You're more likely to return without your wallet if you visit Chicago or Miami than Rome. There are pickpockets, of course. But people are still living in a stereotype of Rome that no longer exists. There haven't been two thieves riding on a Vespa, with the passenger armed with a knife who could cut the strap of a woman's purse and make off with it without slowing down for over a quarter of a century. The streets of Rome are not full of thieves who are targeting locked backpacks or purses by using boxcutters to cut through the fabric. You don't have to get pick pocketed, and you don't have to get your wallet stolen from your purse.

Thieves can spot a tourist, but they are more interested in spotting a clueless tourist who looks like this is their first time out of the country, and is thoughtless about their surroundings. It's really very simple. It just takes basic precautions. It most often happens on the street when you are approached by someone with an open map, newspaper, jacket over their arm. They just want to cover their hand so you can't see it. When I need to ask for directions, I stay at least 5 feet away so that the person doesn't get alarmed. Similarly, if someone approaches close enough to touch me, I become aware of it.

The hot spots are trains and buses, because you can't avoid being touched. So have your wallet in your front pocket, and keep your hand there. Have your zippered purse in front of you. They are not looking to pick the lock on your purse or backpack, or use a boxcutter on the train to cut into it. They're looking for someone who is easy enough to steal from that they can do it between the time the train doors open and close, or they might wait until just before the doors open at the next stop and do it in those few seconds. Don't be the easy target. Of the 100 largest cities in the USA, I'd bet that only a few if any, have a lower crime rate than Rome. If you take even simple precautions, especially in crowded areas of public transportation, you are far more likely to lose your wallet than be pick pocketed.

Take a look at this video. It is an unsuccessful attempt to rob a clueless tourist (the guy in the pink shirt) with the giant camera, his wallet in his back pocket, oblivious to the fact that there is a woman carrying a plastic baby, and two other women crowding him as he squeeze past to get on a train. Keeping your wallet in your back pocket in a crowd, you might as well hold it in your hand. Then in the next video look at the Japanese woman in the black coat carrying an open, giant white purse behind her, and the attempt to take her wallet out of it as they board the train. In both cases, the victims were picked out as easy targets.


About that backpack. Why? Who needs to walk around hot and humid Rome all day with a backpack? On any street, on any train, you will see many people with backpacks, and the chance of any of them getting robbed is very small. But I still don't get it. Are you bringing lots of gifts from the USA that you are delivering to someone, so that you need to travel with a backpack? Thin out your wallet. There is no reason to carry a Nordstrom credit card to Italy. There is no reason to have your drivers license in your wallet either, it just increases the nuisance if by some bad luck you do lose your wallet, or less likely have it stolen. That should be in the hotel safe with other valuables. There is no reason to carry your passport with you. That also belongs in the safe. You need to have some form of ID. Make a photocopy of it, and carry that.

I don't get what would be so big and heavy that you'd have to carry it around on your back all day. Someone using a knife to cut through the fabric to get at your wallet is an outdated stereotype. It's probably happened to 1 in 100 million tourists. You'd have to obviously be carrying something special in there like drugs, transporting diamonds or cash, or something extremely valuable that someone saw you put in there, for them to want to slash open your backpack with a knife.

You don't need a backpack to carry around your thinned out wallet with some bills and one credit card, and nothing else. It fits into your pocket, as does your phone. Rome is not so hot that you need to inconvenience yourself by carrying around a personal supply of water everywhere you go. If you get thirsty just stop at a store and buy a bottle of water. You can refill it from the public fountains that are everywhere in Rome. Rome is a major city. If any need need arises you will be able to buy it in a store. I understand if you are a photographer and you need to carry light monitors, tripods, special lenses for the nighttime, etc., but why would a tourist need a backpack for wallet, phone and water? If it rains, like magic before the first drop falls people will appear on street corners everywhere selling umbrellas for 5 euros, less if you want to bargain.

I'm a very light packer, and only bring a carry-on suitcase, no matter how long the trip, but sometimes for a short trip to Venice since there are so many bridges with steps, I'll bring my stuff in a backpack instead so I don't have to lug the suitcase up and down stairs. Once I get to the hotel that is where the backpack stays. There is no way I'm going to carry a pack on my back and lug it around while I'm trying to enjoy the city. I'm not going on a hike or an expedition.

