Travel Tips to Prevent Pickpockets Stealing your Wallet
Travel Tips to Prevent Pickpockets Stealing your Wallet
Ok, so you're going on holiday the excitement has been building for so long, your luggage is packed, you've got your flight details, passport and travel sized liquids. Quite simply you're prepared! In all likelihood your holiday will be a roaring success and you'll return with plenty of pictures and stories to share with family and friends but what if something goes wrong, are you prepared for that?
Now I'm not going to write an article advocating you "travel in fear" because that would be ridiculous. I've read articles myself with tips like "Don't talk to any strangers" are you kidding me? You are in a foreign country, everyone is a stranger so should you just stay in your hotel room and isolate yourself from the locals? No.
All you can do is be prepared, be alert and be practical. Recognise that there are some people who make a living off of tourists like you. This simple realisation alone should be enough to encourage healthy suspicion in certain scenarios keeping you a step ahead.
Alright so on to my tips:
1. Not in the Back Pocket! Please don't put your wallet in your back pocket, it's a target on your ass. You may not like the bulge when storing it in your front, but you're way more likely to notice a pickpocket reaching into your front than your back pocket.
2. Be wary of large crowds. When walking through a crowd of people there'll be lots of bumping and physical contact, you might come out the other side lighter than you went in. If you stop to watch a street performer be aware of your personal items, because a large group of distracted people is like a buffet for pickpockets. If your wallet's in your front pocket (see no.1) then put your hand in there for additional security why not?
3. You're not Bill Gates. So don't go through your wallet counting your money in public. I couldn't count the number of times I have been walking down the high street and seen someone with a wad of cash, putting it in their wallet, fiddling with cards then putting said wallet in their back pocket; doing all this with their head down and still walking (not paying any attention to their surroundings). I could easily grab their wallet and run if I felt so inclined. If you must count your money do it before you leave the hotel room, or at least somewhere private.
4. All or nothing. When going out you don't have to take everything do you? Think, only take what you need. This means emptying your wallet a little: leaving some money, ID, credit cards etc in the hotel room so if you do get pickpocketed you don't lose everything!
5. Pointless exposure. When you have bought something put your wallet away quickly. Be mindful of walking out the store and "fiddling" with it. Put your wallet away when at the counter not at the exit of the store. It's surprising how many times I see this. I give my family in trouble for this on a regular basis: they buy something and begin walking to the door whilst returning their card to their wallet and trying to squeeze the receipt into an already bulging compartment. I used to do this before someone snatched my wallet just before I left the store and ran. I caught him though and didn't treat him to kindly if you know what I mean. All you'll do is highlight your wallets location to a pickpocket or present a snatch and run situation as I experienced.
6. Not everyone is your friend. Simply put, don't be so damn trusting of everyone. I'm not saying don't talk to people, but be alert and mindful of your possessions. Be a little suspicious and you and your wallet should be fine. I remember when in Milan I was approach by a charming lad in the Piazza Del Duomo trying to sell me coloured string for my wrist. As nice as he was, his string was not for me wink wink.
These are the most practical and logical things you can easily integrate without ruining your holiday by living in a shell of fear. Life is to be lived and travelling to be enjoyed, but just remember that a little preparation goes a long way. You never fully appreciate how important your wallet's contents are until they're gone. And being just a little cautious will result in a better experience for you and those around you.
A special thanks to the guys at Wallets Direct for giving their opinion of on the most effective tips, though they seemed more offended by the theft of their actual wallet than the contents, ha, I supposed the wallet has its value to...
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