Jaimito Cartero

That's debatable.

I've had groups of suspect kids head my way on my trip to Rome last year. I immediately headed in a different direction. By being forewarned of problems, I think it can only help. This isn't to say that all of Rome is dangerous, but you do need to be cognizant of the problems.


I'm not sure what you mean by, "you have to be careful." You need to be careful wherever you travel because, as a tourist, you're an easy mark. However, common sense precautions are, almost always, all that is necessary, as evidenced by the number of people posting to this thread who, like myself, travel extensively to international destinations and have not been the victim of tourist crime.

By running behind me, and trying to pick my pocket. Luckily, I had just started to turn around, since there was another guy headed towards me from the opposite direction. In Bucharest, I caught a gypsy boy with his hand in my pocket.

Lonely Flyer

Pan Handlers are the problem I encountered in San Francisco. Hit by 3 in a row near Union Square. Was waiting for a Cable Car to go back to Hotel but jumped a cab to get away.

Getting off the plane at TBIT was accosted by the Charity Scammers as soon as we left the terminal.

Back in 2004 was pan handled by a Black couple in the old Boardwalk Casino while wife was in the Internet Cafe. Security came but not before I was $10 poorer.

jmsoros

Avoid the scam people who try to distract you by acting drugged out or drunk. They often work in twos: one person staggers around and bumps into you or your wife and then while you are distracted, the other one pick pockets either your wife's purse or your pocket! Just be aware and don't let them get near you. Also, do not put all your money or credit cards in the same place as your passport. Keep a little bit of cash and credit cards in multiple places. Just be on the lookout and you'll be fine!

BamaVol

I have taken several precautions as a traveller.

1. Over the last 5 years, family travel has consisted of Mrs BamaVol, 2 teenage sons, and I. We have a drill. If I say "positions", we form a tight group, back to back. We haven't had to do that yet, but it's fun to practice.

2. Mrs BamaVol always walks between 2 men. She clutches her purse at all times, regardless of strap.

3. We try to remain as unencumbered as possible. No backpack. No waistpack. Camera on belt under jacket. Hands free to deal with trouble.

4. I bought a couple pair of travel pants from Travelsmith catalog. One back pocket has a zipper inside a button flap. The left front pocket has a zippered compartment. And, there is a hidden pocket inside the pants hanging from the waistband. I know I have a helluva time getting anything out of there and assume a pickpocket would too.

Jaimito Cartero

Are you saying that you were so intimidated by panhandlers that you coughed up $10? Unless there were 3 or more, and they were circling me in a dark alley, I wouldn't give up a penny.

Jaimito Cartero

This is similar to what we did in December of last year when the family was in Bucharest. I saw a herd of Youts heading our way, and yelled at my wife and teenager to join the group. My teenager that it was cool that these preteens/teens were so friendly, but I said they were just trying to get close enough to go through our pockets.

Pointeater

In the more popular European tourist cities, you do have to watch out for pickpockets. Its kinda easy to spot who is working the crowd, vs people actually using the trains. If you take a minute to get your bearings or read a map, tie your shoes, fiddle with your backpack, take a minute to scout out the people in your vicinity. Is anyone watching you? Are they watching you because you just pulled out a map? Immediately be suspicious of them and anyone else close by. They mostly work in teams.

I would also agree that I never have to worry about being pick pocketed in the US and always have to worry about it in Europe. Thats not paranoia, but physically seeing it when I'm there. Its a target rich environment for these people. Tons of clueless tourists that rarely have to worry about these things when traveling in the US.

On the trains and when leaving our bags say at train station storage, we use gun locks like these. You can thread it through your zipper tab holes to prevent the bag from being open on the train, then through a thick handle on your bag, and then thread and lock it to the train luggage rack.

Before going through a turnstile look "both ways" and behind you in an over the shoulder way.

Another trick I use is to utilize spacing when going through bottlenecks like a turnstile. I have my wife walk through a turnstile with a stranger between us or some just some generous space and I'll watch her and then when she gets through she watches me. Its all done in a stealthy manner and not as robotic as it sounds. If pickpockets see you doing this then it makes you less of a target because it gives off an aura that you are aware of people watching you and you don't get targeted.

If anyone approaches you from the front, angle off and just keep moving - Ala the person with the dead pigeon in newspaper. Difficult to get you while you're moving thats why they want to shock and awe you. Worst comes to worst these people are mostly chickens, make it troubling for them and they'll take off.

A friend of mine was pickpocketed a few months ago inside the Doge Palace in Venice. The only other people in one of the rooms with him were two girls. Before he knew it, they were gone. Then he noticed his wallet was gone a little later. It can be anyone.

Someone tried to pickpocket my dad on a train and my dad caught him doing it and the guy jumped off. It was at a stop somewhere in Italy.

Just have good awareness, some common sense, and you will have nothing to worry about.