Maybe if you have a small child or something, but then you'd probably have a stroller with you that has pockets for diapers and things. To each their own, everybody has there own style, but when going to a major city, to me it's not like going camping where I need a backpack and have to carry supplies. I don't bring a back pack with me when I go to New York City, Boston, or Chicago, so why would I want to lug one around while I'm walking in Rome?

While Perche is largely correct, Romans themselves still worry about pickpockets. Here is a recent article from Il Messaggero advising Italians to be careful on the subway.

http://www.ilmessaggero.it/roma/cron...ne-823516.html

The tl;dr version of the article says to keep money and documents in your side pockets, separated, learn to recognize and keep the thieves at a distance, to never use violence and to warn those around you to decrease the profitability of their "business".

One note on how dangerous they can be in the article is that they once robbed a military man in uniform!

[note that the article was taken from this web site https://riprendiamociroma.blogspot.i...-come.html?m=1 whose name translates to let's take back Rome]

mmm...you are right but I wouldn't say Romans themselves still worry about pickpockets, maybe who's not used to live in a big city will, but not Romans.
As Perche said, I think in almost every big city around the world you'll be warned to pay attention to pickpockers, especially on public transportation.

Even if there are 10-20 people who reported a negative experience, there are also millions who did not have any to report on. Which is what happened (or, better, did not happen to you).

To enjoy your travel anywhere in the world, keep in mind: just relax!

I agree with Sciamano. I do not understand the paranoia with Rome. There are no lurking thieves carrying around sharp knives to slash open your purse, or to pick the lock on your backpack to steal your wallet on a major street like Via Condotti, or even on a train or a bus. That's not going to happen.

There are no people riding around on a Vespa ready to rip off your purse by holding a pair of scissors with one hand, while driving the scooter with the other, to clip the strap on your purse and take off with it. Jeez, I don't know where these fantasies come from.

It's just like people think that NYC is unsafe when it is one of the safest cities in the USA, and Rome is even safer than that!

The two videos I posted are typical. A group of three picks you up as a mark, as happens in Times Square in New York, and in the Tenderloin in San Francisco. if you are an obvious mark, you will be spotted by desperate people who need money. Don't be that person.

I'm sure that Sciamano doesn't walk around Rome worried about being pickpocketed. I don't walk through the Tenderloin in San Francisco, the bad part of town, where I go through frequently because I have to go through there to get to the Italian Institute, afraid that I'm going to get mugged. I don't even cross the street when I see potential muggers. Having grown up in cities, I automatically judge the context, and it's usually clear on both sides that I'm not the person they are looking for. If they are standing there with a gun, the context changes. It's the same in Rome, but they won't be carrying a gun. It just takes basic knowledge so that a pickpocketing team doesn't select you as the next easy target.

The two articles quoted are basically the same article. Neither one lists an author, but it is clear that they were written by the same person who took the same old material out of a drawer. They admit it in the article, and neither article says that Romans fear being pickpocketed.

They both say the same generic things, "thousands of commuters and tens of pickpocketers are on the train." Therefore, take basic precautions such as, "Don't carry your wallet in your back pocket," "pickpockets are not dirty, poorly dressed people, they look normal," "don't let people crowd around you," "Don't carry your purse behind you, keep it in front of you," "for women, your money, cell phone, and documents should be in a zippered compartment in your zippered purse," Etcetera.

Neither one says that Romans fear pickpocketers. That would not make sense. You develop a radar when you live in a city, telling you how to detect danger, and you avoid it. Romans don't walk around afraid of being pick-pocketed, any more than I walk around SF or NYC and fear getting mugged. It can happen, but the odds are very low. I'm much more worried about getting hit by a car.

I've seen Romans involved in pickpocketing, usually to stop it! I saw an older Roman man running towards a young guy running up an escalator, yelling, "borsagiatorre!" Meaning that the guy running had stolen his wallet. The guy never made it up the escalator before two even older men on the escalator tackled the young man and held him down until the police came. On more than a few occasions I've seen older Roman women yelling at women who were trying to pickpocket tourists, and telling the tourists to pay attention.

