Ever had your pocket picked?

mjcairney

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It was my wife's 60th birthday last week so I decided to take her to Barcelona for the weekend. It's a lovely city with some brilliant architecture and, of course, one of the best football teams and certainly the best footballer on the planet in Lionel Messi.

However, had my pocket picked and wallet stolen, containing my debit and credit cards, as well as some £200 between Pounds and Euros. It's a horrible feeling when you realise what's happened, not helped by the fact that the Spanish police are not exactly helpful or very sympathetic. The really annoying thing is that I knew before we went that Barcelona, along with Rome, are probably the two worst cities in Europe for pickpocketing and I still got done. I had been keeping my wallet in a front trouser pocket but must have inadvertently put in the back pocket that one time and, within a three to four minute period, it was gone.

If you ever go there, be extra vigilant or you may be next.

Cheers,

Martin.
 
once, in Barcelona too. Someone saw and told me so I got it back though.
 
Went to Amsterdam about month ago and that was probably the worst place I've ever seen for pick-pocketing.

As soon as we arrived we headed down to grab the train and one of the guys I was with caught someone pick pocketing some woman. The guy tried to casually walk off the train but we chased him and he dropped her purse on the floor and carried on walking.
 
Someone attempted to pickpocket me on the tube in Madrid. I guess they went for us because we were obvious tourist targets, with suitcases. One guy tried to distract me while the other tried to fish my wallet out of my back pocket. Wasn't very good though. From then on I always put my wallet in my front pocket.
 
As set up as it might be, watching The Real Hustle has made me watch my pockets a lot more. Call it a bit of paranoia but thankfully nothing has happened yet.

Plus nothing of importance goes in my back pocket.
 
Never use the sky rocket, wallet sits in a zipped inside pocket.
 
Happened to me once after a night out with the wife and some other couples in Gran Canaria, stopped off to get some food on the walk home and got done, only realised when I went to pay the taxi.

Got to say the police where excellent and really helpful, didn't get it back but still they tried.
 
We had our wallet stolen in the early learning centre in the bull ring birmingham, a woman banged into a load of boxes knocking them all from the wall as a distraction (well don't know for a fact this is when it happened but we'd had it 20 mins earlier and this was the most likely time)
 
I always keep my wallet in the front pocket of my jeans/trousers, it doesn't feel right in the back and is too easy lost.
 
What annoys me more than anything else is that Barcelona is well known for pickpocketing but yet the authorities don't seem to do much to stop it. For a city which has such a large tourist industry, you'd think they would make a concerted effort to eradicate the problem but, from what I can see, they would appear to just mostly turn a blind eye. Whilst I think the city is beautiful, I doubt I'll be back anytime soon.

Cheers,

Martin.

p.s. When I went to the police station to report it, there were so many others there (in the same boat) that I was told it would be at least two hours before I'd be able to have my details taken - shocking, or what?
 
We had our wallet stolen in the early learning centre in the bull ring birmingham, a woman banged into a load of boxes knocking them all from the wall as a distraction (well don't know for a fact this is when it happened but we'd had it 20 mins earlier and this was the most likely time)


The Africans in Gran canaria have had me twice now, the most recent time I shook one of their hands and he slapped a watch on my wrist. I politely told him I did not want it but in the meantime someone else had my wallet. Fortunately this time around all my money was kept in another zipped pocket so all they got away with was a manky wallet.
 
Had my wallet pinched in London by a Romanian child.Someone saw him and shouted but he was too quick on his toes and got away.Reported it to the police who told me gangs of Romanian pick pockets are at it all the time in the capital :(
 
Had mine done at the Airport in Toronto about to fly home.

Had cash, amex travellers cheques.

I had sentinel card protection from Lloydstsb so one call to them sorted my cards out.

Amex were painfully slow at coming back to me on my travellers cheques so in the end just took my word about how many I had left (kerching!) and the insurance company sorted my cash (kerching!) and even got an extra £25 for a new wallet (kerching!).
 
When I go abroad I carry a manky wallet in my back pocket and my money in a money belt, fortunately I've not been pick pocketed yet but if they do all they'll get is an empty wallet

closest I got was in Egypt, 15 years ago, a guy tried to lead me to a better place to take pictures, I politely refused but he insisted so I became more aggressive shouting **** OFF as loud as I could, then he got the message
 
Someone attempted to rummage through my rucksack as we were queuing to get off the Stratton Island Ferry, New York. The rucksack was on my back and they had managed to open the zip, but came away empty handed as there was only a half empty water bottle inside, I now carry my rucksack on my front when in very busy places like that.
 
One reason why I don't carry a wallet. Far too easy to take and so much in one place. I split items around my pockets.
 
One reason why I don't carry a wallet. Far too easy to take and so much in one place. I split items around my pockets.

Me too and I cant understand people that do use them keeping everything in there.

i.e All credit/debit cards, all their cash, driving licence (full address:eek:), and in the case of some I know a spare front door key :eek: and notes for card PIN's :eek::eek:
As soon as its gone you have lost everything and are up the proverbial creek without a paddle which is 1000x worse if you happen to be out of the country at the time.
 
Me too and I cant understand people that do use them keeping everything in there.

i.e All credit/debit cards, all their cash, driving licence (full address:eek:), and in the case of some I know a spare front door key :eek: and notes for card PIN's :eek::eek:
As soon as its gone you have lost everything and are up the proverbial creek without a paddle which is 1000x worse if you happen to be out of the country at the time.

You are so right there. Whilst I did have a credit and debit card in mine, plus some cash, there was nothing else but I have to say, even at that, I couldn't describe how I felt when I discovered my wallet was gone.

They say there are no guarantees in life other than death and taxes - well, here's another one, I'll never be caught like that again.

Cheers,

Martin.
 
I doubt I'll be back anytime soon.

That's a real shame. I love the place, going again in September. You're correct pickpocketing is rife in Barcelona and the authorities as you say aren't interested. I'm very very careful with wallets and cameras etc... putting your wallet in your back pocket was a real slip up :( I wouldn't put my wallet in my back pocket in this country.
 
I lost my wallet a few weeks ago, there was £100 in it but the saga that ensued in order to get my debit cards back has awarded me £200 in compensation from the bank.


WIN!
 
My girlfriend had her purse picked when we were in Prague some years ago. We think it was on the tube and she was distracted but a small child and her "mother" :mad:, her bag was on her back so she kinda of asked for it.

Purse only had a little money in it (because I had insisted an hour before that I would carry the cash for the trip :clap:) and her phone was stolen.

Took a while to report it and it was a pita as we hadnt even dropped our luggage at the hotel before having to go to the police station.

Aparently it is rife there and mainly carried out by Romany gypsies using children as decoys, not my opinion by the way just an opinion I presume based on fact stated by the Prague police
 

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