exbayern

But you bring up a good point. Years ago, ATMs were not common, nor were credit cards, and thus people carried more a lot more cash, (or travellers cheques, which are becoming obsolete).

Travelling now is different in western 'Europe'; it is easier to access cash on a regular basis, even with no fees, and hence people are less likely to carry everything with them. And even though nobody wants to be the victim of crime, replacing even a passport can be easier now than it was in past, with electronic communication. (I also advise scanning passports and emailing yourself a copy so that you always have it accessible, should the worst happen)

I don't think that all people with moneybelts look like 'idiots', but I can think of several people I saw recently who did look completely clueless. A few months ago I was driving through a small German town popular with American tourists, and an older woman was walking along wearing a neck wallet hanging down the front of her jacket, and it looked to be quite filled with things. Now, a small German town isn't likely to have a lot of petty crime, but she looked like such an easy target for a petty thief, or even just someone who saw her as an opportunistic crime of snatch and grab. I just wondered at the lack of common sense of someone who would wear a pouch with money visible hanging around their neck, completely exposed. It was like someone carrying their money and valuables in a plastic bag, entirely defeating the purpose of a moneybelt.