What the Real Truth About Rome Pickpockets?

:confused: Is Rome really a haven for pickpockets? Can I use a bag that goes over the shoulder and head and sits on the left front like over my ribcage? I could put my left arm over it. There's a zippered compartment that would be right next to my body where I could keep our passports and money. Please give me some realistic and honest advice. Thanks!

I don't know about Rome but when we were in Florence and Naples we used hidden wallets. My wife used one that hung around her neck and I used one that attached to my belt and hung down inside my pants. The ones we got were from a Samsonite store. My is called the hidden safety pocket and cost $7.95. The one my wife used is called Triple Pocket Neck Pouch and cost $9.95.

Here is a link to the one my wife used.

http://www3.jcpenney.com/jcp/Products.aspx?DeptID=0&CatID=021633&Grptyp=PRD&ItemId=0a704c3

And is the one I used:

http://www.traveloasis.com/moneybelt1.html

We had heard about the pickpocket problem in Europe before we left and decided we would rather be safe than sorry. We did carry a regular wallet but just with a few euros or dollars in it that could be stolen and we could continue the cruise. Our cruise card and our credit cards went in the above pouches.

Have a great next cruise.

If I were you, I would keep most of my cash and especially my passports in a security wallet, under my clothing. Purses are easy to snatch and pickpockets are very clever, but I always take these precautions when I travel, not just in Rome or other high profile locations.

Please keep your valuables UNDER your clothes. Rome' pickpockets are the cream of the crop. They excel on the metro which we rode for week. Beware once the gypsies start playing their haunting music. The kids come around for change...one in front of you and one behind you when you're standing ...BEWARE!

Story one: My husband felt something in his pocket and realized it was fingers. They were in a scissor-like formation. He gave the thief a punch (not good idea) who went a running. We saw the same fellow three days later and he ran again...LOL...they steal all day long...it is their profession.

Sotry two: My husband is used as a guinea pig for a thief-in-training being taught by his grandfather. The old man was coaching him in how to delicately swipe dh's bottom to see where the cash was. We laughed ourselves silly at that incident (after we left the metro) as my husband had put tissue in his pockets as decoys...

I was in Europe by myself last summer with my daughter and I liked the passport sized wallet with a belt clip...not as bulky as the one that goes around the waist or the neck.

Strangely enough, I felt much safer in Rome once we got out of the metro.

Not really a funny matter. Keep your valuables safe and only carry the bare minimum that you can. The pouches that go under your clothing are the best, but can be difficult to get to at times.

We saw two instances last year. First on the metro in Rome, there was a bloke acting sheepishly on the train, and when it stopped at a station, he stepped off, and then was jumped by a lady who just realised that he had 'opened' her bag and taken her purse. She was lucky that some people helped out and she was able to get her stuff back.

We were talking to a lady in Barcelona who had been bumped into by two girls who grabbed her bag and pulled it. The strap was around her head but they pulled her along the ground until it snapped and they ran off with the bag.

You just need to keep your wits about you, keep your things hidden, watch what's going on around you, push away from people trying to encroach into your private space (agressive begging) .

We have been to Rome several times and have spent many days there. The severity of the issue varies from visit to visit, but the cold hard truth is that many, many tourists get ripped off, and the government in Rome does little about it. Also, we have friends in Venice who usually travel to Rome with us, and we got some of this information from them and some from the wonderful hotel staff at our home-away-from home in Rome (the Britannia).

I'm not trying to cause prejudice, but this is information that is relevant to the situation. The gypsies are mostly from South America, and they are not Italian. Their hands are very small, and we are advised that they can get into and out of bags without even popping snaps. (I'm sure all the hardworking South American citizens don't appreciate this small segment of their population committing crimes any more than I appreciate the crimes that my ethnic group commits.) The Italians are frequently victimized too, and they hate the gypsies. A store owner near the Spanish Steps has started blowing a whistle whenever he sees gypsies in the area. Our friends from Venice have been in groups that were pickpocketed twice, and our friends are pretty savvy. In other words, the gypsies are very good at being very bad. The gypsies's mentality is that you have more than they do and that you should give them something; if you don't, they are just setting things right by taking what you should have given them. It's a sense of entitlement for sure and is really sick because they raise their children this way.

