I would like to give my regrets to you for your experience. However, I can relate a similar experience.

We were pickpocketed at the Mexico City subway a couple of years ago - my wallet completely taken. Someone else wanted to take my wife's handbag, worne by her with a shoulder strap, over her shoulder. Fortunately, she was holding our daughter, over that shoulder - so the pickpocketer could not take the purse. Also, fortunately, our passports were in the hotel room.

It was a hassle to call and get all the credit cards and our Aeroplan cards replaced; when we came home, I also had to get my driver's license and OHIP health card replaced.

I have learned the lesson when travelling in the city out of the hotel room, with minimal cards (perhaps one credit card, and one ID card) and/or money. Are there any cities/countries around the world where one should carry one's passport on one's person, without leaving it back at the hotel - perhaps in the safe in the room and/or at the front desk?

I have not yet gotten into the habit of carrying a photocopy of our front passport pages, with extra passport type pictures - but we should. We also have citizenship Cards - I wonder how useful they would be to get replacement Canadian passports, at most countries. I believe that one can use such cards to travel between Canada and USA; I am not sure about using these cards to travel between any other countries in the world, and Canada, or between 2 other countries in the world (thereby precluding the need to get a replacement Canadian passport, until one arrives back home).

[This message has been edited by FlyerGoldII (edited 08-03-2003).]