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Peter Piper Picked a Pocket
A traveler's guide to pickpockets in Europe, how to foil them, and where to avoid them
It's no secret that pickpockets target tourists, especially the American kind. The United States is a rich country, and they know that American tourists carry the best cameras, the most money, and the latest, priciest electronic gadgets.
Be especially careful anywhere that’s crowded: buses, subways, train stations, street markets, exceedingly popular tourist spots. Also, be especially careful around
gypsies,
who only hang around tourist sights in order to either beg (which is fine) or steal (not fine).
The solution is simple:
Don’t tempt the thieves.
Leave all your jewelry at home, and don’t flash your wallet or valuables.
When you aren’t using your
camera,
keep it stowed in a plain bag (a camera bag is like carrying a big sign that says to thieves “Yo! Over here. Steal this camera.”).
If your stuff does get stolen,
see this page. Try to avoid that situation and make yourself theft-proof by following this advice:
- Keep everything valuable (passport, credit cards, driver’s license, insurance cards, plane tickets, rail passes, traveler’s checks, excess cash) in your money belt and wear it at all times. In your wallet, keep just a day’s spending money.
- Carry wallets in a front pocket with a rubber band wrapped around it (the rubber band makes it harder to slip the wallet out easily), in a hidden zippered pocket (a common feature in travel specialty clothing), or at worst a buttoned back pocket. Ride buses with one hand stuck nonchalantly in the front pocket, covering your wallet.
- Sling your purse strap across your chest, not just hanging off one shoulder where it can be easily snatched. If it has a flap, keep the flap and latch side against your body, not facing out where nimble fingers can open it. On the sidewalk, walk against the wall instead of along the curb, and keep your purse on the side of you facing the wall. Beware of Vespa thieves who zip up on their scooters to snatch away purses.
- I often travel in a trench coat (good for warmth, rain, a makeshift blanket, and fitting into European crowds), or in warm weaher a modified sports jacket with lots of inner pockets. With all my valuables in my inside coat or pants pockets and the coat wrapped around me, I feel pretty pickpocket-proof. I always button up the coat before stepping on a bus, metro, or train.
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This material was last updated July 2006. All information was accurate at the time.
Copyright © 1998-2008 by Reid Bramblett. All rights reserved.
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