Personal Safety Considerations

This was posted on the Celebrity forum. It may be a good reminder of things to consider when visiting ports in unfamiliar nations.

I have repeated a few times, wherever you walk, make sure you keep the minimum amount of cash on you, deep in a pocket which has a zip or button to keep closed.

 

DO NOT wear backpacks on your back, if you have to take one, hang it across your chest.

 

DO NOT walk with bags on long straps unless they are over your head - Rome has always been famous for scooter bag snatches - they come up close to you and snatch the bag handing over your shoulder.

 

Remember also that at the moment Europe is overrun with refugees and immigrants who are desperate for money and however bad the pick pocket situation was in the past, it is 10 times worse now.

 

DO NOT get involved in speaking to the gypsy kids who come up to you begging or try to crowd around you.

 

If you are nervous about walking around, I would suggest wearing a whistle around your neck and blow on it when you feel threatened by a mob. (Writing this, I can tell you the only times we were pick pocketed on our world travels were once in Rio on a bus and once in Paris on a metro.)

 

Just BE AWARE of your surroundings. We are going to be in Naples on a Sunday, which may make for less crowds around the train station, but my warnings are good for all places visited.

This was posted on the Celebrity forum. It may be a good reminder of things to consider when visiting ports in unfamiliar nations.

Good advice except for "money in a deep pocket" when you're surrounded by kids with the bandaged fingers housing razor blades that slit those pockets.

I love the whistle suggestion. We are headed to Paris in July and I'm not thrilled about the pick pockets and gypsies.

I bought a small cash wallet I can hang around my neck and secure my ID, credit card and some cash. Nothing theft worthy will be in my bag. I also bought some big safety pens. I plan on pinning any zippers on my camera back pack, down to the bag, even if there isn't anything in the pocket.

My experience and observation with pickpockets in European cities (Rome and Paris) is that they thrive in a crowd, especially crowded subways since they have both a captive audience and a quick getaway at the next station. So be very aware of your surroundings and crowded,places.

If I have a backpack with me, it's just holding an extra sweater or jacket and maybe a water bottle. My money, ID, cell phone, and important papers are in a cross body bag.

Specifically, I wear a camisole or t-shirt, the cross body bag, then an over shirt or light jacket. The backpack is just to hold any extra layers I might want. If it disappears, I'm not out much. Thieves are looking for easy targets. Make it kind of complicated for them.

I think it all depends where you're going...not ALL ports require body armour!

I think it all depends where you're going...not ALL ports require body armour!

Absolutely - sounds like fear-mongering to me. It's really not all that scary, and remember it's just "stuff"; in my opinion, concerns about personal safety are not about avoiding pickpocketers, but about avoiding assaults (which isn't mentioned at all).......Know your surroundings and where the nearest exit routes are to crowded places (eg to the metro, to the nearest hotel or taxi stand, etc), and don't travel places alone with people you don't know.

As for pickpockets, be aware but don't be wary. If you spend too much time worrying about what might happen to you, you won't spend any time enjoying where you are. So, plan in advance to carrying only a small amount of cash and only one credit card (and tuck the rest in an ignored money belt if you can't leave it in a safe), then go and have fun. Otherwise, what's the point?

Absolutely - sounds like fear-mongering to me. It's really not all that scary, and remember it's just "stuff"; in my opinion, concerns about personal safety are not about avoiding pickpocketers, but about avoiding assaults (which isn't mentioned at all).......Know your surroundings and where the nearest exit routes are to crowded places (eg to the metro, to the nearest hotel or taxi stand, etc), and don't travel places alone with people you don't know.

 

As for pickpockets, be aware but don't be wary. If you spend too much time worrying about what might happen to you, you won't spend any time enjoying where you are. So, plan in advance to carrying only a small amount of cash and only one credit card (and tuck the rest in an ignored money belt if you can't leave it in a safe), then go and have fun. Otherwise, what's the point?

had no thefts in barcelona this summer despite the insane crowds everywhere...everyone says it is one of the worst for pickpockets and only had one potential issue when someone got up on me leaving up the stairs from the subway (he got a nice elbow to the stomach). as long as someone stays aware of their surroundings they shouldn't have issues. anytime someone got close to me or in a position to pickpocket, i was aware and moved away from them.

Very good advice.

Keith

I think it all depends where you're going...not ALL ports require body armour!

Where is that like button.

Some posts on this thread make me think of people who report scrubbing their cabin with disinfectant on boarding.

There is taking reasonable precautions and going overboard.

I was surrounded by gypsy kids in Strasbourg, France. Lovely Sunday morning, very few people around. I was looking at a shop window and did not notice them at first. A young Japanese couple was nearby and the man bellowed at them with the booming loud voice of a samurai. They scampered immediately.

If you can master that voice, it is an excellent deterrent! I can't, so I better pay attention to my surroundings, no window shopping and forgetting the world around me in a seemingly safe environment.

It's great to be aware.

But if it gets to the point where you can't enjoy the surroundings, it does beg the question "what's the point".

