Europe is safe when it comes to violent crimes.
But it is very dangerous from a petty purse-snatching, bag grabbing,
pickpocket point of view. Thieves target Americans because most are
loaded down with valuables and stand out in an international tourist
crowd. They know Americans like to travel with "all their new good
stuff" in their bags and wallets. European tourists know to leave what
you want to keep--at home and know what to watch for so they don't get
"picked".
Thieves know the best places
to "farm" tourists is where they gather and are possibly jet-lagged and
distracted such as, in and out of train stations, on trains, parking lots,
popular bus and subway routes, and outside popular sights--places you don't
want to avoid. If you're not prepared
for this fact of life in Europe, you'll likely have something
stolen.
In the 20 years I've been traveling, I've never
had anything stolen or had my room rifled or my car broken into. I
have had a half dozen direct attempts made on me and have been jostled allot
on crowded buses and subways. The youngest thief I've come up against--around
age 5--made a run-by grab for my day pack (which was sitting on the floor
between me and our locker) as my traveling companions and I were unloading
our train locker in the "safe-feeling-let your guard down" village
of Arnheim. I had stepped in side the pack shoulder strap circle--and
only got my leg jerked and my adrenalin running full speed! Another
memorable attempt was made on 3 of us jet lagged, bag toting women,
all in a row on a London subway escalator. Our clever thief tried to
trip us up in a pile as the escalator reached our destination. Fortunately
my daughter (who was leading our pack) and I caught the gist of his
plan--I backed down the forward moving stairs and and she looked the bending
thief in the eye and said toughly "Don't you Dare!" He straightened
up and quckly fled with his un-dropped newspaper still in his hand. That
experience woke us up and inspired the article:
Create an Easy Entry
to Europe!
Remember, nearly all crimes suffered
by tourists are Non-violent and
Avoidable. Be aware
of the pitfalls of traveling but relax and have fun. Limit your
vulnerability rather than your travels. Most of the people you run
into are on your side. If you exercise adequate discretion, aren't
overly trusting, and don't put yourself into risky situations, your travels
should be about as dangerous as shopping in your hometown K-mart. Don't
travel afraid--Travel carefully.
Here are steps you can take to decrease your chances
of having a thief successfully accomplish his/her mission.
1. WEAR A MONEY
BELT. Your Money
Belt worn under your waist band is your key to peace of mind and safety of
your fortune and passport. I never travel without one. A money
belt is a small pouch that buckles around the waist under your pants or skirt.
You wear it completely hidden from sight, tucked in like a shirttail.
Our favorite is the ETBD's light weight, fast drying nylon-zippered
money belt for $8
(see catalog)
. Many others add too much bulk.
My money belt is my foundation garment that influences
other clothing I take on my trip. If bottoms don't fit over my filled
money belt, they stay home. Since a Money Belt Only Works if I Keep It in
My Pants, I don't want to be tempted to take it off and leave it in my room
or day bag because the only clean pair of pants I have won't fit with it
on! In addition, All waist bands must have some elastic for easy
money belt access--for me only. For more detail re. dressing for
safety, check out my article on
selecting clothing
to make your trip smoother .
Here are some moneybelt precautions. Don't
ever leave your money belt "hidden" on the beach while you take a swim.
You are better off leaving it in your hotel room. Hostelers
should take their moneybelt with them to bed and to the shower. In
this latter case, bring a water tight ziplock and clothes pin so you can
hang it from the shower head. And if you are in hot Spain (ore somewhere
else) in August and are tempted to take your sweaty moneybelt off and stash
it in your purse or daybag. DON'T. I have some clients who told me
that their money belt with everything got picked out of their bag with out
their knowledge "......even with me clutching it to me all the time".