A lot of tourists stand on the streets looking at maps and not paying attention to their surroundings. They are easy targets.

We have been the victim of several near misses (and that's in addition to being approached too many times to count), mostly in Rome. On one occasion, a gypsy tried to cut the bottom of my husband's fanny pack (or bum bags as they are called in the UK because fanny means something else). We didn't have anything in there except ticket stubs, etc. and we ran the gypsies off. On another occasion, a gypsy tried to get in my purse while we were on the street at the top of the Spanish Steps. We had just been to an ATM and only had like $50, but we are very careful about covering the key pad when entering our code and about not flashing $$, so she probably thought we had more and took a risk. Some Italians grabbed her while we yelled for the Police, but they were unable to hold her, and she ran away. Her attempt was unsuccessful, but I would have loved the opportunity to turn one in.

We've begun a habit used by many people and just put up our hand (we never touch them) and say "no" very firmly when the gypsies approach. We also stare them down to let them know that we are watching them. The gypsies frequent areas such as the Termini Train Station and the Colosseum and other tourist areas. Definitely stay off bus 64 that goes to all the tourists sites because there are ALWAYS gypsies on that bus. That bus gets crowded too, and you may think you're being jostled in the bus when you are being ripped off. We've watched many times as tourists have been ripped off on the bus only to have the bus door open at a stop for us all to watch the gypsies run away and disappear into the crowds. So we just don't ride the buses at all in Rome any more. It's just not worth saving a few $$, so we use the cabs or shoe leather. I could go on and on about all the incidents we've seen of tourists being ripped off at Trevi fountain and at the Spanish Steps, but just be advised that it happens a lot.

In Naples, we watched 3 times as hoodlums on motorcycles drove by and snatched purses off women on the street. If you carry a bag, put the strap across your body. The gypsies are bad in Florence too and use the same techniques. Venice is a dream, and for the most part, the government will not tolerate these criminals, so you won't have these problems in Venice.

Two other pieces of information for you are that the criminals always pick the easiest target and that violent crime is very rare. I don't hear a lot of stories about theft of jewelry and that kind of thing either; it seems the thieves are mostly after cash and possibly passports. I advise you to leave your passport in your hotel room safe along with most of your cash.

The taxi drivers are really bad about ripping tourists off too with a lot of different tricks regarding fares. If you don't have info on that, I advise you to start another thread.

Now that we've talked about the bad things in Rome, I hope you'll be well prepared to visit a glorious city.

Have a great time,

Donna

We were on a formal group tour with Princess tour group near the Trevi fountain. I was at the outside of our small group pack with our leader at the front. My bag was a small over the shoulder Eagle Creek that I wear with both its waist strap and shoulder bag. Please note that all my reak valuables were back on the ship in the safe except for credit cards in a hidden waist belt well beneath my clothes. In my bag was a pair of sunglasses a disposable camera and tissues along with some small change Euros in a cheap wallet.

The would be thief approached very fast. He was very smartly dressed in a good Italian suit and had the "newspaper in his hand". He bumped me I had my hand on the zipper of my shoulder bag, AND HE GOT NOTHING !

I was quite pleased with myself and felt safe even with the incident. These are very gentle robbers unlike the US big city theives with guns etc. I am totally secure in my own safety and encourage all who venture to Rome to have fun but use good sense. It is definitely safer than many of our cities here in the good ol' US of A.

Everyone has given excellent advice. One piece I would like to contribute is never let your guard down. I have seen a lot of people relaxing at tables for lunch/dinner or a drink and put their purses on the back of their chair or on the table. This practice is a dream for the theives. The thieves are quick and very skilled at what they do. They are in and out before anyone notices. Our advice is not meant to scare you; rather, it is meant to make you a smarter traveler so you can relax and enjoy your vacation. Another piece of advice is not to wear expensive jewelry. When I go into ports I put my jewelry in the ship's safe. The last time we went were in Naples I was followed in the mall by a young kid scoping out my watch. He and another kid were working as a team. Fortunately for me, my husband is Italian and heard their conversation. My husband moved closer towards me, looked directly at the kid and told him to move on. The kid was surprised to hear my husband speak Italian. He quickly scrambled to get lost in the crowd. Ever since that incident, I wear a cheap, black band watch when I go into town.