SkeptiCallie

Thanks, Pointeater, for an intelligent discussion! ^

In answer to one of the posts (not yours) on a preceding page, one reason Americans experience pickpocketing more in Europe than in the U.S. is that when traveling, they have funds available on their person--stashed in a wallet, in a money belt, whatever. And they have more funds than when just going to the neighborhood convenience store in the U.S. So it makes more logistical sense that they are going to be seen more as targets as tourists. @:-)

I've posted before on my experiences with pickpocketing in Italy in this thread, and I've posted in another thread about being watchful of "the real thing" when it comes to having one's picture taken with the official Roman actor/gladiators (whose sums are more reasonable) vs. those who will try to extort money, but there are other two incidents I have just been reminded of. They are not pickpocketing incidents but they are points for caution.

1. In Spain, several years ago, we were standing in line to pay admission to go into a cathedral. The line snaked out and past a gate. Before one ever got to inside the gate where the ticket stand was, there was a mock "ticket stand" set up and taking money. The catch was, after people paid their money to the mock ticket stand, they stood in line still, only to reach the real ticket stand and learn they had just made their contribution to the financial welfare of the "friendly people at the stand."

2. Once in Paris, DH and I had just arrived and gone out to stand in a taxi line. We had our standard two suitcases. When the cab driver pulled up, someone not in uniform rushed up, took our suitcases, and put them into the trunk. DH tipped him. The man stood there and said, "Is Not Enough." Cost my DH about $20 until the man was satisfied and would leave us alone and the cab took off. It was obviously an extortionist who waited around for his chance. But the cab driver could not have cared less what happened and did not try to help us. This was on one of our first trips to Paris, so we didn't have the confidence we would have now to refuse.

EDITED TO ADD: Then there are said to be a few restaurants, primarily in Hungary, I believe (though I've forgotten the specifics) in which they present the unfortunate tourist a bill for something like a thousand dollars. Also, some taxis (again, I've forgotten where) quote a certain rate for a drive, and then inform the tourists that the rate quoted was for one person only--or, worse, stop the cab and refuse to go farther without additional payment. (Though these matters are becoming OT, since the topic was specifically pickpocketing in Rome.)

omegadeal

I've never had a problem in Rome. I've heard of some people having problems at Termini, on the metro, or on the bus system, but I've never heard of anything first hand.

I have had two pickpocket attempts in Paris though and caught the guys before they could get away with it both times. One was on the inter-terminal bus at CDG and one was on the metro at the La Chappelle station from the RER airport transfer. I think the pickpockets look for exhausted tourists full of cash who are arriving in the morning from an overnight flight.

Jamoldo

Wallet and goodies in front pockets, and I put my hands in my pockets when in crowds/metro stations or touristy areas...
My father swears by his money belt though

Dugernaut

No problems in Rome, but the Naples train station was another story. We exited the train and made our way to the platform for the Cicumvisuvia to Sorrento. The platform was crowded and my wife, kids and I had our rollerboards and backpacks. I was overly concerned for their safety when the doors opened and the shoving and pushing began.

I ended up cornered in the doorway blocked by 3 men who did their best to pin my arms in the front of me while one hand was gripping the backpack and suitcase handle and the other firmly in my jeans pockets with one cc and a small amount of cash. Passports were around my neck in a pouch, and the cash, ATM and CC's were in a money belt. The men left as soon as the doors began to close, it was all over in a matter of seconds and nothing was taken thankfully.

Later reading Ric Steves' guide book his description of the station and the techniques used were dead on.

MikeMpls

Exactly what I did after a pickpocket dipped into my wife's purse on the subway. I spent the next week doing what I called the Rome walk, left hand in left pocket on wallet.

trilinearmipmap

One thing I can add to this discussion is that it good to avoid being a target in the first place.

When we travel we leave all our jewelry at home. I wear a plastic Timex watch. We leave our camera at home or bring along a cheap old camera that we wouldn't mind losing. We don't dress in a flashy way. Particularly in poorer countries we do not flaunt our wealth. We are fairly well off and we have no need to advertise this to anyone. No one has ever tried to pickpocket us to my knowledge.

Usually on our travels we see tourists, usually older, with jewelry, carrying nice cameras, well dressed etc. If I were I thief these are the people I would target.

I have been ripped off once in many years of traveling all over the place, that was when a maid stole $20.00 from my hotel room in Ixtapa (the room safe was broken), I was planning to tip her $30.00 anyways, it was her loss.

jabez

I'll be making my 6th trip to Rome in a couple days. We never had problems with pickpockets until the last week stay. A team worked to get my wife's wallet out of her purse on a bus (we caught them and didn't lose it) and a young girl with a baby tried to pick my pocket on the metro.
Extra care when taking public transportation is most important.

haveric

I lived in Rome and travelled throughout Italy and never once had a problem with a pickpocket. The tourists I saw get hassled were, more often than not, the tourists who looked totally bewildered and out of their element.

Just be aware, relaxed and confident and you won't be a target. No need for crazy round-the-neck storage systems or anything like that. Just common sense. IMHO, anyway.