Pickpockets in Europe

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cross body basulder bag (they can rip it off your arm). I never carry my passport with me. I never stop to sign a petition, give directions, buy flowers, donate money, ever. Where there is 1 there are really 5-10 (you're just not aware of it). If they try to hand you something, refuse to take it. Make sure your kids understand too, because kids can be dumb, and they rope in the kids and then you have to engage.

Dont use AirPods. Don' use your phone on public transportation, they will grab it and run.

Half of my family lives in Paris. These are the rules we follow. IMO Italy is much, MUCH worse and they're much more aggressive. Be careful of being close to exit doors of metros/buses where they can steal and jump out right before the doors close.

I follow same rules whenever I am in New York as well. Just don't be dumb.

Good advice. What precautions do the males in your family follow, since presumably they aren’t carrying crossbody/any bag but instead have wallet and phone in pant pockets.

Also, anither question more specific to males (or anyone not carrying a purse/bag), do you all recommend having a wallet for id and credit card instead of keeping them the slot on the back of a phone case (in case the phone is stolen).

Men and teen boys absolutely carry those crossbody bags that look like fannypacks--they wear them across their chests. Everyone wears them in Europe. It's much safer than carrying anything in your pocket--even a zippered pocket.

FWIW, they make travel underwear for men that have pockets for a phone or wallet so you don't have to wear anything additional.

When we were in Italy and Croatia last summer, my husband carried one of those crossbody bags since he had a phone and a wallet. My teen sons only carried their phones in their front pockets (no money, no credit cards, etc. on their phones). We avoided public transportation and were extra careful in crowded areas. We saw folks get pickpocketed and straight up robbed (purse and phone snatched out of someone's hands).

Walk or take cabs/ubers. The bulk of the crime you read about happens on public transportation or nearby. We sat next to a family in a restaurant who were robbed on a train outside of Rome. I used that opportunity to remind my husband why our private driver was worth the extra cost, and he agreed.

[Anonymous]

Are Belgium and Netherlands just as bad as Italy and France wrt pickpockets?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What precuations do you take?

I've read many stories on how passports were stolen, wallets were stolen, luggage stolen from trains if in luggage hold. Not to mention the train station ticket scams, the bracelet scams, flower scams.

Those of you who are seasoned travelers and who take the train and bus - can you share your tips?

Do you keep passports in safe in hotel or carry it with you (especially to places like colosseum in Italy and vatican city where iD is required)? Or is a photo on the phone enough?

What kind of purses/bags do you use?

Better pickpocketed than shot like in the US, lol. Lived all over Europe for 40 years, never pickpocketed once. Just use common sense.

[Anonymous]

I lived in London for a few years. I had my iphone snatched out of my hand on Oxford Street (the main shopping street) in the early evening. The police basically said that they weren't going to pursue this and that it is really common, so I need to be more careful and not hold my phone out "where people can see it." This was in 2023.

There is a lot of knife crime in London these days as well. It's not guns, but it's violent crime and is definitely on the rise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are Belgium and Netherlands just as bad as Italy and France wrt pickpockets?

No, but the sharpness of Dutch tongues may cut you to the quick and their stinginess can be shocking!

(They proudly call it "being direct" and most consider cheapness a religion.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are Belgium and Netherlands just as bad as Italy and France wrt pickpockets?

No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What precuations do you take?

I've read many stories on how passports were stolen, wallets were stolen, luggage stolen from trains if in luggage hold. Not to mention the train station ticket scams, the bracelet scams, flower scams.

Those of you who are seasoned travelers and who take the train and bus - can you share your tips?

Do you keep passports in safe in hotel or carry it with you (especially to places like colosseum in Italy and vatican city where iD is required)? Or is a photo on the phone enough?

What kind of purses/bags do you use?

Better pickpocketed than shot like in the US, lol. Lived all over Europe for 40 years, never pickpocketed once. Just use common sense.

Oooh, impressive

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What precuations do you take?

I've read many stories on how passports were stolen, wallets were stolen, luggage stolen from trains if in luggage hold. Not to mention the train station ticket scams, the bracelet scams, flower scams.

Those of you who are seasoned travelers and who take the train and bus - can you share your tips?

Do you keep passports in safe in hotel or carry it with you (especially to places like colosseum in Italy and vatican city where iD is required)? Or is a photo on the phone enough?

What kind of purses/bags do you use?

Better pickpocketed than shot like in the US, lol. Lived all over Europe for 40 years, never pickpocketed once. Just use common sense.

And how often have you been shot here in the U.S.?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Carry the bare minimum. If I am standing still/waiting at crosswalk/in line at least one of my hands is in my pocket. Always the front right pocket with wallet in it. I alway have something above the wallet in my pocket. Typically a dummy set of keys. If they are going to get the wallet they are going to have to dig.

If I have Airpod , it is just one.

I am a bigger guy 6'4" and have noticeable muscle definition, when the bracelet and phony petition people approach and I say no or ignore they typically don't continue to engage.

I also make sure my wife and kid are in front of me 90% of the time. They also know that if i say move sternly but under my breath it means move, don't look around, don't ask just move at a quicker pace until I tell you it is clear. If I fall back it is intentional to distract and they are to keep moving. If I save move 1 go to the hotel, if I ssay move 2 it means go to police station, if I say move 3 it means go to embassy.

Dummy keys?