4 ms·

I can confirm this first hand. Two pickpockets tried to get my stuff in Barcelona. One had his hand in my left pocket with my cell phone, the other one in the r

by sp_ 16y ago

I can confirm this first hand. Two pickpockets tried to get my stuff in Barcelona. One had his hand in my left pocket with my cell phone, the other one in the right pocket with my wallet and passport. Sorry, folks, but my jeans pockets are like monkey traps. If you grab anything in there you won't be able to get your hand out. They pickpockets figured that out quickly and ran off without any loot. Tight jeans saved my vacation.

kirubakaran 16y ago
Gradual castration victim or easy pickpocket victim? Tradeoffs, tradeoffs...
ugh 16y ago
Ah, damn. I should have known that. My wallet was stolen in Barcelona. (The police was super nice, everyone in the German consulate was extremely grumpy. Since only 50€ and my ID card were stolen I didn’t care one bit and continued traveling all around Europe as planned even though – as the woman in the German consulate grumpily told me – that is most definitely verboten. Open borders are nice.)
hammock 16y ago
Barcelona is really bad. I lived there for a while, and was never pickpocketed but was attempted multiple times, each time in the metro down at the south end of Las Ramblas. I have seen people's wallets get picked in the tourist areas. This is the same area where all the shell game people are. I was eating in a cafe with a girl once in Gracia, and her bag was stolen off the chair next to her (dumb of her to put it there, dumb of me for not warning her or paying more attention). Another time I was out at night with friends, and the girl walking in front of me on the sidewalk had her shoulderbag straight ripped off her arm by a speeding moto, knocking her to the ground. The key I think is awareness of your surroundings, and preventive measures like checking your belongings regularly (I have a habit of tapping my pockets when passing people etc). And don't go into any place where you feel uncomfortable.
shin_lao 16y ago
No, the lack of skills of the pickpockets saved your vacations. Pickpocketing is based on diverting the mark's attention. If a hot girl touches your arm and look at you in the eyes with a vivid smile, you won't feel the hand searching for your pocket. I'm pretty sure someone could put a leg in your back pocket and you wouldn't still feel a thing! The real protection is to have your money inside your belt or similar location and just have decoys in your pockets.

by sp_ 16y ago

kirubakaran 16y ago

Gradual castration victim or easy pickpocket victim? Tradeoffs, tradeoffs...

ugh 16y ago

Ah, damn. I should have known that. My wallet was stolen in Barcelona. (The police was super nice, everyone in the German consulate was extremely grumpy. Since only 50€ and my ID card were stolen I didn’t care one bit and continued traveling all around Europe as planned even though – as the woman in the German consulate grumpily told me – that is most definitely verboten. Open borders are nice.)

hammock 16y ago

Barcelona is really bad. I lived there for a while, and was never pickpocketed but was attempted multiple times, each time in the metro down at the south end of Las Ramblas. I have seen people's wallets get picked in the tourist areas. This is the same area where all the shell game people are. I was eating in a cafe with a girl once in Gracia, and her bag was stolen off the chair next to her (dumb of her to put it there, dumb of me for not warning her or paying more attention). Another time I was out at night with friends, and the girl walking in front of me on the sidewalk had her shoulderbag straight ripped off her arm by a speeding moto, knocking her to the ground. The key I think is awareness of your surroundings, and preventive measures like checking your belongings regularly (I have a habit of tapping my pockets when passing people etc). And don't go into any place where you feel uncomfortable.

shin_lao 16y ago

No, the lack of skills of the pickpockets saved your vacations. Pickpocketing is based on diverting the mark's attention. If a hot girl touches your arm and look at you in the eyes with a vivid smile, you won't feel the hand searching for your pocket. I'm pretty sure someone could put a leg in your back pocket and you wouldn't still feel a thing! The real protection is to have your money inside your belt or similar location and just have decoys in your pockets.