Just how bad are the pickpockets in Rome, etc.?

[Breezey]

We were in Rome in September. It was packed at all the tourist sites. While at the Spanish steps, a young gypsy girl tried to get my attention, calling me signora signora. I ignored her in anticipation of trying to get ripped off. Had no other incidents in our 3 days there. It is a wonderful city,

[JLC@SD]

I was wondering if there are many reports of pickpocketing in Rome? I've heard about the packs of teenage boys and gypsy children, but is it easy enough to avoid them if you keep a watchful eye? Is there any reason to carry a big umbrella to create some comfortable distance between you and them?

 

I plan to carry my shoulder bag diagonally across my chest and put combination locks on the zippers, but am curious, too, about the camera snatching problem- I do like to carry both my video camera and my still camera everywhere with me and it's a bit logistically difficult to keep concealing them in between the photos.

 

Are there any other areas that security is more of an issue- we'll be visiting Athens (with a taxi driver), Mykonos, Rhodes, Kusadasi, Santorini, Naples, Pompeii, Olympia, Corfu, Venice, Dubrovnik. I imagine Naples and Venice are nearly as bad as Rome?

 

Nina

 

Rome is bad, I can attest to it because my fanny pack was picked on a crowed bus. Fortunately I didn't lose any wallets, credit cards or passport, just some cash. But if you do lose anything improtant, it will ruin your trip. Years ago my mother;s purse was picked inside St. Peters.

 

They try to isolate you and they work in teams, they are old and young, mine were a young couple. He reached out to isolate me and she unzipped it 2 inches while I had my hand on the bag. It took 5 seconds. Crowded places are the most danger.

 

Naples is the worst, Rome a close second, Venice and Pompeii are next. Greece is not as bad as Italy, but still is dangerous.

 

You can get fanny packs and belts with steel cords to prevent staps from being cut.

[Andym]

This year in Barcelona, there was agroup watching one of the entertainers on Las Ramblas as we were walking up. We saw a bloke actually in the process of picking a pocket. I intervened and barged in between them pushing him away. He gave me a bad look and fled, but he wasn't going to do much considering what he was up to and how many people were around. Just be very very carefull all the time.

[JLC@SD]

This year in Barcelona, there was agroup watching one of the entertainers on Las Ramblas as we were walking up. We saw a bloke actually in the process of picking a pocket. I intervened and barged in between them pushing him away. He gave me a bad look and fled, but he wasn't going to do much considering what he was up to and how many people were around. Just be very very carefull all the time.

 

This is a common technique, hitting unattentive people.

 

We were in Venice on the Acadamia Bridge. There were four or five guys, obviously together doing the 3 cup and find the ball game on the ground. Nobody took up betting, but a large group gathered to watch what was going on.

 

What a lot of people didn't realize is the gamblers pals were circulating around to pick pockets of the onlookers.

 

We warned the onlookers about what was going on.

[med1122]

I always tell people to be careful in Rome. I was in Rome two years ago on a tour. The first night there 3 ladies with us were sitting at a sidewalk cafe and the worst happened. While two of the ladies went to the restroom leaving their travel bags at the table it happened. Someone came up to talk to the other lady and the bags were gone in an instant. I could not believe it but they had everything in those bags, passports, 3 Visa cards each, and all their cash. I really didn't know anyone could be so careless. The next day they went to the American Embassy to report it and to get new passports. They could not believe how many Americans were there reporting thefts from the day before. One lady had even had the window of her taxi broken and they reached in and got her bag. So just be careful and travel smart.:)

[7SeasLover]

ExOfficio sells a line of travel clothes that has inside hidden pockets with zippers and metal claw hooks with which to secure your wallet. Pants have velcro flaps, zippers, etc. to protect things.

 

In China I carried a waist pouch and fanny pack that I wore under my blouse in front (not the back). Shanghai (the Bund) is know for pickpockets.

 

The vest sounds like a good idea! I have one of those non-fashion statement vests too and I may just take it. All sorts of zippers and deep pockets inside and out to hide things. Good idea about the camera strapped to one's wrist!

 

I try to NEVER travel with a purse or bag. I like hands free! :cool:

[tclowe]

My husband has a neon sign over his head that tells the pickpockets to hit him! Two years ago in China, a thief managed to lift his shirt in FRONT and unzip his fanny pack (which was secure around his waist) and take his wallet. Then another thief in Paris' D'Orsay Museum unzipped his backpack while on his back and he was walking and pushing our son's stroller. Unlucky for those thieves, my husband only carries junk and a few dollars. Wife has all the money!

 

In Barcelona and Rome, we saw many gypsy children with newspaper. They would come up to you demanding that you look down on the paper. When you stopped and did so, the hand underneath the paper is going through your pockets or his accomplice is behind you and going through your bag and pockets. Another trick that we saw in Florence was a couple of handsome Italian teenages would come up with a smile and ask you to play a string trick. Once you stick your finger in the string maze, they will tighten the string and basically moblize your fingers so you are preoccupied and they can go through your bag/pockets.

 

Always keep your eyes moving (not buried into a map), have one spouse be in charge of looking at the map or ask for directions and the other spouse of keeping an eye out for thieves, and if on public transportation and we have backpacks or fanny packs, we will stand in the Metro or bus back to back with our stuff between our backs or we will have our back glued to a wall on the bus with our stuff behind so no one can access our backpacks.

 

Good luck and don't stress out over this issue. Just keep an eye out and don't make yourself an easy target.