Headed to Meditteranean cruise in 4 weeks and freaking about pickpockets, etc

[jrabbit]

... my tablemate(male) on the Med Cruise said a woman stuck her hand in his pocket at Casa Mila--he said he looked at her and told her to get her hand out of his pocket--she was a pickpocket and was looking for his wallet.
...
Have fun in the Med.

THIS is the reason I cut out the front pockets in my pants and go "commando" while touring Europe

 

[TDC Nala]

You're touring cities on these cruises most of the time. There are a lot of criminals in cities. Criminals like tourists, because tourists generally have money and they're distracted by the sights they came to see. Doesn't matter if it's Europe or US, it's not scare mongering, you need to be alert and aware of what's happening around you.

 

[briandclement]

Be very careful.with your personal belongings. Keep them close and hidden. Don't trust random people coming to you and who try to sell you things or tickets. Always go to official places. Show that you are careful with your things and you should be alright. If you wear your camera around your neck, pay attention to your surrondings.
Don't leave anything on a restaurant table and don' trust KIDS especially if they are by themselves !

 

[NWgoofyfamily]

Our family just returned from an awesome trip to Europe - Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, London. Before the trip I read all about the pickpockets and taking precautions, we talked to our teens as well. We live in the city and not the suburbs and are used to city life and mass transit, etc. We had an amazing trip and had nothing stolen from us, thankfully. We took mass transit everywhere we went and never rode in taxis during our almost 3 week trip. We used common sense, paid attention, and took some precautions. My teens chose not to carry ipods in their front pockets as they do at home. They sometimes carried them inside jackets that had interior pockets. I used a safety pin to close my pocket when i carried anything of value in it. When we had our camera with us, we had it in a bag that we made sure was always in front of us, never behind us, if was PacSafe brand bag. I would say that we were more cautious than we are at home, but we were also in cities taking mass transit and frequently using maps to find our way around. In Paris, the first day we went to the Louvre it was actually closed because the workers had striked on account of all the pickpockets that work inside the Louvre. Pickpockets love distracted tourists. Be aware of your personal space and your surroundings and don't let your fear spoil your trip. Europe is awesome, so many beautiful cities to explore and great food to eat. Hope you have an amazing trip.

 

[tinkertaylor05]

Just to add if you're travelling with kids it's always worth talking to them about expectations when you are being tourists ie walking around strange cities. I always have a chat with my dd and we agree what and I why want her to do when we're out and about. I am also very clear with her that if people try to engage her in any conversation or distraction she is not to stop or ask me to stop unless I give the say so.

I carry my camera clipped to my person usually on my belt and looking poor never hurts

 

[MrsScooby]

It is not scaremongering to say "this can happen, this is pretty common in the touristy areas of this place, here's what you can do to not let it happen." That's called being realistic and prepared. Apart from truly tragic things, the next thing on the list of "things you don't want to happen on vacation" is to have your money or camera stolen, and that's what this is all about. How can we keep our wallets and cameras safe while in these crowded, touristy places?


We KNOW what it's like to live in the US. We KNOW what is common in our areas and what to watch out for. When going someplace else, we don't know. So we rely on people to tell us. And it does us NO GOOD to hear "you're more likely to be killed in the US than in Europe", or anything like that. Tell us what is common in your area, tell us HOW it tends to happen (herds of roaming children distracting us so others can steal our wallets is simply NOT something that tends to happen in the places I've lived in), and what we can do to lower the risk.

And when someone from there comes to our areas of our countries, we can help them learn to navigate our areas in a helpful way.

FTR, I grew up in Long Island and visited NYC many, many times and never, on any of those countless visits, did I experience any theft or violent crime...yet I would never tell someone visiting NYC that they had nothing to worry about because nothing bad ever happened to me.... Believe or not I never had a gun pulled on me, never saw a gun, ever in the 30 years I lived in NY.
It seems like common sense, at least to me, to research a location you are not familiar with and prepare for the things that might be different from what you are used to.

You're touring cities on these cruises most of the time. There are a lot of criminals in cities. Criminals like tourists, because tourists generally have money and they're distracted by the sights they came to see. Doesn't matter if it's Europe or US, it's not scare mongering, you need to be alert and aware of what's happening around you.

Be very careful.with your personal belongings. Keep them close and hidden. Don't trust random people coming to you and who try to sell you things or tickets. Always go to official places. Show that you are careful with your things and you should be alright. If you wear your camera around your neck, pay attention to your surrondings.
Don't leave anything on a restaurant table and don' trust KIDS especially if they are by themselves !

Great advice
There are some scams that are much more likely in various European cities than they are in the US. If you know in advance what they are you have a much better chance of not being a victim. Take some precautions and enjoy the wonderful things that Europe has to offer without losing your belongings.
This shouldn't be a contest over which country is better than the other

Our family just returned from an awesome trip to Europe - Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, London. Before the trip I read all about the pickpockets and taking precautions, we talked to our teens as well. We live in the city and not the suburbs and are used to city life and mass transit, etc. We had an amazing trip and had nothing stolen from us, thankfully. We took mass transit everywhere we went and never rode in taxis during our almost 3 week trip. We used common sense, paid attention, and took some precautions. My teens chose not to carry ipods in their front pockets as they do at home. They sometimes carried them inside jackets that had interior pockets. I used a safety pin to close my pocket when i carried anything of value in it. When we had our camera with us, we had it in a bag that we made sure was always in front of us, never behind us, if was PacSafe brand bag. I would say that we were more cautious than we are at home, but we were also in cities taking mass transit and frequently using maps to find our way around. In Paris, the first day we went to the Louvre it was actually closed because the workers had striked on account of all the pickpockets that work inside the Louvre. Pickpockets love distracted tourists. Be aware of your personal space and your surroundings and don't let your fear spoil your trip. Europe is awesome, so many beautiful cities to explore and great food to eat. Hope you have an amazing trip.

Just to add if you're travelling with kids it's always worth talking to them about expectations when you are being tourists ie walking around strange cities. I always have a chat with my dd and we agree what and I why want her to do when we're out and about. I am also very clear with her that if people try to engage her in any conversation or distraction she is not to stop or ask me to stop unless I give the say so.

I carry my camera clipped to my person usually on my belt and looking poor never hurts

My teens' electronics are what I am most worried about
My DD left her ipod on a bus at the end of out Baltic cruise and we got it back thanks to some great DIS friends.
I have trip insurance so we are covered if something goes missing.
The ADD is strong in our family

 

[MillauFr]

My teens' electronics are what I am most worried about

That is a good point. The way we handle that in our family is not to buy expensive stuff. They can go ahead and steal my $10 phone and I would get upset for about 10 seconds and then get over it. Sure its nice to have an expensive I-Phone or fancy camera but the worry about getting it stolen isn't worth it. Peace of mind is more important to me. I believe anxiety is the biggest barrier to happiness that most people have.

 

[MrsScooby]

My teens' electronics are what I am most worried about

That is a good point. The way we handle that in our family is not to buy expensive stuff. They can go ahead and steal my $10 phone and I would get upset for about 10 seconds and then get over it. Sure its nice to have an expensive I-Phone or fancy camera but the worry about getting it stolen isn't worth it. Peace of mind is more important to me. I believe anxiety is the biggest barrier to happiness that most people have.

I can see your point...don't own anything of significant monetary value and then it isn't so stressful if they get stolen...

But in my case, that doesn't really apply
The cell phones we will have will be loaner phones from Verizon. Not terribly high tech and only for keeping in touch by texting in case we get separated during our trip. My DH and I used them a lot in Paris especially when he didn't want to wait when I went souvenir shopping.
Their loss would be covered by trip insurance as far as cost and we would lose the convenience and security that comes from having them with us.

The ipods and cameras are old and not expensive models...their loss would be felt more because of the song lists and pictures lost rather than the monetary value of the device.

I can only warn my kids and hope they don't have to learn the hard way.
My son wants to carry a dummy wallet in his back pocket to see if he can catch someone trying to pickpocket him...
Wondering if this might be a way for him to learn a lesson in an inexpensive way...

