Whenever you read travel guides about Europe, particularly those focused on the large cities, they warn about pickpockets. So, on our first trips over here we would be vigilant and wear money belts under our clothing whenever we would travel, just as Rick Steves does.
Traveling on the metro in Paris you often see warnings about high pickpocket activity. We also hear about theft all the time. Some friends have had their apartment broken into, another has had her purse stolen and has been robbed at an ATM machine in our neighborhood. Our school has sent out a warning about ATM robberies near it.
Our friend Paul back in the States has a great story from his last visit to Paris. He was a bit surprised, when putting his hand into his pocket, to find another hand already there!
And despite all of this, we feel very safe in Paris, particularly in our neighborhood but also as we venture out to different parts of the city. There are definitely areas that feel a bit "rough", but I haven't been in an area yet where I feel unsafe.
With becoming more comfortable in the city, I've also become less cautious as it relates to pickpockets. I haven't worn a money belt in years and just keep my cash, credit cards, and phone in my pockets.
This past weekend I took the metro to and from Gare du Nord to pick up my brother-in-law Clark and nephew Jaron who flew in from Portland for a visit. On the way back home from the train station we were on a very, very crowded metro. After we boarded it, a couple warned us, in English, that two young girls very close to us were pickpocketing and to be careful with our valuables.
So, we kept an eye on the girls and had our guard up. At the first stop, after only a minute on the train, a bunch of people exited it and, with the crowd, we got jostled around a bit. A new batch of people got on and we started moving again. Once I regained my balance on the moving train I reached into my pocket and found that my money -- about 50 to 100 euros -- was gone. Damn!
The girls were still nearby so I confronted them. After some limited discussion in a mix of English and French, they indicated that I was crazy and got off at the next stop.
I honestly don't know if it was the girls that robbed me or if it was somebody else. It seems like they were too far away so I suspect it was another person that was behind me. But, either way, the money was gone.
Luckily, they didn't get (or want) the credit card in the same pocket or my phone in the other pocket. Those would have been a lot more painful to lose. I look at the money as a tax I need to pay for living in Paris.
Traveling on the metro in Paris you often see warnings about high pickpocket activity. We also hear about theft all the time. Some friends have had their apartment broken into, another has had her purse stolen and has been robbed at an ATM machine in our neighborhood. Our school has sent out a warning about ATM robberies near it.
Our friend Paul back in the States has a great story from his last visit to Paris. He was a bit surprised, when putting his hand into his pocket, to find another hand already there!
And despite all of this, we feel very safe in Paris, particularly in our neighborhood but also as we venture out to different parts of the city. There are definitely areas that feel a bit "rough", but I haven't been in an area yet where I feel unsafe.
With becoming more comfortable in the city, I've also become less cautious as it relates to pickpockets. I haven't worn a money belt in years and just keep my cash, credit cards, and phone in my pockets.
This past weekend I took the metro to and from Gare du Nord to pick up my brother-in-law Clark and nephew Jaron who flew in from Portland for a visit. On the way back home from the train station we were on a very, very crowded metro. After we boarded it, a couple warned us, in English, that two young girls very close to us were pickpocketing and to be careful with our valuables.
So, we kept an eye on the girls and had our guard up. At the first stop, after only a minute on the train, a bunch of people exited it and, with the crowd, we got jostled around a bit. A new batch of people got on and we started moving again. Once I regained my balance on the moving train I reached into my pocket and found that my money -- about 50 to 100 euros -- was gone. Damn!
The girls were still nearby so I confronted them. After some limited discussion in a mix of English and French, they indicated that I was crazy and got off at the next stop.
I honestly don't know if it was the girls that robbed me or if it was somebody else. It seems like they were too far away so I suspect it was another person that was behind me. But, either way, the money was gone.
Luckily, they didn't get (or want) the credit card in the same pocket or my phone in the other pocket. Those would have been a lot more painful to lose. I look at the money as a tax I need to pay for living in Paris.
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