Be careful if traveling this summer

[Barbara]

I glimpsed an article but can't find it now to give the exact reference saying that
pickpocketing has reached huge dimensions in European cities like Barcelona, Rome and Naples.

The Louvre in Paris has had actual gangs roaming around snatching purses or maybe even bolder aggression.

I knew of the former information generally ; when I was a student, Naples was considered VERY DANGEROUS.
But I had no problem and enjoyed my travels there and to Capri by hydrofoil.

Barcelona I purposedly skipped, never having any interest in that Gaudi "cathedral", nor anything else supposedly famous there.

Madrid was considered risky but again I had a great time there whenever I visited.

However I do remember now that my sister got pickpocketed immediately on the Paris Metro.
In retrospect, I am sure it was easy as pie to see that she was not French due to the way she behaved.
She was standing right next to me and never even noticed it til time to produce money much later...

So remember == and this goes ESPECIALLY for American travelers to Russia -- the locals can see you a kilometer
away as being a foreigner, thus a possible target.

Don't speak in English in public or act strange or draw attention to yourself ; blend in.
Observe how LOCALS dress and look and act and imitate it to the extent possible.

It is no time to flounce around and assume that Americans are king. They aren't anymore. If they ever were !

Rather than expecting foreign nationals to speak English, as many naive Americans going abroad do,
pay attention to learn basics of language and if visiting Russia or Ukraine, learn the Cyrillic alphabet right away.
Not when you get to the first Moscow Metro station....

Above all, guard your bags carefully and do not flaunt those phones which are so much in demand internationally.
Don't leave a phone or some electronic thing lying out in view the way people often do to look important [my observation !]

Assume you are being watched by a potential pickpocketer and behave discreetly.

Finally, if something does happen, run right after the person ! A friend of that same sister who had lived in Italy several years
had her purse grabbed in the Rome train station. She took off after the man, and managed to get a hold of her purse as he ran.
She didn't know what to do as they both gripped the purse, so she hit him over the head with her bag !
It created enough of a public scene to make the assailant, after a long tug-of-war, let go of her bag and run away abashed.

[Archimandrit Nilos]

What I must think about such travels ?

[StephenS]

We have a lot of gangs around European cities from Romania and from Colombia. Given the tendency of some of these characters carrying blades I worry about your advice, Barbara. In my travels I carried a canvas wallet. It tended to grip my pocket as opposed to leather which simply slips out of a pocket. But possibly a body belt is the safest option.

I know several police forces here in the UK are targeting these groups, including the British Transport Police and the City of London Police. Anywhere that draws tourists or wealthy locals is a danger area, as are The London Underground, trams and rail stations.

Some ladies bags come with cut proof straps, Rome being a hotspot for two men teams on scooters slashing the bag strap and disappearing off with the bag at speed. Great care is needed too in bars and restaurants, people seem quite careless with their bags in a relaxing atmosphere and opportunistic thieves are quick to target such unintended invitations. Men with wallets in rear pockets are easy targets. But we are seeing a lot of distraction thefts were one person engages the victim and another then 'dips' the target.

[Barbara]

Archimandrite, were you planning on traveling ?!

If so, PLEASE be extremely careful.

StephenS, that's awful about the Romanian and Colombian gangs ? I didn't have any idea.
You mean they roam around Western Europe ? Is this fairly well known by the public ?

We NEVER hear such frightening-sounding details over here in the U.S. Naturally, it would cut
the tourist trade to Europe if American travelers heard about these two organized groups of hoodlums.

The tale of the woman reclaiming her purse after a fracas - I think she was screaming and yelling at the guy while trying
to wrest her bag back in order to draw more attention so that someone would intervene [no one did] -
did occur in the 80s. I had meant to mention that.

That's about 30 years ago, so it is not advisable, you are right, in circumstances where one is dealing with
thugs rather than garden-variety pickpockets.

Interesting what you said about a canvas wallet versus a leather one.
I never thought of that !

However, I always used a money belt, or later on something around my neck. That never failed.
I will be back with another story ; a knock on the front door just sounded.

[StephenS]

Locally we have another problem in our multicultural haven. The snatching of jewellery from wearers in the street. This has increased as gold prices rocketed. Certainly some of my neighbours have been approached by the police and advised about the open wearing of jewellery. In these cases the victim is often of Indian or Pakistani origin and the thief Black.

[Maria]

Locally we have another problem in our multicultural haven. The snatching of jewellery from wearers in the street. This has increased as gold prices rocketed. Certainly some of my neighbours have been approached by the police and advised about the open wearing of jewellery. In these cases the victim is often of Indian or Pakistani origin and the thief Black.

Here on the streets of Los Angeles, police are advising women and men not to wear their expensive wedding rings while shopping. Several people have had their ring fingers chopped off when thieves wanted their flashy diamond rings.

Perhaps we will return to the proper wearing of gloves!