Jay71

Reading through this thread, it invoked a bunch of thoughts for me...

I've dropped my wallet at YYC during a business trip and had it returned a few days with everything intact. I know this is kind of an exception to the rule too but I try to thing the best of everyone and any time I find something, I try to return it to it's owner.

Even after a number of visits to the pickpocketing hotspots in Europe, we've been lucky not to have been a victim [knock on wood] but a few of our friends and coworkers (many of which who are seasoned travelers) have had items pickpocketed/stolen. We definitely know we're not immune to falling victim. Just got to limit the risk and limit the potential loss.

One thing that helped us is reading up and understanding what the scams/scenarios are so you can go into high alert when the situation starts to materialize: Mustard on the shirt, logjam getting off the escalator, crowded elevator, mothers carrying babies (:P), etc, etc.
Easier said than done sometimes but we try limit opportunity by doing stuff like trying to keep a bit of a bubble zone around our personal space, backs against a wall when riding in subway car, hands in/on pockets on when going through a crowd, etc, etc.

It's unfortunate that for the sake of safety, we feel we have to be a little overly cautious when interacting with people we meet when travelling, considering that's half the fun.

milepig

I love Barcelona. That having been said, as a very experienced and savvy traveler I was relieved of my phone on the Metro. They're very, very good. And, they know that the system is in their favor. High Euro value to prosecute combined with tourists who won't come back for a trial mean they're safe to rob without retribution. Sad. Beautiful place, but all tourists are targets.

mike2200

Yes, sad but true just so many stories of tourist being ripped off and no interest apparently by law enforcement to curtail it. Visitor beware!

Points Scrounger

How did they manage that? Honestly, I'm planning on avoiding the Metro if possible; I just wouldn't feel safe there.

mike2200

Tough to see everything by avoiding metro...(just be extra observant)

I think "pickpocketing101" is an elective in Barcelona schools!!

Points Scrounger

My understanding it's more like Bucharest schools. Some folks in travel threads report that they were there for several days and were fine. I am wondering whether the problem with cafes/restaurants are in tourist-centered ones, or all over (which seems rather unlikely)?

lskohn

Just got back from a small-group tour of Barcelona and Madrid. Group leader made a big deal at orientation about keeping everything secure (bags worn cross-body, carry minimal cash/credit cards, only photocopy of ID, etc.) and staying alert, and we used Metros with and without the group without trouble.

However, it was reassuring that on the Rambla a plain-clothes cop warned one of the group about an open zipper on her bag! It was a pocket she hadn't been using anyway because it was too exposed, but the encounter shows that the police aren't doing nothing, just not keeping up with the problem.

mike2200

Certainly a positive event for Barcelona 's theft problem and we can only hope this is a sign that law enforcement and the court system have heard the visitors cry of stop the thievery in your city.

Points Scrounger

Just returned from a few days in Barcelona to report one possible incident that I may have avoided, but otherwise nothing at all: two women, one looking at a map and asking for directions to Sagrada Familia, while the other one sort of hung back. May have been legit, but fit the profile of a scam where the second woman does the pickpocketing during the distraction.

mike2200

Glad to hear your trip to Barcelona went without incident it is a beautiful city. We can't all be victims thank goodness.

OWBA

I've only been to Barcelona on business and never had a problem, though I have spent quite some time in Southern Europe, which tends to lead to some "automatisms" developing in a public setting that reduce your risk. Keeping your wallet in a front pocket, wearing bags across your shoulder etc. are all very good ideas, though there is one thing that hasn't really been brought up in this thread so far, and that is: Don't make it obvious that you're a tourist.

As has been pointed out, tourists are the prime prey of those people because they won't show up in court and often don't know how the police and legal system works in general. By looking more like a local, your risk of becoming targeted will be reduced significantly.

If you're familiar with Southern Europe, you'll notice it's often a bit more formal than other places. Not a whole lot of Barcelonans or Romans walk around in shorts, sneakers, baseball caps or T-shirts, or wearing a camera around their necks, so it pays to dress up a little bit to match what they are wearing, which is usually at least a dress shirt, long trousers or good jeans, and leather shoes. Avoiding reading your guide or taking out a street map in overly public places or loudly discussing in your non-local language of choice also goes a long way in not advertising yourself as a potential target.

As has been hinted at, the point is not to be perfect, the point is just to make yourself less attractive to the potential criminal than others around you.

jeff191

A couple of years ago I was in Barcelona for vacation and I remember the hotel actually had a placard at the check in counter stating something like "Barcelona has the best pickpockets in the world, please be alert and careful with your belongings". It was amusing since pretty much every website we looked at before our trip attested to the skill of the pickpockets in Barcelona almost like it was a source of pride.

Having said that, we had no issues at all. Wandered through all of the high traffic tourist areas and took the Metro every day without problem. No close calls or questionable situations either. But we were there in November so the crowds weren't too bad and the Metro wasn't packed either. Not like walking through the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul where I basically kept my hands on my wallet at all times.

BamaVol

No, if someone reaches in your pocket there, it's just to grope you.

We'll be in BCN come May. Thanks to the OP for this thread. We will be alert, as we always are, but maybe extra alert.

SecondGo

The trouble is that any time you are around tourist spots, you'll get pickpockets, at least in certain countries. And as a tourist, visiting those spots is also the whole reason for going! Being very aware when you are around these sights is the best you can do - I try to keep an eye out, and a hand on my wallet. That said, I was relieved of the camera in my pocket near Puerto del Sol in Madrid. I remember a guy just bumping into me, and (assuming it was him) to this day I applaud his stealth.

(There was also the day in a market in Tangiers when, possibly sensing something, I put both hands into my jacket pockets to find another hand already in there. My brain took a second to do the maths, before I grabbed the extra hand! The owner withdrew and flew off through the crowd, with me shouting the place down.)

johnnywho

I totally agree. With all the money pouring in through tourism, you would think that the authorities would we willing to spend some money on fighting the crime.