Thanks to all of you for the great advice. It's a little scary to think you have to protect everything so much. I fly around the US to major cities on business and carry a should bag - never had a problem. Of course I just get my rental car and proceed to my hotel usually. Otherwise I'm in a group at restaurants, malls, etc. Anyway - what do you suggest about carrying camera, tissues, glasses, etc. Would a tote bag be a target - surely the thieves would know we wouldn't have money or valuables in the tote bag. What about when we first arrive at the airport and are transported to the hotel? Any worries there? Do we have to leave the US not carrying a purse or tote? Sorry to be so naive about this - this is our first time to Rome or Italy. Thank you all for your advice - you are a wonderful bunch of people!

Enidgirl,

When travelling to cities like Rome or Barcelona, I use a handbag that is not a favorite just in case it gets stolen. In my bag I only keep things like sunglasses, make-up and not very much money. But I always keep a little so I don't have to go to my hidden valuables pouch on the street just because I'm buying a coffee. I'd rather have $40. stolen than all my valuables and credit cards. Then, for larger amounts of money, my credit cards and a photo copy of my passport I use one of those hidden flat wallets that fits in the waistband of my pants. When in transit from the airport, I do the same thing. My husband and I split up the credit cards, etc.

Additionally, we have photo copy's of our passports, plane tickets, hotel/cruise resy's, etc in other parts of our luggage. Lastly, we have photo copies of our passports at home with friends who would be able to fax them to us in an emergency. All plane itinerary's, etc are left on my email so I can access them from a cybercafe if necessary.

When touring in popular spots, you'll often see a sign at the entrance warning you of pickpockets. The gypsies just love this sign as if often triggers people to immediately go for their wallet to make sure it's still in it's proper place. The thieves love this and sti and watch as potential victims have just made their work easier by pointing out where the valuables are!

Question: How does one retrieve the "secret" pouch that you wear under your clothes when you are ready to buy something that perhaps requires the use of a credit card or more cash than you currently have in your "available" supply? Seems like you almost have to find a restroom (which I have also heard is next to impossible)??

Margie

I had my Rolex watch snatched off my wrist in broad daylight in Naples by a motorcycle gang. This was on the main drag amongst hundreds of ordinary people. It's just as bad in Rome and Barcelona.

So, leave all jewellery, passports and valuables in the safe in your cabin. Just take along passport photocopies, one credit card and a little cash. I also have uploaded our passport copies onto my website, so I can retrieve them should we lose everything.

I too was a victim - I had a beautiful gold bracelet disappear from my wrist in a train station. Strange thing was, I never felt it at all! And it had a very good clasp, which I sometimes even had trouble removing myself. So I'm still baffled as to how the thief managed to get it off my wrist without my feeling a single thing.

One other comment on this -- you should consider the fact that many pickpockets carry small, sharp knives with them that can easily slice through straps, bottoms of packs, etc., whenever you are deciding what to carry your money in. I've wondered if that's how they got my bracelet off, but I didn't think that a knife would so easily slice metal...plus, it wasn't a dangly bracelet, how could they have done it w/o my feeling it?

Anyway, just more testament to their ingenuity! Thanks for starting this thread -- I'm beginning to think about packing for my upcoming cruise, and I'm glad I was reminded of all this.

LeeAnne

FYI, RickSteves.com has travel accessories on sale now and they include money wallets (both waist and neck). I also ordered a neat portable clothesline that works without clothes pins ( a bit off topic). Thanks for all the good information.