(Hhhmmmm, clutching along with
fanny
packs and camera bags seem to be a signal to the better pickpockets to
pick)
2. Pack Light with your Money
Belt: Packing
light principles apply to your moneybelt as well as your suitcase. Here
is what I pack in my moneybelt:
PASSPORT:
You are legally supposed to have it
with you at all times. PLANE
TICKETS: Put essential pages in
your moneybelt, non-essential pages in
your suitcase. RAILPASSES/CAR
VOUCHERS: These are
as valuable as
cash. DRIVER'S LICENSE:
Useful as an ID almost everywhere in Europe
and necessary for car
rentals. CREDIT CARDS: Must have for
car rentals, and of course great
for purchases. ATM
CARD:
A
Visa debit card is by far the most reliable for ATMs (much cheaper than
a Credit card cash
advance) CASH: Useful
for small currency exchanges before you leave a country and for when you
come home. PHONE CARD: For calls back home.
Don't use it to call within--Cheaper with local phone
card. TRAVELERS
CHECKS:
A
Keep a few in your moneybelt along with up to date receipt log. Keep
the bulk of them in
your suitcase--they are
replaceable. PLASTIC SHEATH;
Moneybelts get slimy
and sweaty and so do their contents if they aren't protected
in
a
plastic container.
I use a cut down 1 quart
baggie. PRESCRIPTIONS;
Carry copies of necessary
prescriptions
here. ADDRESS LIST;
Printing small, make
a list of every number of importance in your life.
3. Reservation & Rail Pass
Validation
Vulnerability. My worst
moment is when I have to pull my railpass and passport out of my moneybelt
in a busy train station--fuzzy brained from jet-lag--before I can use my
pass. Ideally we won't need our railpasses right away. That
means we can get some sleep, and return to the station after "rush hours"
and without our luggage to validate them and make any reservations
we need. When I have to do this in a train station I'm not familiar
with, I take a walk through and find the reservation or validation window,
and then check out where the closest WC is. My traveling partners and
I get very clear on how we are going to get out our important papers, validate
the passes, and then get them back into our moneybelts, My favorite
way of handling these tasks is in a small village station where one window
does it all and thieves don't stop. (see
how to validate your railpass).
4. Operate with a half day's
spending money in your pocket. .
You won't need to get into
your money belt for every little expense or toilet tariff. Your money
money belt is your deep storage--for select deposits and withdrawals. I
carry a coin purse that opens wide enough so everyone around me can see that
I only have a few local bucks inside--even less when I make my purchase.
This includes the ticket seller who will give me a "thumbs down" as
a "pickpocket target" to who ever s/he is working with "out there". Some
men have told me they no longer carry wallets--but wear shirts with front
zippered pockets where they carry their spending cash. All their "wallet
type things" are safely ticked in their money belts. . .
5. Credit Card
Safety. Although I can use
my credit card to purchase seat reservations plus train and museum tickets,
I DON'T I pay cash for these or figure out how to
Pre-Pay
for them by credit card. Ohhhhh, I hear all of you who planned
to put everything on your credit card, groaning. Fact
of Life. If you want your credit card at the end of your trip--KEEP
IT IN YOUR MONEY BELT UNDER YOUR WAIST BAND AND ONLY BRING IT OUT IN "SAFE"
ENVIRONMENTS. I generally use my credit card in restaurants, my hotel, local
department and grocery stories, gas stations. If I feel very safe,
I'll pull out my money belt at the point of purchase, take out the credit
card --pay,--and then tuck it all back into my skirt or pants. If I
don't feel so safe, I find the nearest toilet/WC and make my withdrawal and
deposits in the privacy of a stall.
Reporting a lost or stolen credit card from Europe
can be a real challenge. It took me 11 days and 3 countries before
I found an english speaking waitress in a Paris Pizza Hut, who creatively
helped me get my lost card reported. Even Lafayette Department store's tourist
center in Paris couldn't help me. To avoid this kind of stress, I now
make photo copies of all my credit cards front and back (where 1-800
reporting # is) and leave this copy with a friend/relative at home. Now should
I loose a credit card, I can call my friend and ask her to report it for
me. (1 800 numbers don't work out of Europe) .
