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re: Pickpockets in Europe...
Posted on 9/26/24 at 5:53 pm to Beachtiger
Posted on 9/26/24 at 5:53 pm to Beachtiger
Got a backpack stolen in Barcelona. Looked away for 10 seconds and it was gone. They’re watching you and are professionals at stealing.
1
Posted on 9/27/24 at 9:18 am to LSUregit
"Went down to Barcelona; someone broke in my car"--great Cracker song from the early 90s.
I just spent 3 days in Barcelona. Easily the most overrated city in Europe. Florence is freaking awesome.
I just spent 3 days in Barcelona. Easily the most overrated city in Europe. Florence is freaking awesome.
Posted on 9/27/24 at 12:47 pm to namvet6566
quote:
Having traveled to 6 Continents and 47 Countries I never travel without my Hidden Pocket.
Have never lost anything.
What's that? Do you wear it under your clothes?
I've used an Alpsy money belt on multiple European trips. Well-made, fits perfectly underneath clothes, and is lightweight.
Posted on 9/27/24 at 3:15 pm to Nole Man
quote:
What's that?
Some people refer to it as a meat wallet.
Posted on 10/1/24 at 1:36 pm to Beachtiger
went to paris and never experienced this. wife kept a crossbody purse on her and I had a spibelt on underneath shirt. mostly used booksack to hold stuff when needed.
Posted on 10/1/24 at 2:16 pm to Beachtiger
I was just in Sao Paulo where you are warned of this as well.
Do not make yourself an easy target - As in, do not stand outside holding your cellphone in your hand, do not waive your wallet around, and just generally pay attention to your surroundings.
I always kept my wallet in my front pocket along with my phone. If it is cold enough, I wore a jacket with zippers.
Do not make yourself an easy target - As in, do not stand outside holding your cellphone in your hand, do not waive your wallet around, and just generally pay attention to your surroundings.
I always kept my wallet in my front pocket along with my phone. If it is cold enough, I wore a jacket with zippers.
Posted on 10/2/24 at 6:46 am to Beachtiger
I used this. Kept it under by shorts in the front, like insidde my waste line. Only kept a small amount of money in my front pockets (if i needed more, i would go to a bathroom and get more out of it) and had hands on it when boarding trains and such. ALWAYS be by your bags if you can. Never was pick pocketed with this.
On trains you will see dudes with suit with the jacket drapped over their arms, they hop on a train and when the doors close they jump off. They are what I saw a lot when there.
Posted on 10/2/24 at 2:23 pm to Beachtiger
I spent a month in Spain a few months ago. Pretty much everywhere to pay you can tap your phone. I started just carrying my phone and 20-40 euro behind my phone inside the phone case, just in case I needed cash (I still have that 40 euro). In a crowd I would just put my hand in my pocket with my phone. If i was going somewhere i need id/passport/etc. i would bring just that thing in the same pocket as my phone. I really miss not being able to only carry my phone like you can over there.
you can google pickpocketing schemes in spain/europe. everyone i heard of being pickpocket or bothered in Barcelona was always the same shite all the articles will tell you to be on the look out for. The Good Samaritan scam (you get spilled on they offer to help, say they are returning something your dropped, etc.), clipboard/paper/etc. to obscure your vision while they swipe something, taking stuff handed to you for "free", all the typical street game/scams, really any reason for a stranger to be up in your space or just flat out leaving your stuff sitting around unattended or easily swipable, like putting your phone on the table sitting outside a cafe. But like you, it was something i was hyper aware about before going and it ended up being a non-issue for me.
you can google pickpocketing schemes in spain/europe. everyone i heard of being pickpocket or bothered in Barcelona was always the same shite all the articles will tell you to be on the look out for. The Good Samaritan scam (you get spilled on they offer to help, say they are returning something your dropped, etc.), clipboard/paper/etc. to obscure your vision while they swipe something, taking stuff handed to you for "free", all the typical street game/scams, really any reason for a stranger to be up in your space or just flat out leaving your stuff sitting around unattended or easily swipable, like putting your phone on the table sitting outside a cafe. But like you, it was something i was hyper aware about before going and it ended up being a non-issue for me.
This post was edited on 10/2/24 at 2:25 pm
Posted on 10/4/24 at 12:57 pm to Beachtiger
We did the Rick Steve's Venice-Florence-Rome trip back in February.
We wore pants that had zippered built-in pockets for our wallets and passports.
Worked out really well.
I think The Wife got them from Costco.
We wore pants that had zippered built-in pockets for our wallets and passports.
Worked out really well.
I think The Wife got them from Costco.
Posted on 10/5/24 at 10:27 am to Beachtiger
Your passport needs to be in one of your front pockets, not just your wallet.