Margie,

I use the neck pouch but I put it on crosswise. The length of the strap allows it to reach the waist of my pants (1/2 hangs below waist). I tuck in the 1/2 so that if it is cut it will not fall. I never tuck shirts in so...I just lift the hem of my t-shirt or blouse, lift the pouch out, take out what I need, and then tuck it back in. It has worked great on my previous trips to Europe. I usually do this only at the time of a purchase standing up against a counter or in corner so as not to advertise.

Kathy

How do you retrieve the money? This is why I like the pouch with the belt clip. I always wear tunics when I travel so, for large purchases, it is a simple matter to lift my top to the waist and retrieve the pouch that is inside my slacks by turning away discreetly. Like another poster said, I keep about 50 euros in my purse along with water, tissues, hand disinfectant wipes...

When walking I hold my purse tightly over the pouch under my clothes.

Another thing we're often told is to dress to blend in. No vivid colours to make pickpockets even look at you. Keep jewelry at home! Gold bring brings attention to you. I bring the fake stuff that I've bought for travelling but only use it on the ship. On a land tour, I leave ALL jewelry at home except my wedding ring.

When dining in public, my purse is in between my legs with the strap wrapped around one leg.

Just one comment to all of the above posts on pickpockets. Thanks all for the great suggestions.

Enidgirl, I have a small pocketbook that I take when we are travelling & I do what you are suggesting. I put it over my head and on my side & I never take my hands off the bag. However, I am rethinking using this purse for our Oct. cruise. I may purchase one of the hidden purses recommended & just take barebone essentials.

I have been told that you should not carry your passports with you but leave them in the ship's safe. Stolen passports are a very valuable commodity. Through my own negligence, we lost our passports on the last cruise we went on. We cleared customs the last night (we were in Canada) and I packed them in my cosmetic bag so I wouldn't forget them. When I got home I couldn't find them. Searched all the bags we had several times, except, of course, the cosmetic bag. Just put that away in my closet for the next time, never opening it.

When we went to Ireland this past October, we had to get new passports & the agent told us that stolen passports are a hot item because they are resold for money. It was a big inconvenience and we had to pay all that money for the new passports, plus have the old ones cancelled out. They put on the new passport that it is replacing a lost one. My DH was not happy! Lesson learned, I am anal about those passports and keep very careful track of them.

I would only take a copy of my passport when going ashore (if you feel you need to carry it) and leave the original back on the ship.

I agree,keep a copy of the main page of your passport and leave as many valuables as possible on the ship.

No one on these boards ever wants to hear this, but if you are an American, the advice of leaving a passport on the ship in a safe is OK for Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean - because you do not need a passport for travel to and from these countries. It is NOT good advice for Europe or Asia. And, last time I looked, this was a Europe board.

For Mexico and Caribbean ports, carrying a photocopy and leaving the original passport in your cabin safe is OK and clearly the smart way to go. However, for the Med and the rest of Europe, as well as Asia, that does not work. Many countries issue national ID cards, and the passport serves to satisfy that requirement of local law when we are in these countries. In many countries, it is the law that unless the passport is in the hands of the authorities already (such as when the passport is taken overnight when you check in to a hotel), you MUST carry it with you. A photocopy is not sufficient. (Don’t believe me? Someone mentioned Rick Steeve’s site earlier in this thread – he mentions this in his discussion on money belts.) If you are ever in a situation involving the police (a theft, taxi fender bender, etc.), failure to be in possession of your original passport will ruin about a half day of your trip! I learned from experience a number of years ago, when a traffic accident happened in front of me and two policemen in Berlin - one officer went over to the accident, the other turned to me and proceeded to question me as the witness! The recommendations to carry the original in a pouch around your neck, or in a money belt (not a fanny pack - short work for a southern European pickpocket!) are smart.

And, if you loose your passport in Europe or Asia, while having a photocopy will speed up getting a duplicate - it's still time consuming. The normal replacement time is five to six WEEKS. A little over a month ago, a business associate of mine lost his after checking in but before boarding a flight in South Korea. As a result he was not only refused boarding, he spent the following 6 days in a Korean hotel waiting for the passport to be replaced - and he had a photocopy, as well as government connections. And, the photocopy will not get you into another country (for instance if you miss the ship in Italy and need to catch up to it in France). It just means it will take six days rather than weeks to get a replacement that gets you back into the US!