There are no thieves on Vespas, with Kevlar piercing knives to slash open your backpack, or who are going to pickpocket the lock on your backpack. There are just thieves who make use of the opportunity to take advantage of those who make it very easy to get their stuff stolen. I'm not trying to blame the victim, but it's not very hard to prevent that from happening to you, and the stuff about Rome and crime is vastly overblown.

Same things applies for every city on earth. Don't be the easiest mark on the street and you won't get marked. As Perche has repeatedly shown with photos and vids, while you're basically conscious of your surroundings, there are dozens of people who aren't. No one's going to bother you when there's so much easier pickings around.

It's still almost impossible to get pickpocketed unless you are not paying a minimum amount of attention, but today I saw something I never saw before that people should be alert to. I frequently go to Rome Termini when in Rome. Today, I entered Termini, but this time with a suitcase. I probably made it 15 yards before I was approached by someone in what looked to be some type of uniform of people who work for Termini to assist passengers.

She asked in English, "Can I help you?" Because she looked to be in a uniform of some sort (fancy jeans, a nice black T-Shirt and a lanyard around her neck) I was close to being civil, even though I didn't need any help. Instinctively I still didn't let her get within arms length Before I realized what it was.

As I was looking up at the timetable board a guy in the same "uniform" came up to me and asked if he could help. He even carried a clipboard with the train schedule. It made me think for a second to see two people clothed in the same way, "Has Termini hired people to help tourists navigate?" Of course not. Then I went up to the ticket machine and within 15 seconds another guy in the same outfit came up to ask I needed any help.

I then had to walk across almost the whole lobby to track #3 . Another person dressed in the same clothing came up to me asking if I needed help. This is some type of pickpocketing network that has invaded Termini. Each time when responded in Italian none of them could speak more than a few words. I doubt they will last long, but beware if you are going through Termini around now. Don't be paranoid about pickpockets, but this group in semi-official looking uniforms in Termini was a new one for me.

Thank you for the caution. This is fascinating, a very well organized group who has carefully thought thru how to get the trust of many travelers. I think I'm pretty savvy but I can imagine being taken in by this.

Every time I approach a ticketing machine at Termini, I have at least one person ask if I need help. I've always assumed they're looking for a tip. Last time I took a day trip to Orvieto, an older man in a suit even watched my transaction, after I told him I was good, then pointed out to me where the (very distant) platform was. He was polite and not at all pushy, so I gave the guy a euro (from the change I got out of the machine). It was clear that was what he was looking for.
Btw, I saw what Perche described in Milano Centrale last month. I wasn't approached, mainly young women traveling in pairs were. Looked somehow suspicious to have "Travelers' Aid" guys (they all had stickers on their shirts and clipboards) wandering the hall and offering assistance...
On our last trip to Naples, as we were getting off, a very old lady tapped my wife on the shoulder and told her to be careful about her purse in the station.
But, I personally have never felt that pickpockets are really a "thing" in Italy, more of an urban legend. But perhaps, comparatively, we don't present an easy target. Some of Perche's earlier posts had photo and written examples of folks doing things that maybe have kept "urban-ready" travelers from being victimized.
On a side note, on our first time in Termini, decades ago, my wife's butt was pinched so often she was bruised (hyperbole :)). It was definitely a "thing" in Rome back in the day.
We're probably beyond the demographic for kind of attention now, but my daughter has never been touched in Rome, and she's been going there since she was 18. What happened?

Really, I was hesitant to post this out of fear of resurrecting false stereotypes and exaggerated risks of pickpocketing and purse stealing. For the last few weeks I had to take a lot of trains out of Termini, often at rush hour when they were so packed that you literally had to push yourself in, like in Tokyo. Everyones' arm was over eyeryone elses' to hold onto a pole. 50% of the people nevertheless had their cell phone out, and were texting. Almost every woman had their purse open, and casually held behind them. Everyone was sort of looking out. It didn't matter.

If pickpockets were approaching it was like everyone had each other's back, but without even thinking about it. It's just normal. It's not tolerated. A pickpocketing group would be noticed and called out.

Nothing ever happens, except for carelessness. It's more common for someone to come up to try to "help" me buy a ticket when I'm in the train station in Union Square in San Francisco, than in Rome. It generally doesn't happen in Italy. I just happened to arrive in Rome at 3:35PM for a 3:50 train because I was running late, and showed up sweating, with a suitcase, looking for the board that lists which track the train leaves from. I guess it looked pretty touristy, and I was surprised to see what I quickly realized was a pickpocketing gang in quasi-uniform.

