Is pickpocketing a problem for travelers on European vacations?
Pickpocketing is a problem anywhere you get foreign tourists in numbers near a poor area. A friend of a friend had her purse stolen from within her closed bag which was on her shoulder, on Karlov Most, Prague. Bill Bryson, celebrated travel writer, in Neither Here Nor There, tells of losing his travellers cheques in Florence, Italy – and he had them zipped into his inside jacket pocket. If you can, button up your cash, passport etc where it cannot quickly be got at without you being aware of it – and bear in mind that a common tactic is for a group of children to mob you, waving stuff in your face, hands going everywhere, in your pockets etc. distracting you somehow. If it’s buttoned away safely you may have time to realise the kid who’s attacking the right pocket before it’s too late.
On the other side of the coin, this is what artoftravel.com has to say about the subject: MOST VISITORS TO European and other countries don’t encounter pickpockets or thieves regardless of how or where valuables are carried. In one developing North African country with a rap for rip-offs only five percent of visitors are victimized by thievery, according to a British magazine survey. In your travels you will mostly experience waitresses chasing you down with a forgotten camera, taxi drivers taking the best route, other backpackers looking out for your stuff, the correct change in your hand time after time, the shining honesty and kindness of good people. Nevertheless, if you make it easy there are a few thieves everywhere who may steal your property, and the trouble and expense of replacing passports, tickets, travelers checks, and gear can wreak havoc on your tour. Fortunately, with common sense and an awareness of how thieves operate, risks can be reduced. Money Belts–Your Best Defe