In addition to photocopying the passport, consider scanning it on a home scanner (or have Kinko scan it), and email the scan to yourself. Then, if it is lost and the photocopy is not available, you can retrieve the email at an internet cafe or the American consulate, and not have to wait for someone to send it.

I am flamed every time I say this – last time, a couple of people indignantly commented “I’m leaving it in the safe, because I don’t intend to commit a crime!” Well, neither do I. But if you also are comfortable thinking you never will be the victim of a theft where you have to make a police report for your insurance, or never will be in a taxi that gets in a fender bender, or never will witness an accident standing next to a cop, or will never miss the ship – feel free to leave the passport on the ship. Let the flames begin! Just don’t expect me to hand you a fire extinguisher if it causes you an afternoon in the company of foreign police – or worse, you miss the ship and lack of the original passport prevents you from rejoining the ship in the next country, and you have to have the cruise line get it out of the safe and ship it to you. :eek:

Well, I'm sorry you've been flamed for offering perfectly well-intentioned advice, although I'm not surprised as people around here can get flamed for the strangest reasons!

Thanks for detailing all this. I just sent out an email to our group of CC pax on our upcoming Med cruise (somehow I've become unofficial social director ;)) discussing this thread, and reminding us all to take precautions. I suggested the photocopy thing, but now, after reading your post, I think I should reconsider. I've actually always carried my passport with me on past trips to Europe, as I felt like it was best to have my official identification with me when in a foreign country. But then I've never been the victim of a pickpocket (other than a stolen bracelet) so I just considered myself lucky.

I think I will go ahead and carry my passport, and leave a copy on the ship. I also really like your idea of the email -- I will do that too! Nothing wrong with being very prepared. :)

LeeAnne

Well Gatklt, guess I didn't know what I was talking about when I gave the advice to keep our passports in the safe. That is what we have been advised previously. On our last European cruise, we left the passports in the safe also. But then, we didn't do any touring on our own but were always part of the ship's tours. Guess they would have been responsible if anything went wrong.

I'll follow up on your suggestions. Thanks for the info.

Mary

I travel in continental Europe every month, and have done for years.

I never carry my passport except when in transit, and have never been asked for it.

If you do you're asking for trouble.

Likewise,

Wherever we go we only carry our passport whilst in Transit.

Once we get there, it goes into the safe and stays there until we leave.

We have never ever been asked for it, appart of course when changing travellers cheques.

One good Web site for Passport information is:

http://europeforvisitors.com/europe/articles/passports.htm

Sheila

I am not criticizing anyone for making a decision not to carry their passport. I am criticizing those who claim it's a "given" that you should NEVER carry it, without considering that while there are risks in carrying the passport, there are risks in leaving it in a safe. As in most things in life, you have to make a choice, and for an informed choice you have to look at all the factors involved.

In two dozen trips to Europe, I have only been asked for my passport in four situations - three involved transit (entering a country/boarding a plane), checking into a hotel, and cashing traveller's checks at a bank or American Express office. If you are comfortable that those are the only instances that pertain to you, you should leave it in the safe. (Even though that may be breaking the law of the country you're in - but what the heck, we're Americans - they'll cut us some slack!)

However, the fourth situation is dealing with government officials. And this is my point. I did not anticipate ever doing that, until I found myself to be a bystander witnessing a traffic accident while standing in close proximity to a police officer. (So I did not have the option of deciding whether to discretely slink off in the other direction!) I sat in a police station for a couple of hours while they retreived my passport from my hotel, and received a long lecture about it from the German police.

A similar situation will likely never happen to most people. If you take your own shore excursions and are confident you will never miss the ship due to the guide being caught in traffic or having a flat tire, or will never be in a situation involving a police report over a taxi accident or a theft, you have nothing to worry about. We all know those things only happen to other people, and can never happen to us. Well, in my case, even though it did happen to me, lightning can't strike a second time, can it? :confused: