Unofficial Survey--Have you been pickpocketed in Italy?
Yes, No? And where?
Elizabeth
Shoreview, MN usa 3/8/10
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Nope.
I have been to Italy twice and was never pick pocketed.
I've spent seven weeks in Italy and the answer is No.
I've been all over Italy on at least 7 trips, and I've never had anything pickpocketed. That includes several trips on the dreaded Circumvesuviana train from Naples to Sorrento.
Yes. On our first trip together to Italy my wife was pickpocketed and they got our passports, airline tickets and some Am/Ex checks. I had made copies of everything and so was able to replace everything, including the plane tickets, in a couple of hours. they used the mustard trick. We have been there dozens of times since and it has never happened again altho I have seen dozens of others robbed. Some I was able to stop and some not. Three rules: Wear a money belt somewhere under your clothes, Be alert, and do not underestimate the skill of the pickpocket.
I was siting in Campo de Fiora sketching and my whole bag was taken. It was my fault as I let my guard down and was not paying attention. I have been to Italy many times and this was the only time it happened. Several times gypsy children tried but failed. Or there was the time in the train station but again they failed. You must be on your guard at all times.
No. We've had 4 trips to Italy and one coming up.
Did see someone on the train from Ravenna to Venice. She was sitting across from me and started asking people if they had the time. Most everyone said no. But I think she was watching to see where they kept their cellphones. After a while, she got up and left, and when she came back, she had changed her look! Big sunglasses, different hairstyle, the works! It was actually funny. I figured she had her "marks" and would try to pickpocket them later.
Someone also came through the train and put a little card with a message on the window ledge. It was poorly written and hard to read. I gathered it was a plea for cash. She came along later and collected the cards. I thought it important to keep my eyes on everyone around me rather than to look at the card.
We bury any valuables under layers of clothes. Most importantly, we carry almost nothing of value.
Nope, never. We have spent close to a month in Italy and nearly 300 days elsewhere including some of the reported pickpocket capitols of the world -- Barcelona,Madrid flea market, etc., and have never a problem or even been close to problem from our perspective. According to a recent Interpol report about one Am in four will have problems.
However, just remember that I did have an encountered with the pack of kids. Saw them coming and ran the other way. Thata is the closest.
Four trips to Italy & France and on this last trip my husband caught a man with his hand in my husbands front pocket. Mind you we keep almost everything in the moneybelts, just a bit of cash in the pocket. This was on the bus in Rome, crowded, we were standing and pretty close to the door. This man looked dirty & was acting drunk, but didn't smell like alcohol.My hubby caught him around the wrist and held on while he fussed at him. He tried saying No, No mistake, but my husband said "You had your hand in my pocket" An Italian passenger chewed the pickpocket out and he got off at the next stop. We told him thank you, and went on our way. Didn't lose a thing.
No, not anywhere in Europe but an attempt was made in a supermarket right here in Montreal.
No.
Not in Italy but someone attempted it on the Underground in London. I got off the train to see my jacket pocket was turned inside out. Of course I didn't have anything in it so no worries!
No, not even in dreaded Naples. Dozens of trips over a lot more years.
Charles of Katy Texas what is the mustard trick?
Been to Italy twice & never been pickpocketed however a man that we met at our agriturismo last year had been pickpocketed on a bus in Rome. He was wearing a vest with velcro pockets & he had his wallet in the front pocket & was pickpocketed.
Been there 7x. Never been pick pocketed. DID however see a pickpocket in action on a Metro train in Rome working the zipper of a purse on a woman standing next to me...My stuff was very safe, so I guess he went to the next person. I had my hand on my PacSafe bag that was slung over my shoulder and LOCKED.
Gnope. Wear a money belt. Did have someone in Venice on one of the boats who was getting off unzip the outer pocket of my camera bag. He had a coat draped over his right arm and I was sitting on the aisle seat when he walked by and conveniently let his coat cover my camera bag and he unzipped the pocket. I Only had a bottle of water in it so I guess he was not very thirsty since he left it. It was a full unopened bottle of water. What more could he want? Maybe a beer. In all seriousness though he was pretty smooth. I felt just a slight movement of my bag and did not notice the zipper opened until he had exited. I do remember he had a New York Mets hat on. He must have known I was a Braves and Red Sox fan.
IMO, you have to be doing something wrong if you have been subject to multi attempts.
Stephanie, the mustard trick, bird droppings, -- it is all the same -- something is squirted on you and a kind person (who probably did the squirting) offers to help you remove it. It is all a distraction so he or someone else can grab your bags or clean your pockets.
