BillMorrow

Dupe

[This message has been edited by BillMorrow (edited 12-06-2000).]

Tomphot

In Milan outside the Last Supper.
3 Gypsy women come up to my wife and I with a newpaper. As soon as one of them starts to push the paper towards me, I start yelling at them, grab the paper and push it into their faces and hit anothers arm. For some reason, they left.
Earlier this year, in front of the Eiffel Tower, I see a police man chasing a guy carrying a purse. They were coming my way and without thinking, I ran a few steps and gave the bad guy a bear hug and held him for the cops. The cop was very thankful, the bad guy was not. As the cop left, another that I assumed was the bad guys friend was glaring at me and yelled " You are a very bad man" in a middle eastern accent. We decided to take a cab instead of the train back to the hotel.

Redhead

While living in Paris in 1992 I saw an older gentleman being pickpocketed on the Paris Metro - quite blatently if you ask me. The car was not very full and was mostly older ladies. I moved to let the man know and try to get his wallet back but the pickpocket pulled a knife on me. Well, though I still feel somewhat guilty to this day, I value my health and well-being (and consider a knife detrimental to this ) more than someone else's or even my own money, that I let the jerk get away with the theft.

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I wish I were 1,000 miles away

davidlee

Does this bring back a terrifying memory! A few years ago in Rome on my way to the Am Ex office with a friend--walking down the Spanish Steps and busily talking with my friend about the beautiful setting--suddenly like a swarm of butterflies a number of children surrounded me--next thing I knew was one was holding my passport--I screamed and grabbed her--lo and behold I was able to grab my passport back--the element of shock on my part still haunts me--Be on your guard at all times! Expect the unexpected if you're carrying something valuable--believe it or not my passport was in my inside jacket pocket--BE PREPARED--THAT'S THE BOY SCOUTS' motto(thank you, Tom Lehr).

Axi

This topic brings back memories for me. I was a student in Aix en Provence, France in 1986. So 3 friends and I decided to do Italy for Xmas vacation and stayed at a little pension off Via Nazionale. Our friend Cathy was taking the train to Rome a few days later to meet up with us. So, fearless Sharon (blond, blued eyed), decided to go to Termini Station to meet her (only a few blocks away). Next thing I know I was waking up and Cathy and Sharon were in the room with Cathy crying. The gypsy kids had surrounded them while flashing cardboard to distract them, and had cut into Cathy's purse and took Everything. Passport, wallet, travelers checks, ticket back to Marseille..We spent all day at the US Embassy, Am Ex, Police station just trying to get all of her things in order. She wanted to leave Rome the next day and go back "home" to France. She vowed never to return to Italy again. Funny, because I think she had a semi permanent reminder of her ordeal as she had to have her passport re issued in Rome, and it had a big mark in it stating that it was issued by the US consulate in Rome Italy (expiry 10 years from the date). Sad she left, and for one brief minute, as we passed the Trevi Fountain, she forgot all of what she had gone through and stood in awe of that Fountain and remarked that she would never get to see all these things in Italy she had hoped. We remaining 3 continued on with our trip and had a wonderful time.