Tuesday, 06 January 2009
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Pickpocketing-Gypsies in Europe
by Anne
I was a mere 2-weeks into my study abroad program in Madrid when a gypsy decided that I was an easy target (and boy was I) to pickpocket.
When I realized the reality of the situation, panic must have shown all over my face. I must have seemed bewildered and confused. "It was a gypsy," someone near me said to me as if it was a common everyday thing. Nevermind that I was utterly devastated. That's when I accepted the fact that I'd been the target of a pickpocket. And a damn good one at that. I mean, that thief managed to unzip my backpack and retrieve a wallet that was jammed in between books... without me ever detecting a thing!
If this has happened to you, don't worry, it happens to the best of us. I felt like an idiot for a long while. But the next few weeks when six others, including our teacher, was pickpocketed, I didn't feel as bad.
I first realized I'd been robbed when I reached to open my backpack and saw that it was open! I mean, the zipper was fully opened all the way. I still didn't assume the worst. I reached into my backpack and felt that my books were still there, so was my camera.
And then it hit me, the only thing missing was my wallet! How could someone do this without me having a single clue? Man, these thieves are good.
That's not the worst of it. Just that morning, I went and cashed in all of my traveler's checks. All gone. Just like that.
Keep in mind, I'd only been there two weeks so I was foolish enough to go to a policeman and think that he could help me. His face showed that he felt bad for me, but he just couldn't help. If you become a victim of a pickpocket in Europe, it's basically your fault.
These gypsies are good hence their reputation as being "The King of Thieves." Below is a photo of what a typical gypsy family would look like.
I was warned, I was, but I didn't listen. Like most others, I thought I was invincible. "This can't happen to me," I thought. "No way!" But it did. I learned my lesson and I wasn't pickpocketed for the remainder of my stay and I've never been pickpocketed since.
There are many sites online that give you tips on how to avoid being the target of a pickpocket, but here are a few tips from my own personal experience.
- NEVER cash in all your traveler's checks at once.
I cannot believe I did this. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. It still irks me to this day how moronic it was of me to do this. I repeat... do not EVER cash in all your traveler's checks at once. They have no way of reimbursing you if your cash is stolen. If you don't cash them in, you can still get your money. Never carry your passport in your backpack or purse!
I can't stress this enough. Get a moneypouch and keep it on your body at all times. One smart thing I did was to keep my passport on my person. It's much better to lose money than the only document that can prove you're an american. Trust me on this one.After my brush with the gypsy, I learned to wear my backpack as a frontpack.
That's right, I wore my backpack in the front--that way I could keep my eye on my pack at all times. I got this tip from a Japanese exchange student I met while in Spain. He was pickpocketed and this helped keep him from falling victim again. And when traveling, I purchased a small over-the-shoulder purse that I could pull to the front.Try not to be too trusting.
I know as traveling tourists or foreigners, we like to be friendly, but keep a close eye out. There were quite a few times a gypsy would come up to me asking for directions and I'd notice a friend of his coming behind me so I just walked off. Another time a kid walked up to me with a sign begging for money, while her hand was underneath the sign trying to get into my purse.Be extra careful in crowded areas.
Gypsies love these areas. It's easy for them to come up real close to you without being detected. I'm guessing this is why everytime I'm on a crowded bus, the bus driver stops and asks any gypsies on the bus to leave if they're aboard.
Have you been to Europe? Have you ever been the victim of a pickpocket?
- NEVER cash in all your traveler's checks at once.
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About the Author
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- From: anne
- Name: anne
- About Me: Age: 27, Location: New York, NY Favorite places I've visited: Trick question! I've been to so many amazing places, but if I absolutely had to pick, I'd settle on a couple places to shorten the list. Madrid, Spain because that's where I did my study abroad program when I was 18 and it was there that the travel bug bit me so hard it left a scar. I haven't been the same since. And Vietnam. That's where my family is from. Although, I'm Vietnamese American, I never actually visited Vietnam until I was 26. It was an awesome experience to learn about my family's history and I was quite pleased to show off my vietnamese language skills to the locals. It's quite a big deal for an american-born.
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Comments (40)
That's good advice. Thanks for this post.
I was. I was bumped into by this woman, and I remembered being told that if a gypsy bumps into you, or touches you, they've pickpocketted you. So quickly, I screamed at the woman in Spanish (mind, it was in Italy, but Spanish is my native tongue) to give me my wallet back, and the little girl that was under her skirts (I'm dead serious about this) gave it back to me. Apparently the woman bumped into me to distract me from the little girl stealing my wallet.
Aw that's terrible. When I was in Thailand I felt a hand slid in and out of my pocket at an outdoor market. Luckily I was wearing a money belt on the inside of my pants so everything was safe and secure.
And just for a little fun, I kept an empty wallet in my back pocket, with a grinning smiley face crudely drawn on a napkin. That way, if someone DID decide to go for my decoy wallet, the most they would have gotten out of me was a napkin!!
Fortunately I was never pick pocketed while I was in Europe from all the great advice I got from people with bad experiences. I had all my wallet and passport in my front pockets with my hands in my pockets in crowded areas. I also have tips for would be travelers to avoid being victims of those gypsies.
-Have everything in front of you at all times.
-Don't fall asleep in subways, buses, or train rides.
-Look alert. Try not to look like easy prey.
-Wear raggedy clothes to not look rich.
