Pickpockets

One of the most common questions I see on online travel forums concerns the 'dangers' of pickpockets in European cities.

Pickpockets are not dangerous. If they are doing it properly, you will know nothing at about it until you look for your wallet some time later.

Palacio Real, Madrid

Pickpockets are a fact of life in big cities and places where crowds gather. But that doesn't mean you need to be a victim. There are basic precautions you can follow.

1. Don't keep valuables where they can easily be reached, such as an outside pocket or backpack. Ladies: choose a handbag with lots of flaps and fastenings. If it has a strap, wear it diagonally across your body with the flap towards you. And don't put it down on the floor of a cafe!

2.Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Only carry the cash/cards you need each day and leave the rest in your hotel safe, and carry everything you do take with you in the same place. That way, if you should be unlucky, you won't lose very much.

3. Avoid distraction. Some pickpockets work with an accomplice who will distract your attention by pointing to a stain on your clothes, asking if you have lost a ring they have found, or holding up a newspaper.  If you encounter any of these, just ignore them and walk on. Others are opportunists who take advantage when you are distracted for other reasons, such as when boarding a train, or where there is a crowd.

I have been pickpocketed twice in all my travels.  The first time was in Amsterdam, when I was boarding a tram, and was concentrating on tickets and whether it was going to the right destination, rather than on my belongings. Unfortunately for the pickpocket, it was the last day of my holiday, most of which had been spent in Belgium, and I had my spending money in separate purses.  He (or she) got away with the equivalent of about a pound in Belgian francs (this was a long time ago!)  The second time was in Madrid, when I was watching a procession. at the Palacio Real  On that occasion, they took my 'English' purse rather than my 'travel' purse. I lost a credit card (which I stopped before it could be used) and a small amount of pounds. Neither of these incidents was serious.  The worst part was wasting an hour or two at the police station trying to report it.

For another perspective, on my first ever trip to Europe, I was walking down a road in Luxembourg with my parents, when someone called after us.  My father had actually dropped his wallet and a kind passer-by had noticed.