Safety Tips and Preventing Pickpockets - It's Easy!

A huge huge issue I see discussed a LOT regarding travel is safety. Obviously, it's an important one. The big issue is, of course, pickpocketing. Tons and tons is written about this, as well it should be, because if you are pickpocketed, it can be a real downer and headache. After all the researching I did, and now after I've come back from cities like Barcelona and Rome, which have pretty serious pickpocket problems, here's what I learned and what I think worked for me. I'm certainly no expert and I'd be silly to pretend to be, but I don't think it was a coincidence that I made it through 6+ weeks in Europe, including some of the most heavily pickpocketed cities, without a hint of trouble.

• I'm torn about money belts. I had one with me. Sometimes I used it, sometimes I didn't. When I didn't, I locked it in my hotel safe or suitcase. Maybe I was playing with fire. On travel days, especially going through train stations, I wore it. If I didn't feel comfortable with the hotel safe or if the hotel didn't have one, I wore it. In fact, I really had no rhyme or reason beyond that. On travel days, I also had a neck pouch that I wore almost like a mini purse - this just had my transportation ticket (train or plane), a credit card, a little bit of cash (very little), my passport, and not much else. Ultimately I think it's a personal choice and whether you use one or not, if you are smart about things and take all of the precautions, you will probably be OK.
  
• NEVER EVER EVER CARRY EVERYTHING WITH YOU IN ONE PLACE. I don't know how to say this more bluntly, and to me it's common sense but I just can't believe how many times I've read about people who have everything in their purse - their credit cards, debit cards, cash, passport, camera, everything. WHY. Again, to me it was common sense to always keep some cash either in my money belt or locked away in my hotel room - or both - and I always had an extra debit card AND an extra credit card in my money belt or room safe.
• For the women, NEVER ever ever take your purse off. Don't put it on the back of your chair in a restaurant (whether eating inside or outside) or even in your hotel breakfast room. I would either put mine on my lap or on the ground clenched in between my feet or depending on where I was seated (aka against a wall), even on the table. Same goes for internet cafes, while at a sight, while sitting on a bench people-watching, etc.
  
• Make copies of anything and everything important - passport, credit cards, plane tickets, etc., and either have the photocopies stashed or send them to your email so you can get them anywhere and everywhere you might need them. I also sent a copy to my parents so they'd have them too, just in case.
• For the women, use an across-the-body type bag or purse. I alternated between a larger messenger bag and purse that both went over the shoulder and I never took a hand off of them anywhere there were people around - on the streets and especially public transportation. For the guys, don't use the back pocket.
  
• If a bus or subway is super full, wait til the next one. In almost every major city outside the US, buses and subways are very frequent. I realize we don't want to waste any of our precious vacation time, but every time we encountered really busy subway cars or buses, the next one would be much emptier. Pickpocketing is less likely to happen on an empty subway car or bus, and when you are crammed in a little space, it's easier to get jostled and let go of your belongings for a minute.
• When I was traveling with my friend, on the bus and subway, we would solidify which stop we were getting off on - and how many stops that was from where we were getting on - BEFORE we got on. Because a lot of pickpockets on public transport grab and run at a stop, if they don't know where you're getting off, they're less likely to grab your stuff. Also, I'm not sure how much this matters or not, but then we could avoid speaking English - and obvious "tourist talk" at that - on the transportation so they'd be that much less likely to know we were not locals.
  
• Locks: I used little combo locks on my backpack (laptop was inside) and suitcase. Maybe it was an unnecessary extra step, but it was also not an inconvenient one, just adding that little bit more safety.
  
• Be aware of your surroundings before you head out sight-seeing. I used small maps that I could tuck away - like Streetwise, Popout Maps, and Eyewitness Pocket Maps & Guides, among others - for each city. I would do my research during lunch or I would sit on a bench and do it, but I never pulled out my map to look like that obvious lost tourist unless I was really really lost. Likewise, I tore out the pages of my guidebook so that if I had to or wanted to look at something, it was less conspicuous. I think a confident traveler is less likely a target. If you walk around like you have a purpose and like you know where you're going, not only do you have more energy to focus on being alert as to your surroundings, but you are less of an easy target.
  
• Read up on the particular methods and scams in the place you're going. The thieves in a street market in Mumbai are probably different from those in Barcelona, etc. Obviously, we all need to be alert everywhere, but find out beforehand if there are specific things to look out for wherever you're going.
  
• Last but not least (though probably most DUH-worthy): BE SMART. Find out the neighborhoods in your destination cities that are less safe. If you are out at night, take the better-lit, bigger, or busier roads, even if they take a little longer. Etc. Just use common sense - it really goes a long long long way!!
  

I know this sounds like a lot, but I took all of these precautions and never felt it was a burden. Aside from telling myself "oh, just be careful on the subway" as I entered the stations, I did not worry as I went about my sight-seeing, nor did I let the possibility of pickpocketing prevent me from doing anything I wanted to do, and these precautions really just became a part of my routine as my trip went along so that it was second nature instead of a concern. In fact, I didn't even see anything shady in over 6 weeks of travel throughout Europe (and I used an awful lot of public transportation in every single city). I think with these precautions, even if you are pickpocketed, at least it will just ruin your day and not your trip.

For more safety advice and useful products, check these links out:

• The Safety Section on the Rick Steves Travel Tips page - various links for different types of safety
• The Tourist Scams discussion on the Rick Steves Graffiti Wall - tips and warnings from other tourists
• Pacsafe - products for safe traveling (metal-lined, etc.)
• Eagle Creek Security items
• Lewis N. Clark security items
  
• 8 Travel Scams You Need to Know - from Fodors
• Money Safety - Independenttraveler.com