You gotta be kidding about the state capitals! I mean, you don't read about the high crime rates in Pierre and Santa Fe too often.

As for Washington, I lived in DC for 10 years and was never a victim of any crime despite repeated late night outings in somewhat dicey neighborhoods. Of course, the parents of Chandra Levy might disagree with me on the safety of the nation's capital city.

But pickpocketing is far worse in Barcelona and many other European cities. Here you are more likely to have your credit cards info stolen via restaurant receipts, etc.