Posted on 10/8/24 at 11:38 pm to Beachtiger
Pouch that goes around your neck and under your shirt. You can even tucky it in your front pants half way. Also have a collar on your shirt that does not show the cord that holds it.
Also just be generally aware. Keep your distance from groups of people and if someone tries to "help" you with something without being asked be especially aware.
Also just be generally aware. Keep your distance from groups of people and if someone tries to "help" you with something without being asked be especially aware.
This post was edited on 10/8/24 at 11:44 pm
Posted on 10/12/24 at 6:08 pm to Joshjrn
quote:
There's very little reason to carry more than about 20E in cash in Europe.
Definitely not true in Greece or parts of Portugal. Cash is still king in rural areas.
Posted on 10/12/24 at 6:18 pm to Mandocello
Your passport should be in your hotel room safe.
Posted on 10/12/24 at 7:34 pm to Drizzt
quote:
Definitely not true in Greece or parts of Portugal. Cash is still king in rural areas.
I said very little reason. I can't speak to Portugal, but my need for cash in Greece was mild at best. Anyone I was paying a substantial amount of money to took credit cards. For the small vendors that were cash only, I just reupped at an ATM every 3-4 days for 80E. Because like I said, there's essentially no reason to carry more than 100E at a time.
Now, if someone has some uber boutique situation in which they are going to a Micheline starred restaurant in some off the beaten path village, etc, by all means, plan accordingly.
Posted on 10/13/24 at 10:02 am to Joshjrn
I had several times in Crete at little restaurants were the card machine wasn’t working and had to go to cash. I would always carry a few hundred euros.
Posted on 10/13/24 at 10:08 am to Drizzt
quote:
I had several times in Crete at little restaurants were the card machine wasn’t working and had to go to cash. I would always carry a few hundred euros.
How many people were you paying for at said little restaurants in Crete that required several hundred euro, and how far away was the nearest ATM?
Posted on 10/13/24 at 10:23 am to Drizzt
Yup, Germany, Greece, Austria and Portugal for example, are very “cash is king” countries.
Italy & Spain are these days pretty good about widely accepting cash and card, at least in the cities, but probably still “prefer” cash because…taxes…
Sweden & the Netherlands are extremely cashless places, so it can vary a lot from country to country around Europe.
Italy & Spain are these days pretty good about widely accepting cash and card, at least in the cities, but probably still “prefer” cash because…taxes…
Sweden & the Netherlands are extremely cashless places, so it can vary a lot from country to country around Europe.
Posted on 10/13/24 at 5:44 pm to Joshjrn
Usually 3 people but most of these little towns don’t have ATMs. It was a 30 minute drive down a mountain to the first gas station. Also I always got a better deal cash than card. I used a card when I could but the idea that you only need 100 euro in all of Europe is wrong.
Posted on 10/13/24 at 8:22 pm to Drizzt
quote:
Usually 3 people but most of these little towns don’t have ATMs. It was a 30 minute drive down a mountain to the first gas station. Also I always got a better deal cash than card. I used a card when I could but the idea that you only need 100 euro in all of Europe is wrong.
I imagine there are little hollers in Appalachia that don’t take cards either, but if someone is asking about needing cash to travel in the US, that’s not really what they’re asking about. In the same way, when people are asking about “pickpockets in Europe”, I can’t imagine they are envisioning the tiny hamlets you’re talking about. But hey, I could be wrong: when you were in these tiny little mountain towns, how concerned were you about pickpockets?
Posted on 10/14/24 at 4:00 pm to Joshjrn
I read this thread a week or so ago, and this weekend I was told a story about a pick pocket experience that happened to friend of mine in Barcelona.
My friend is a female in her late 40s, works out several days a week, and has a "take no shite" from anybody type of personality.
She says she was leaning over looking at a map that several of her travel mates were looking at and her cross chest purse slid over to her right side under her outstretched arm that was pointing at something on the map. She said she felt a "presence" and turned her head to the right at the same time a woman was lifting her wallet from her purse. The woman immediately took off running and my friend followed her, running down the woman two blocks Iater, tackled her, punched her in the face, and grabbed her wallet back.
She said that the woman unzipped her purse and just reached in. It was an older, heavyweight woman that you would not suspect as a pick pocket.
So I guess score one for the good guys.
My friend is a female in her late 40s, works out several days a week, and has a "take no shite" from anybody type of personality.
She says she was leaning over looking at a map that several of her travel mates were looking at and her cross chest purse slid over to her right side under her outstretched arm that was pointing at something on the map. She said she felt a "presence" and turned her head to the right at the same time a woman was lifting her wallet from her purse. The woman immediately took off running and my friend followed her, running down the woman two blocks Iater, tackled her, punched her in the face, and grabbed her wallet back.
She said that the woman unzipped her purse and just reached in. It was an older, heavyweight woman that you would not suspect as a pick pocket.
So I guess score one for the good guys.
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