-Wear a red shirt that says "I am Canadian"
-Take showers every three days or more to blend in with the Europeans
Wow, that was an insightful post! Now I know exactly what to do if i travel abroad!
This makes me glad i'm paranoid about my wallet. I always have a purse that zips and i always press it to my side to make sure people can't steal. Better to be safe than sorry.
That's great advice!! I've heard so many different stories about friends getting pick pocketed while traveling. These thieves really know what their doing. Next trip, I'm definitely buying a travelers wallet!
Great advice!!
I always bring a traveler's wallet with me when I travel from all the stories I've heard. This is a good way to let people know how easily they can get pickpocketed.
Being pick pocketed has always been a concern of mine when traveling, thanks for the great advice!
Good tips.
I been to Europe, but we have never been pick pocketed
how scary! thanks again for the advice. i will definately use it!
My brother got pick pocketed in Madrid too coming off a train...Didn't even know until hours after!! Great advice, wish he could have read that beforehand!
In Rome, 2 ladies approached my Mum and I, asking for directions around. My Mum had had her PDA out earlier, and one of the ladies was obviously trying to make a grab for the pouch on her hip.
Also, why would 2 ladies who looked more like natives than tourists, ask us obvious backpackers directions?Nothing got snatched, we just walked away.
Never been to Europe, but I've heard many stories of people being robbed while vacationing there, so I know to be extra careful when I do go to Europe.
Yes, I was in Rome on vacation a few years ago and just cashed about $300 in travelers checks. Some one must have been watching me because a few minutes later I was surrounded by 4 or 5 children ranging in age from about 6 to 10 years old. Two of them grabbed my hands and tried to remove my watch, while the other lifted my wallet and passed it off quicker than I could follow. I grabbed the arm of the girl who did it and she began crying, then a shopkeeper came out and started yelling at her in Italian, so she stopped. Eventually the police arrived and arrested her while I filled out a complaint form. In English I could barely understand, one cop told me I should kick any "stinking gypsy scum" that come close to me, especially children. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, but he repeated himself: kick them hard and they'll go away. The girl ended up being thrown in a cell with a few drunk men and I have no idea what happened to her, but it was an expensive lesson for me to learn about gypsies.
I didn't know it was so bad in Spain! I wanted to do study abroad and they told me I could only go to a Spanish-speaking country and I could only pick between Mexico and Spain, and I just had a bad feeling about both. I ended up not going.
"These gypsies are good hence their reputation as being "The King of
Thieves." Below is a photo of what a typical gypsy family would look
like."
Does it make you feel superior to stereotype an entire ethnic group as "thieves"? You make it sound like the Roma are the only people who steal in Europe.
No wonder the rest of the world thinks Americans are ignorant.
Pickpocketed in Paris by a French person on metro - made stupid decision to put purse in backpack.
(I am not a Gypsy, nor an American)
That's not very fair for the rest of the Gypsy who didn't steal.
@UpToWn__GiRL@xanga - well, it happens not only in America, but in many western countries.
Pickpocketed in Paris by a French person on metro - made stupid decision to put purse in backpack.
i lived in europe for a year and travelled all over, most times by myself. and was never pick-pocketed.
yes, there are gypsies who steal, but even when i was there, i resented the fact that people stereotyped that they all do. i'm sorry about what happened to you, but you can't just generalize that all gypsies steal.
why can't you just share the general travel tips to people about not being a careless tourist, without generalizing a whole people and putting up a picture of a family (who potentially never stole from anybody). the bottom line is, ANYWHERE you go that there is poverty, there will be a chance that you will be stolen from. gypsies or not. they're just called "poor people".
please don't stereotype -- it's racist. in europe, they stereotype that americans are all obese, loud and ignorant. that doesn't feel nice or seem fair, i would think. in any case, i defended you too. because generalizing a whole group of people because of the actions of some is never fair.
Gypsy (gipsy) is a derogatory term for the Roma (romany) people or just wanderers in general. It's pretty much equal to 'nigger'. When you say you've been gipped, the word comes from gipsy, it can have the same negative feeling of saying that you jewed (reference to Jews) someone down in price.
Yes, it's a common stereotype that many adhere to and is often true... but be careful. Read your blog as if you were saying nigger instead. You might not feel it's the same but a Romany might.@sydney_chickie@xanga - Ironically I am a loud, obese American... but I completely agree with you. =D
I lived in Romania more than half my life. Gypsies are at every corner of every street there. Every once in a while the gypsy kids would go from door to door asking for money/food/clothes w/e.
I was about 7 years old. I lived on the 3rd floor of an apt. building. One day, I went downstairs at the store to buy a chocolate. I had my chocolate in one hand, and the rest of the money in the other hand. As I walked up to the 3rd floor, I spotted 2 gypsy kids ahead of me, in front of my door.
I couldn't let them know that's where I live. So i Went back to the 2nd floor.
They followed me.
They asked me in which of the apt.'s I lived, and got closer and closer to me as they did so. One of them grabbed the chocolate, I didn't let go, so he bit my hand [I still have bite marks..scars].
I let go, let them have the chocolate, but i still had the money in a tight fist. I got home, and my mom saw that I was so pale, almost white. I think it's the closest I've ever gotten to fainting. I was 7!
@Lordv16@xanga - LOL I love that!!!!!
@UpToWn__GiRL@xanga - i concur!