 

[Melcatfish]

It is not scaremongering to say "this can happen, this is pretty common in the touristy areas of this place, here's what you can do to not let it happen." That's called being realistic and prepared. Apart from truly tragic things, the next thing on the list of "things you don't want to happen on vacation" is to have your money or camera stolen, and that's what this is all about. How can we keep our wallets and cameras safe while in these crowded, touristy places?


We KNOW what it's like to live in the US. We KNOW what is common in our areas and what to watch out for. When going someplace else, we don't know. So we rely on people to tell us. And it does us NO GOOD to hear "you're more likely to be killed in the US than in Europe", or anything like that. Tell us what is common in your area, tell us HOW it tends to happen (herds of roaming children distracting us so others can steal our wallets is simply NOT something that tends to happen in the places I've lived in), and what we can do to lower the risk.

And when someone from there comes to our areas of our countries, we can help them learn to navigate our areas in a helpful way.

You only quoted part of my post - I did reply to the OP (see below) but I am afraid that there is no specific "guide to dealing with criminals in Barcelona vs Rome vs New York - it is all general common sense Don't advertise yourself as a target, and keep any valuables you must carry in a secure, non accessible place such as a money belt or at the very least a zipped pocket in purse across your front for example:

**********

To the OP - like ANY tourist spot in the world you will find that if you are not paying attention to your surroundings you may be the target of unscrupulous individuals. Do not let this spoil your enjoyment, just take some sensible precautions as noted in previous posts (money belt, use hotel safe, be aware of how you are carrying your possessions.)

I had a card stolen in Grand Central Station because I wasn't paying attention and was too excited about our first visit to NYC... moral of the story tourists get lost in the moment and don't pay attention to what is going on around them and sometimes criminals take those opportunities to strike. Be vigilant.

Mel
x

 

[MrsScooby]

http://www.oh-barcelona.com/en/blog/2012/tourist-guide/information/barcelona-pickpockets-5026


http://www.corporatetravelsafety.com/safety-tips/barcelona-pickpocket-scams-a-must-read-before-you-visit-the-city

 

[MrsScooby]

http://bobarno.com/bcnscams.htm

 

[kelticknott]

I am going on one too. I bought a money belt.

I wouldn't let it scare you. It is not nearly as scary as the violent crime that you have to be wary of in the US.

Well, if being in a foreign country with no money and natives reaching for you and your property is not SCARY or violent then I don't know what is. I haven't experienced this in the US and I live in a major metro area. Please keep your opionions to yourself and stay on the subject

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Well, if being in a foreign country with no money and natives reaching for you and your property is not SCARY or violent then I don't know what is. I haven't experienced this in the US and I live in a major metro area. Please keep your opionions to yourself and stay on the subject

Hmm. Yesterday there was a story in my local news. Woman robbed at gunpoint and shot. But I guess since it happened in the US it is not a problem for you?

Personally I feel safer in Europe.

 

[MND]

It is not nearly as scary as the violent crime that you have to be wary of in the US.

Or Canada!

 

[MrsScooby]

I thought the topic was how to keep your valuables safe while on a Med cruise ?
Not which country has more violence.
Obviously many people feel that Barcelona has so much to offer that they feel it is worth the risk of encountering theft...

If you have any suggestions of how to ensure you don't get robbed while on a Med cruise then that would be helpful.....

Comments about safety in the US (unless concerned with ports like PC and Alaska) are very much off topic for this thread and better suited to the community board.

Let's try to be helpful and share ideas.

 

[geffric]

Dh and I were in Barcelona for 5 days prior to our Med cruise. Both of us just used the zipper compartments for our pants for a small amount of cash, used the hotel safe for passports and rest of cash (euros).

But walking from the magic fountain to the football station ( placa espana) I was walking behind a lady that had her purse on her back and open. I remarked to DH that if I was a thief I could have stolen her things. As it was, I just tapped her on the shoulder and mentioned that her things were not safe and she should wear her purse front of her and closed.

Just be smart, keep most things in the hotel safe, only take what you need for the day..