Zipped purse on metro in Paris - it was crowded didn't feel a thing until I went to reach for my wallet. Someone found the empty wallet - it still had my US driver's license and medical cards - and mailed it back to my house. Happy ending in that I my passport secured somewhere else, I didn't have a lot of cash in my wallet (who carries cash these days) - I could cancel the one credit card, and I had a second credit card in a hidden pant pocket. My lesson was don't keep all things in the same place.

There are all pretty old examples but I’ll give them examples of how it happens:

1) camera on a wrist strap in Madrid metro—I think they cut the strap but I didn’t even notice until o went to get off the metro

2) gang of kids in Eastern Europe swarmed me and started grabbing my breasts and crotch (little kids!). The oldest (maybe a 15 year old boy) then unhooked by waist bag and started to run with it. I also grabbed the strap as it was flying thorough the air and we had an insane tug of war over may bag while I was screaming help. I won only because the kid was trying to vault a wall to get away from me and wasn’t well situated to win a tug of war.

3) bus in South America caught someone going thru my backpack outer pocket. All I had in there was tampon so it was NBD but he was pretty smooth.

I’m a big fan f the money pouches that hook over your belt and then tuck into your pants. I think the phone thing is hard because you often do really need it out to see directions or maybe doing an online tour or something or taking pictures.

No....

Though I witnessed thieves steal a man's wallet and knock him to the ground in Naples, randomly in the middle of the day. Happened so fast, they just came up behind him and were off and running before anyone really understood what had happened.

I've been to Italy twice in the past year with no issues. I use a zipped crossbody bag worn right next to the body.

We met a mom and daughter at a restaurant who had been pickpocketed a few hours before at the train station in Rome. They had backpacks that the thieves got into. I don't think much of value was stolen but they were pretty shaken up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, but I've seen it about to happen and tried to intervene.

Open totes on crowded subways/buses, touristy areas with men carrying wallets in back pockets while oblivious. And PP gives very good advice about not hanging bags from the back of your chair in restaurants.

In Barcelona the thieves are so obvious you can literally stare them down. I love the lady there who screams "pickpocket! pickpocket!" to warn people.

Ha, love the Italian lady on Instagram. She's relentess. Discouraging that the Italian police do nothing about the pickpockets who swarm the crowded tourist areas in Venice and Rome.

Stole my luggage at a train station. One person distracted me; the other grabbed the bag

France is an uncivilized country.

Don't you just need to guard your phone as cc are with it? Put it around your neck.
You must be going south. There's hardly any crowds in the north. Easy to see if someone gets too close to you.

Anonymous wrote:I was wearing a wristlet. Someone drove by me on the street and grabbed it out of my hand. No joke. This was in Florence. Not recent though - 2011.

I’ll add that I’ve worn cross bodies otherwise and since and not had a problem, knock on wood.

I was wearing a wristlet. Someone drove by me on the street and grabbed it out of my hand. No joke. This was in Florence. Not recent though - 2011.

Anonymous wrote:No, but I've seen it about to happen and tried to intervene.

Open totes on crowded subways/buses, touristy areas with men carrying wallets in back pockets while oblivious. And PP gives very good advice about not hanging bags from the back of your chair in restaurants.

In Barcelona the thieves are so obvious you can literally stare them down. I love the lady there who screams "pickpocket! pickpocket!" to warn people.

No, but I've seen it about to happen and tried to intervene.

Open totes on crowded subways/buses, touristy areas with men carrying wallets in back pockets while oblivious. And PP gives very good advice about not hanging bags from the back of your chair in restaurants.

Several years ago I posted examples of the cross body bags I carry while traveling, and another poster criticized them as “ugly” and told me I should get a cute shoulder tote bag instead.
My bags might be ugly, but I’ve never been pickpocketed.

Never and I've been all over. I'd say I'm pretty 50/50 on whether I'm using a crossbody or a tote.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only once, after many years in several European countries, in Madrid. I thought I was ok putting my wallet in the zipped inside pocket of a zipped tote, but someone was able to cut through the bag and inside pocket to take my wallet. Spent about 2000 euros on makeup and women's clothes in the 15 minutes it took me to realize what had happened and call my credit card. I was pissed but also a little impressed.

Wow! Did you feel them cutting? I wonder if they used a box cutter?!

I felt nothing! They were definitely a pro. I'd did seem like it was done with a box cutter or other type of very sharp knife.

Anonymous wrote:Yes backpack and carrying sleeping 5 year-old on my front in Barcelona.
Really easy target.
They were really slick, didn't feel a thing.

Sad how they seem to target tired, busy moms!