Robbed while traveling stories

[Moscyn]

I've not had such unfortunate experiences in my travels (fingers crossed) but heard of lots of experiences from relatives and friends. The most memorable was from my ex-female colleague. She travelled with another lady friend in Madrid. They sat on a bench in one of the parks in Madrid and she put her handbag in between both of them and were looking at a map (definitely tourists). Suddenly, the handbag was grabbed by a child (there were 2 children in the act). Both ran away and the 2 ladies ran after them and caught one of the children. My ex-colleague's friend was then put in charge of holding on to the caught child while my friend ran after the other child who has the purse. After a long pursuit, the child kept throwing out the passport and credit cards and eventually ran off with the cash. With passport and credit cards in hand, my friend returned to her friend and realised that her friend had released the other child as she felt "unsafe" holding on to a child for so long with so many locals looking on - apparently no police were around.

 

[packrat44]

If you were a delinquent on the prowl would you target someone with a rolex on the wrist and a thick gold chain around the neck, or someone wearing jeans and a t-shirt? Thieves target travelers and locals for the same flashy reasons.

My normal wear is jeans and a t-shirt. When I wear a watch it is one I bought at Big Lots for $7.20. The only gold I wear is in my teeth. My shoes cost $15. Thieves probably look upon me as less prosperous than them and a waste of their time. I prefer to keep a low profile.

 

[Surewhitey]

Here it is usually the gas attendant who tries to get you. He hopes you don't look to make sure the pump zeroes out. If you're not looking, he'll start pumping where the last customer left off.

Also known someone who they flipped his 500 peso bill into a 50 and happened 2 times in his months visit and he finally caught on.

I've had 2 times where they tried to get 100 pesos off me... I'm scenical when I give anyone here money.

It's a shame that they don't care about the loss of future sales when people don't return to the country due to this type of dishonesty.

 

[Cato]

Several years ago, travelling in Namibia with DW, and we stopped at traffic lights in Windhoek (the capital) on a main road to a hotel - there was one vehicle ahead and another behind us and a gang of about 6-7 men came along and started pointing to the rear wheel, no doubt trying to get us to believe that we had a flat. The roof carrier was loaded with stuff and when they could not get us to stop and get out, they started trying to climb up the sides to get at the stuff lashed to the roof carrier.

Luckily the stuff was fastened very tightly and before they could remove anything the lights changed to green and we were off like scalded rabbits. None of the people in the other vehicles even attempted to come to our aid. It was scary while it lasted. I am glad that they did not smash the side windows, but it was a high 4X4 and they might have had difficulty getting high enough.

 

[Nemo2]

And Namibia, (which is on our 'wish list'), is touted as such a safe place to visit.

Reminds me of Nairobi, about 25+ years ago.......we were advised, should we want to go over to the hotel 'virtually' next door at night, then we should take a cab.

'Course, a couple buddies, in a group of a dozen or more guys, down to run the Marine Corps Marathon in D.C., were told exactly the same thing a few years back.

 

[Cato]

And Namibia, (which is on our 'wish list'), is touted as such a safe place to visit.

Reminds me of Nairobi, about 25+ years ago.......we were advised, should we want to go over to the hotel 'virtually' next door at night, then we should take a cab.

'Course, a couple buddies, in a group of a dozen or more guys, down to run the Marine Corps Marathon in D.C., were told exactly the same thing a few years back.

I'm not sure what the situation is like now, this was approx 2001 and as long as you stayed away from Windhoek, you were usually safe.

Namibia has the stark quiet beauty of a semidesert country - I would like to go back one final time and revisit Sossusvlei, the Etosha game reserve and the Epupa falls - one would have to rent a fully equipped 4X4 and probably go with more than one vehicle, one could drive all day and only meet up with one or two other vehicles.

 

[Nemo2]

Namibia has the stark quiet beauty of a semidesert country - I would like to go back one final time and revisit Sossusvlei, the Etosha game reserve and the Epupa falls - one would have to rent a fully equipped 4X4 and probably go with more than one vehicle, one could drive all day and only meet up with one or two other vehicles.

We were in the Kalahari (Botswana) 2 years ago......maybe we'll be 'the second vehicle' next time you go.

 

[gindie]

A much more domestic situation.

About 40 years ago, when I was 12, was with my family on vacation staying at the Holiday Inn in Gilbertsville, KY.

We all went down to the pool, but Mom and Dad left their wallet and purse in the motel room. After swimming, came back to the room and Mom says "I don't remember leaving the light on". Yep, wallet and purse were gone.

I tell you, I didn't sleep a wink that night in the room.

 

[Badger]

If you were a delinquent on the prowl would you target someone with a rolex on the wrist and a thick gold chain around the neck, or someone wearing jeans and a t-shirt? Thieves target travelers and locals for the same flashy reasons.

For the same reason when I travel I park my Suzuki cruiser next to Harleys if I stay at a motel.

I also live in a nice neighborhood in an old 1400 sq ft home where the rest of the houses are new 3800-6000+ sq ft homes. I sleep easy at night and don't worry about break-ins when I'm away. There is nothing inside worth taking anyway.

Cheers!

 

[packrat44]

For the same reason when I travel I park my Suzuki cruiser next to Harleys if I stay at a motel.
QUOTE]

That should keep your Suzuki from being stolen. However, I would worry about the Harley owners vanalizing your Suzuki.

 

[Badger]

For the same reason when I travel I park my Suzuki cruiser next to Harleys if I stay at a motel.
QUOTE]

That should keep your Suzuki from being stolen. However, I would worry about the Harley owners vanalizing your Suzuki.

The only real concern I have is my Suzuki picking up bad habits like leaking oil to mark its territory.

Cheers!

 

[Delaney]

I was never robbed during any travels. In addition to a few other places, I traveled all over Africa---including
Namibia with no issues. I think you can improve your chances if you careful and educate yourself about where you
are traveling. There was an incident when I was camping on the beach in Mozambique. To free up some space while
sleeping, I put my cooking pot outside my tent. (I slept with my money belt on.) In a nearby tent, an Irish
girl also wanted to free up some space, so she opted to put her purse outside. In the morning, she found her
purse with her money and passport had been taken. (My pot was still there.)

I also witnessed a traveler being robbed in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. A traveler stepped off the small
plane that transported him into camp. He was wearing a large backpack and for some reason had a big bag of sugar
in his hand. As soon as he stepped into camp, he set the sugar down on a table. In a flash, a monkey swooped in
from nowhere and ran off with the sugar. When the traveler complained, the management pointed out that there were
signs warning travelers to lock up all food.

 

[Nemo2]

he set the sugar down on a table. In a flash, a monkey swooped in
from nowhere and ran off with the sugar. When the traveler complained, the management pointed out that there were
signs warning travelers to lock up all food.

LOL.....during the midday break from game drives in Amboseli a bunch of us, watched by vervets in the trees overhead, were lazing on chaise longues.......one guy was peeling an orange.....he stood up, set the orange on a small table, and started to walk 'somewhere'......he got about 6' before one of the monkeys grabbed the orange.

He was upset...we were chuckling to ourselves...what else did he expect would happen?

 

[coalcracker]

My wife and I were more swindled than robbed while traveling in Laos. We took a tuk tuk back near our hotel in Luang Prabang and we owed something like 10,000 kip, which is about a dollar. We had recently arrived and only had larger bills, so gave him a 50,000. After turning away and fiddling with his money bag, he came back and was arguing he needed more money, showing us the 5,000 bill we had allegedly given him. We knew we gave him 50,000 and argued as such, to the point of beginning to walk away. He became irate and began screaming and following us across a high bridge to our hotel, so we decided it wasn't worth getting stabbed or thrown into the river and gave him what he wanted. It was only a matter of a few dollars, so not worth ending up in a hospital in Laos.

I also have a more positive lost money tale. While in Samoa, a few friends and I were spending the day at a natural water slide to beat the heat. After many slides and hours, I could not find my wallet and realized it had begun the day in the back pocket of my swimming trunks. After searching some of the deep pools in the area in vain, I left to go back to the guesthouse and cancel my credit cards.

The next day, I came back to discover my wallet with all my money and cards had been discovered by an Australian tourist and driven from the other side of the island to our guesthouse. He had even set the money out to dry. Unfortunately I had already cancelled my credit cards, but was able to mooch off my (future) wife for the rest of the trip.