Spent a total of more than 30 days in Italy and nope, never even seen anything shady. Didn't see anything in Barcelona or Lisbon either. Only place I experienced anything suspicious was waiting in line in a Brussels chocolate shop and a little gypsy girl tapped on my hand, I presume to distract me but I didn't let her. But my hand was already on my bag and everything important was safely in the money belt anyway.
Thanks Frank I'll definately remember that.
I have been to Europe twice, and I wore a moneybelt, so I never had anything stolen. I did see a pickpocket in action in Madrid, however, although I did not realize it at the time. I was with several people, and we were in a souvenir shop just off Puorto Del Sol, I believe. There was this business woman, who was bending down alongide several business men, who were looking at souvenirs on low shelves.
We left the shop, and a couple of minutes later, I saw this "business" woman walk towards two scruffy looking men. When she reached them, she dropped a bunch of wallets into their shopping bags! They were all in it together. After seeing that, I know I will always wear a moneybelt in Europe.
Never in Italy (6 trips and 10+ weeks travel in Italy).
I had my wallet nicked in London coming out of the Notting Hill tube station. Had my wallet in my shoulder bag dangling behind me and noticed it was unclasped when I got to the top of the steps. I lived in London at the time. It turned out to just be a minor annoyance. One call to Visa International (the London Transit Police had their number in the office at the tube station) and I had 3 cards from banks in 3 different countries cancelled. I received the replacement for the first one in less than 48 hours (and that was without emergency service). Ended up getting the wallet back two days later with all its contents except the cash ( a local business found it and called the number on my business card).
It can happen anywhere:
- A colleague had her wallet stolen off the belt at St Louis airport while she was being patted down by security
-A friend had her purse stolen from under the table at a Munich beer hall.
-On a London Walk, one of the women on my walk had her wallet lifted while she was in the cattle gate-like thing in the center of the intersection.
-On a RS tour in Rome, one of the tour members had his wallet lifted in the metro. It just had a small bit of cash.
We've been to Italy about 5 times in the last 10 years and only once in Rome on the Metro did my husband find a hand in his pocket. We don't carry anything of value in our pockets.
Not so far and hopefully never! However, a colleague was pickpocketed on the Rome Metro, and he lost a "substantial amount of cash" (he wouldn't tell me the amount).
In addition to the "usual precautions", I always try to be aware of those around me, and especially vigilant if there's any kind of disturbance.
At the bus stop in Siena we were being crowded and my husband felt a hand going into his pocket. My husband yelled at him and he slinked away. We've had the children using the Heinekin Beer box routine try us and were definitely being considered at a bus stop in Rome. We keep a space around us and say "Via". We were on a cruise from Italy once and someone onboard told us their father in his 70's had three strikes.
YES. Well actually to be precise I was "fanny-pack-pocketed" in Rome ten years ago.
And had a cell phone snatched from my pocket about 7 years ago.
And had a gypsy steal another phone right out from under my nose about 4 months ago.
And I consider myself "aware" as far as these things go....they're pretty damned good at it!
In 4 trips to Italy I have never been pickpocketed. However, I wear a money belt and try to stay aware of my surroundings. When I am in the metro I keep my zipped shoulder bag (containing nothing valuable)crossed over my shoulder & in front of me. I usually keep my small camera in one hand with the strap around my wrist. I actually worry more about losing that than anything-it contains all my trip memories!
Nope. Couple of trips now, we also do the money belt and anything else of value is watched very closely. I have one friend who has been there twice and pick-pocketed both times.
In eleven trips to Europe, Italy seven times, Paris four times, and Madrid and Barcelona, I have never had anyting taken. However, I was on the "wallet eater" bus in Rome when a lady's wallet was taken, and once in the Metro a woman put her hand in my husband's pocket. He looked straight at her and yelled, "pickpocket," and she and her two small children immediately exited the subway car. Once they got off, I noticed that the outer zipper of my purse was partially open. I guess the child tried to unzip it. I never felt it. There was nothing in there of value to steal, but not even the odds and ends in there were taken.
Two trips to Italy, nothing taken (and no attempts as far as I know). Like other posters, I use my money belt and keep only a small amount of the day's spending money in a jacket pocket on my breast. I expect a pickpocket could get into that pocket but they would have to be exceptionally good to do it literally right under my nose. My daybag is a tote that I carry tucked under my arm, with a zipper across the top and a velcroed pocket. I don't keep anything of value in there either.
Like Ken, I try to be aware of my surroundings and keep a circle of 'personal' space. They have to get within arms' reach to pick your pockets after all! This is often a challenge on the bus/subways, but so far, so good.
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