I'm definitely going to report this to the train station, and I'm pretty sure this gang will be a short-lived gang because I'm sure that others are complaining. I just don't let anyone get into my personal space without expectation, whether it's in NYC, Rome, SF, or anywhere else, but I don't have any paranoia about it.

I arrived to the train station in Venice this evening. I know that it's been all over the papers that a gang of people have been aggressively offering to help people with their luggage, then being threatening. That happens. The police have been cracking down hard on them, and the train station was clean of any such thing today.

As soon as I set foot into daylight exiting the train station at Santa Lucia someone came up to me and said in barely understandable English, "water taxi?" Really, I don't look like a target. But with a suitcase, I think everyone can be a target in July or August. I usually stay away from Italy during these months, and I only travel with one roller and a small laptop bag.

It was just a little like shooing away flies at Termini, and upon exiting the train station in Venice. Nothing more than that. It's nothing to worry about. Just don't say to a stranger, "Yes, I want a water taxi." Water taxis in Venice are more honest and regulated than taxis in Rome. They are probably equal to a London taxi driver as being beyond reproach.

And whether at Union Station in San Francisco, or in Rome, just shoo people who approach you away. I'm not very good at following my own advice. I have a small wallet. I keep a few cards in it on one side, and a few bills on the other. I always have a few 50's which are very hard to cash because most stores have very little change. You have to travel with bills for around the size of what you intend to buy. You cannot hand a taxi driver a 50, and expect them to have change for it. You can in the USA, but it's not possible in Italy. You cannot go into a coffee shop and order a coffee for 1 euro in the morning, and hand over a 20. It will eliminate most of their change to get through the morning.

Somehow, my 50's, 20's, 10's and fives were mixed together in the same pocket as several cards. I pulled out a five to pay for a coffee and croissant in Rome, and dropped it at the cashier. As I turned to leave everyone at the bar started yelling in Italian, "You dropped your cards!" I looked down and my credit card, my debit card, and a 50 were on the floor! That's Italy.

This thread reminds me of the advice that Mrs. B received before our first trip to Italy from her mother "Don't wear those earrings, the gypsies will snatch them right off your ears!" (Funny part was my mother agreed with her). .... Umm well maybe in an earlier era but not these days.

Agree. I've been to something like 50 countries and Italy has to be one of the safest. We had no problems in Rome, Venice, Milan, etc. You are more likely to have your technology snatched from your hand in a major US city. Just use common sense, put wallets in front pockets, passports & extra credit cards in safe, etc. There is only one place I was ever pickpocketed, and that was in Tijuana. Which these days is not a good place to visit.

I would never throw my wallet & phone in a backpack unless I'm at a resort pool. But as a man I get that women may not have shorts or pants with deep pockets. IMO the best solution is to use a scott-vest or similar product, assuming the weather is not too hot.

That being said I would not hesitate to walk around Italy with a day pack - nobody is going to slice it off your back.

In my experience the streets of Rome (and Italy in general) are (still) very safe. I'm a woman and walk around with several thief-magnets: designer handbag/backpack, gold watch, jewellery, DSLR camera (almost always), latest iPhone etc. and I feel quite safe. Same goes for my friends. I go to Italy maybe six times a year.

I hardly ever use public transportation though. And I do think you need to be careful because given the huge amounts of tourists there will always be pickpockets. But unlike in many other countries police presence is good and the police are super nice.

Watch the tv show Scam City when they are in Rome and I think Vatican City.

I did, and not impressed at all. In a city that attracts tens of millions of tourists annually it would have been strange not to be able to pick up pickpockets, scammers of all kind, professional lovers, well in brief those who make their living milking tourists. As a matter of fact, this film reminds me of this very thread! ;)

Even as a victim of both a pickpocket and (a month later) a Roman burglar who managed to open my "secure" door and entered while my huge mean looking dog was barking inside I keep going back to Rome every time I have a chance. It's already been 4 months since my last visit... :(

I get it! I haven't been back since early October. :(. And a friend of mine just sent me a text with a video he just took at the corner bar where we like to spend time!

But that's OK; I'm heading back in three weeks. :cool: