Everyone knows the stories of people who have been robbed on vacation. Lost everything: your passport, your money, your clothes, and maybe jewelry. You don’t want to think about it. So being well-prepared when traveling is a must. Knowing what the risks are and what you should and could take into account is the least you can do. These 5 tips will help you recognize pickpockets in the street and when interacting with people.
You don’t want to have bad memories of traveling. You never want these kinds of experiences, whether you’re traveling or just at home. What can you do to prevent these kinds of incidents? What can you watch out for to avoid being in the wrong place at the wrong time? That’s why I’d like to share some safety tips with you on this site.
In this blog, I would like to share some tips on how to recognise a pickpocket. Or at least how to recognise a situation in which you are at risk of becoming a victim of a pickpocket.
Everyone knows the famous street La Rambla in Barcelona. It’s known that many pickpockets are active there. So know that if you’re going to walk around there, you need to be alert to your surroundings. And keep a bit closer eye on your bag. Because yes, La Rambla is definitely a place you should visit.
The Behavior of People
A pickpocket behaves differently than the average person or tourist. Imagine you’re watching a beautiful street performance. Everyone standing there is watching and enjoying it. A pickpocket doesn’t watch the show but has their attention on the people standing there. You’re distracted and the pickpocket is looking at where you’ve stashed your belongings. These are the moments a pickpocket waits for.
Pickpockets also won’t look people in the face like normal people do. They’ll look at other people’s clothing, where they have a bag, and how their jacket pockets are situated. That’s how pickpockets assess their chances. This is also something you can watch for in a crowd.
Someone walking too close to you… Pay attention to that person, look at him/her and let them know that you are alert.
People who walk too close to you and then accidentally touch you. The pickpocket does this, of course, to create space and time to feel in your pockets or rummage in your bag. You often feel when someone gets too close. Make eye contact for a moment, gauge what that person’s intention is. If it’s genuine, they’ll probably look at you and it won’t happen again.
Pickpockets don’t want to be seen. The chance of recognition is then greater and they naturally want to avoid that. A pickpocket won’t want to look at you, or if it does happen, there’s a good chance they’ll retreat. Just use this tactically. You can say something or ask a question, but stay alert in the meantime.
5 Tips to Recognize Pickpockets
Money Exchange Trick
If someone on the street asks you to exchange money, I would never do it. Refer them to a shop. Maybe they’re waiting for you at a currency exchange and have a better rate? Then I’ll exchange at a slightly lower rate; at least I know I can still exchange everything. Pickpockets are lightning fast with their fingers and before you know it, you’ve lost a number of bills of your hard-earned money. They’ve practiced this for years. You won’t see it and won’t beat them. You probably won’t even notice until you want to exchange money again or spend it.
Multiple People Keeping You Busy
Several people start talking to you, offering you all kinds of wonderful things and the best deals.
It can be dangerous when one person from a group talks to you and really keeps your attention. The chance that another person from that group (the pickpocket) has free rein at that moment is high. You’re distracted; often we’re polite and so we keep looking at the person speaking to us. A pickpocket knows this and takes advantage of these moments. If my feeling says something isn’t right, I break off such a conversation.
Amazing Offers
It’s always good to be alert when people offer you all kinds of goods/services without wanting anything in return. But I’ve also made multiple trips and so I also know that there are many people who have genuine interest.
If you go along with someone like that, make sure that all your instincts and gut feeling say it’s okay. If there’s even one doubt or one strange point, I’ll choose not to do it or to do it under different circumstances. I don’t take risks in this area.
Trust Your Feeling!
The best thing you can do is trust your feeling. It never lies. We’re not always used to listening to our feelings anymore. Many have even switched it off a bit because it’s not always right and sometimes you get a bit scared.
That’s true to some extent… To address this, I’d need a whole blog about our brain and psyche 🙂
What it comes down to is this: When I’m traveling, I don’t want to experience bad moments and I’d rather have one experience less than one too many. I’ve heard many victims say: I actually already knew then that something wasn’t right. So listen to that!
Want More Tips About Safe Travel?
- 5 Tips to increase your safety during the dark hours
- Tips for Women – Safe Travel in India
- Safe Contact with Local Population
- Safe Travel – Anti Theft Tips for your Day Bag
- Trekking Poles – Safety and a Total Workout