoerd is right: it is not a "constant harrassment". That said, the odds are such that even most lazy, stupid and ignorant people probably get through their trip without being robbed. You CAN and SHOULD protect yourself with good-sense precautions. ![]() If you don't want someone digging in your bag, don't carry a bag. Forewarned is forearmed, but as for carrying a weapon, FedUp? Horrible idea. Many travelers relish the opportunity to interact with "the locals" and that affinity is a characteristic that will sometimes be incorporated into the set-up. ![]() Some of them have more creative, interesting techniques to engage you. Keep in mind that pickpockets and thieves are not necessarily just a bunch of mindless thugs. It was obvious to me that he had accomplices outside the station and he needed to get me to a particular location to complete the job. Since the few valuables I had were secured like Fort Knox anyway, I played the situation out for nearly 10 minutes, just to gain some insight (business must have been slow for him that day). After hearing about a rather infamous area at the Brussels Midi station from a local where thefts are rampant, I had the opportunity to "case" a particular young gentleman who was trying his his best to engage me in a situation that was quite obviously a set-up. Take precautions, be alert and if you spot someone sizing you up, your demeanor can send a big message. There is pickpocketing and then there is mugging. There are stories on this board about people "fighting back", but many cases, pickpocketing is more a crime of stealth than an actual confrontation with someone. That said, I think that to say ONLY lazy, stupid or ignorant people become victims may be going a bit far. Sjoerd, you don't think you're coming down just a LITTLE hard on our poster here, do you? I agree that being naive is "asking for it" and a little bit of street smartness goes a long way toward preventing - all but eliminating - this type of crime.
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