As part of our 10 night Greek cruise, we did a day in Naples, where everyone tells you how dangerous it is. So we were prepared. But once we got well of the beaten path- into neighborhoods- we felt really safe.

Not one issue.

The point being- be careful, but not fearful.

Also- on the refugee point- for some reason, we didn't notice one bit of refugees- and I honestly don't understand why. Rome, Athens, Turkey, Naples- nothing. Maybe we got lucky, as all of the focus was on Hungary and countries dealing with them closing their borders.

Absolutely - sounds like fear-mongering to me. It's really not all that scary, and remember it's just "stuff"; in my opinion, concerns about personal safety are not about avoiding pickpocketers, but about avoiding assaults (which isn't mentioned at all).......Know your surroundings and where the nearest exit routes are to crowded places (eg to the metro, to the nearest hotel or taxi stand, etc), and don't travel places alone with people you don't know.

 

As for pickpockets, be aware but don't be wary. If you spend too much time worrying about what might happen to you, you won't spend any time enjoying where you are. So, plan in advance to carrying only a small amount of cash and only one credit card (and tuck the rest in an ignored money belt if you can't leave it in a safe), then go and have fun. Otherwise, what's the point?

Agree 100%!!!

Be safe, meaning be aware of LOCAL CONDITIONS and avoid situations that could lead to BODILY HARM.

Sure, it is best to have your passport/emergency credit card/emergency cash/ship card in a safe place (a passport pouch worn around your neck under your shirt doesn't seem like an unreasonable precaution), but beyond that it really is just stuff! Take as much cash as you actually mean to spend on food/drinks/adventures/souvenirs with you and if it gets stolen, well, you meant to spend it anyway!

The main reason not to flash cash or expensive electronics is so that you aren't viewed as a target.

Same with clothing. I am 100% feminist and believe I have the right to walk naked down the street if I want and that doesn't mean anyone has the right to assault me or harass me for sex BUT obviously there are times and places where it is worth it to be an activist and other times and places where I would rather just dress like a typical local or at least a typical informed traveler to avoid getting hassled. The same applies to flashy jewelry, clothes, accessories, etc. Obviously you have the right to wear those things if you own them, and no one has the right to steal them just because you have them on display. But again, why take the risk?

But beyond that, there is very little safety advice that can be considered universal to all the ports in the world. If you are traveling somewhere, it is in your best interests to research that place. If you don't know what the local risks are, you will end up overpaying for an overcrowded ship excursion that shows you something you might as well have stayed home to see in a theme park or on the internet, just to feel safe from imaginary dangers.

Find out what the local customs and social norms are for your specific ports of call. Find out what an area's specialties are in terms of food, cultural attractions, natural resources, etc. Find out if there genuinely is a higher crime rate in that port than in your hometown and what typical crimes tend to be. Then you will feel safer and better informed and, as a bonus, you won't end up booking a ruins tour at Cozumel with a beach break on mainland Belize. ;)

Europe is overrun with refugees and immigrants who are desperate for money and however bad the pick pocket situation was in the past, it is 10 times worse now.

What a load of rubbish. Europe is not overrun with refugees. What an ignorant statement. Europe is a pretty damn big place and yes, whilst there are some political issues at the moment in Europe most refugees are NOT criminals running around trying to rob you, besides the point that almost none of them are anywhere near the big tourist cities or resorts. They are regular people like you and me desperate to escape war-torn countries and be given a chance to work and be with their families, they are not crime lords. I have spent a vast amount of time in at a massive range of European countries for the last 10 years and the situation is not worse, and no one is being over-run and tourists should not have any problems because of the current situation with some European countries accepting Syrian refugees.

As usual, ignorance and gross over-exagerations. Maybe people would be safer if they just educated themselves in a calm and rational manner rather than resorting to panic and fear-mongering.

I have travelled to many places in South America and Europe including Naples and have never been bothered, mugged or anything else and I have daydreamed before. I am not afraid at all. The raggedy gypsy kids were a new experience in an unexpected situation out of the blue. Nothing happened to me, but I started paying attention to my surroundings.

I am following the present refugee treck through the Balkans in the local news. It makes me cry.

I was pocket picked twice; once in Sao Paulo Brazil and once in Madrid Spain.

In the first instance I was carrying my wallet in my front pants pocket and succeeded at foiling the attempt by instinctively using a technique I learned in the Army as part of hand to hand combat training. The poor dude didn't get my wallet and ran away holding his now seriously injured wrist.

The second instance was much more sophisticated where two little early 20's (I think) girls were standing outside our hotel studying a map. They spoke broken English and asked me to help find their location. While helping the gal with the map, the other circled behind me and slipped my wallet out of my back pocket. As soon as the deed was done, the two ran off. I saw my wallet in the accomplice's hand as they ran off.

In both instances neither I nor my DW incurred any injuries, but we became much more aware of the possibilities.

We no longer carry any valuables anywhere and stay aware of our surroundings. Although we've traveled extensively since these instances occurred, we've been incident free.