 

[CoolChange]

I have been traveling (both domestically in USA and internationally) most of my life, not always to the safest locations. But, I have only been robbed while traveling once: It was almost cliche...I was boarding a train out of the main train station in Amsterdam; and, a pickpocket got me. He/she had amazing skill: I was wearing hiking pants with zipper pockets but never felt a thing. Not much money in the wallet (less than $80 worth of euros) and only a couple of credit cards; but, I did have my passport in the wallet for easy access when the conductor came to check tickets.

I had extra cash (euros, dollars and UK pounds) as well as more credit cards in my money belt; but, losing the passport was painful: Getting a temporary passport to continue my travels was relatively painless; although, I did find that many US consulate offices have closed or stopped providing passport service in recent years. So, I did have to rent a car unexpectedly and drive across Germany to get from where I was staying (major German city) to the closest consulate office (different major city). And, I did not actually have to rent a car: Could have taken a train; but, that would have required more time/planning than I was willing to spend at that point in my vacation. US consular officer Germany was very nice/helpful/friendly once I finally got an appointment and presented myself. I did have copies of documents, including stolen passport, as well as all forms filled out and ready to go when I arrived. They printed me a 90 day passport to continue my travels on the spot.

The real trouble started when I returned to the USA: No problem getting back into the country; but, it took me three or four times of applying, sending more information, etc. to get a full passport. Apparently, the US gov'm'nt did not think I took good care of my last passport; so, they were hesitant to give me another one. This probably had an impact on my career since I was scheduled to fly to China shortly after returning from this vacation; but, could not get my passport replaced in time.

In the end, all was fine: I kept my job; USA finally sent me a new passport; I am back to traveling (both for $$$ and for fun).

Robbed while not traveling: Wallet was taken from gym locker while showering after lunch break workout (had not locked it for the 3-5 minutes I was not in front of it); someone kicked in door of home and ransacked it taking a bit of jewelry and such but damaging so much more.

 

[Lsbcal]

.
...I was boarding a train out of the main train station in Amsterdam; and, a pickpocket got me. He/she had amazing skill: I was wearing hiking pants with zipper pockets but never felt a thing....

Interesting story CoolChange. Was the zipper pocket a rear one or a front one?

I ask because I always put any "out in the open" important stuff in my front pocket, even in the US. Next to the family jewels.

P.S. I have no idea if the front pocket is more secure from thieves but it seems like it might be a harder logistically for them.

 

[CoolChange]

Interesting story CoolChange. Was the zipper pocket a rear one or a front one?

I ask because I always put any "out in the open" important stuff in my front pocket, even in the US. Next to the family jewels.

P.S. I have no idea if the front pocket is more secure from thieves but it seems like it might be a harder logistically for them.

My wallet was in a front pocket which was zippered shut. The zipper was actually part of the outside seam of the pant leg; so, I guess you could call it a side pocket; but, the the inside pocket part was in front.

Since you brought up the family jewels, I will share one more tidbit about this: My fly was also unzipped when I discovered that my wallet was gone. I assume it was to check for a money belt which I had but which remained safe: I wear the money belt between skin and undershirt, usually with pants/shorts waste band over it.

I discovered all of this about 15 minutes after pulling out of the Amsterdam station when I tried to buy a cup of coffee and something to eat. There was a mass of people pushing/shoving/etc. while boarding the train; but, it still amazes me that I never felt anything. Maybe I should have had a coffee or two before boarding the train.

 

[Lsbcal]

My wallet was in a front pocket which was zippered shut. The zipper was actually part of the outside seam of the pant leg; so, I guess you could call it a side pocket; but, the the inside pocket part was in front.
...

Sounds like you took pretty good precautions and ran into a real setup.

Last time we were in Europe I had my little camera holder case looped through my belt and overlapping the front pocket. The wallet was in the front pocket under the camera case and only had some cash. We tend to use a lot of cash rather then credit cards outside the US.

Really important stuff was in the money belt which was also on a loop to the belt and down the side of the leg under the camera case. I almost always carried the credit cards + passport in the money belt. I guess "almost always" can be a problem sometimes.

When we were on a west coast trip there was a big airplane security incident in Europe. Suddenly the rules changed on airplane travel and vigilance. Maybe my imagination is too big but it could be a nightmare if one were traveling and lost ones passport in such a scenario.

 

[CoolChange]

Sounds like you took pretty good precautions and ran into a real setup...

Yeah. I try to be reasonably cautious without getting too paranoid or impacting my enjoyment of life in general. (Not just travel: Also, diet, exercise and general lifestyle.) I figure bad things can always happen; but, I can [somewhat] mitigate the risks.

...Maybe my imagination is too big but it could be a nightmare if one were traveling and lost ones passport in such a scenario.

Not your imagination: I lost a few days of my vacation getting the temporary passport sorted. Basically, no way I could find to fly without one. Luckily, I was in the middle of an extended vacation, six weeks - by far the longest of my adult life.

 

[gerntz]

Well, I got pickpocketed last week in Paris while standing on a crowded Metro train; i.e., subway. Wallet was in a double-buttoned side pocket. Didn't feel a thing. Lost equivalent of about $400, driver's license & credit cards. Fortunately not passport since we were coming home the next day.

 

[Lsbcal]

Well, I got pickpocketed last week in Paris while standing on a crowded Metro train; i.e., subway. Wallet was in a double-buttoned side pocket. Didn't feel a thing. Lost equivalent of about $400, driver's license & credit cards. Fortunately not passport since we were coming home the next day.

That is a nasty experience you had. One would think a double-buttoned side pocket would be pretty safe.

I bought a pair of pants from REI recently that look nice and have a zippered side pocket: REI Adventures Pants - Men's 30" Inseam at REI.com. We are going to Paris. I guess I should just put a wallet in that pocket with a modest amount of cash but nothing else. I have a hidden pocket type pouch that I've used in the past: Eagle Creek Undercover Hidden Pocket Pouch at REI.com. It is awkward to get at a credit card with this thing though.

Thoughts?

 

[Peter]

Well, I got pickpocketed last week in Paris while standing on a crowded Metro train; i.e., subway. Wallet was in a double-buttoned side pocket. Didn't feel a thing. Lost equivalent of about $400, driver's license & credit cards. Fortunately not passport since we were coming home the next day.

Same experience here, last month. Fortunately I realized immediately that my wallet was no longer there, looked down and saw a woman holding it in her hand. At the time, I assumed that it had slipped out of my pocket and that she was handing it back to me. Talk about naive!

Later some friends told me that pickpocketing is very common on the Metro.

 

[2B]

DW and I recently got back from a river cruise. It started with a few days in Monte Carlo and ended up with a few days in Paris. We stayed an extra 3 days in Paris. Of the approx. 120 passengers on the river cruise, four had their wallets or purses taken during that nominal 12 day trip. Pick pocketing appears to be an intermural sport there.

I carry a moneybelt with credit cards, pass port and cash as necessary but I'll leave most things in the room safe when available. I'll carry a minimal amount of cash and a debit card if I'm planning to use it in a buttoned/zippered shirt pocket. I also carry a decoy wallet with a couple of used (zero value) gift cards, some hand wipes and tissue. I've never lost anything but there have been a few attempts.

Tourists are their targets. Women that sling around big purses are pretty much asking to be victimized. IMHO, people that carry their valuables around that way deserve losing them. It's not like it's a surprise but I'm amazed at the number of Americans that somehow think they won't get hit. It took me several trips to convince my DW that she could live without a purse on vacation but I finally succeeded.

 

[W2R]

When traveling abroad back in the 1950's, my (dear departed) mother used to stow any big bills inside of her bra. At first she pinned the bills to her bras, and later sewed a small pocket into them for that purpose so that it would be easier to fish out a bill when needed. She told me that if a thief wanted the money badly enough to make her strip, she couldn't keep it from him anyway.

Don't know if this would work in these times, when pickpockets are so much more prevalent, but thought I'd throw the idea into the mix.

Tourists are their targets. Women that sling around big purses are pretty much asking to be victimized.

I can't imagine traveling internationally with my money just thrown into a wallet in my shoulderbag. Women who do have much more faith in humanity than I do.

 

[2B]

When traveling abroad back in the 1950's, my (dear departed) mother used to stow any big bills inside of her bra.

There is actually a commercial version of a bra-money belt. I've seen ads for them but can't remember where I saw it.

I can't imagine traveling internationally with my money just thrown into a wallet in my shoulderbag. Women who do have much more faith in humanity than I do.

In my experience there's a heavy version of "can't happen to me" or "I'll keep an eye on my stuff." There are warning signs all over Europe. I've heard PA system announcements warning about pickpockets at museums. Roma (especially children) seem to be the favored group for pickpockets. This substantial group of people wander around Europe with no visible means of support except begging, crime and/or scams.