- Avoid putting your money in the same place: the wallet is one of the priority targets for pickpockets. It’s best to spread your money in different places. If you get robbed, you can be sure you still have cash with you. Using a secret belt or ticket cover allows you to keep your passport, money and credit card safe from thieves. If possible, keep the minimum amount of money on you, even if you have frequent foreign exchange transactions.
- Bring a small bag to keep your valuables: the bag must be small enough to be able to follow you everywhere, whether in the toilet, or during the journeys. You will choose it from a discreet color so as not to attract the attention of people with bad intentions. Valuable items such as jewellery should not be allowed during travel. Even cameras, cameras or laptops should be kept as far away from the public as possible. In any case, be sure to place them at the bottom of your backpack to make them inaccessible.
- Keep an eye on your luggage: when you travel, some of your luggage may be placed in a hold or luggage rack. Choose a location where you can maintain eye contact or, if difficult, at least have the ability to easily access it to check them. This way, you can react as quickly as possible if someone tries to steal your backpack, for example.
- Secure your travel bag: there are many ways on the market to secure your luggage and avoid flight on holiday. The best known is certainly the padlock. If you are travelling to the United States, you should opt for a TSA-coded padlock. It allows U.S. security guards to perform custom checks without damaging the padlock or luggage when using special tools. You can also use the Pacsafe which is a device covering the entire backpack and which proves very effective. Failing that, the rain cover has a good deterrent effect because it prevents the thief from accessing your bag or pockets directly. In the same spirit, the chain associated with the padlock is a solid bulwark, even if it is not very discreet.
- Keep one or more copies of your important papers: before you leave, make photocopies of your passport and important documents. As a precaution, distribute copies in your luggage and send copies in your inbox or on a cloud platform.
2 tips in case of aggression
- Do not resist: make the hero and risk stabbings or get beaten for a few euros is a bad option. As you have taken the precaution of distributing your money, the thief will leave with a meagre booty. It must be understood that being a victim of a pickpocket while travelling is less serious than being hospitalized or undergoing surgery following an assault. Not to mention the cost, it would mean the end of your vacation.
- Give the thief a decoy: no one wants to be a victim of a holiday robbery. However, having prepared a wallet with local currency and a few euros can allow you to save the rest of your money and avoid pickpockets and pickpockets.
3 tips on what to do
- Don’t look like a visitor: the tourist is the main target of a pickpocket. You should avoid going out with a card or guide to avoid pickpockets and thieves. Don’t forget to learn about the dangerous or bad places of the city through the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the blogs of travelers on the web or directly from the local population. Don’t be too sighted when you go out to avoid pickpockets and thieves. If you need to take out a valuable item like a camera or camera in public, hide it once you’ve used it. Also, always put your phone in your pocket and prefer headphones to headphones.
- Don’t show your fear: the weaker you look, the more the thief will come after you. In the street, walk straight and with a firm step. Take a determined approach, show that you have confidence in yourself. A potential pickpocket will think twice before stealing from you if it feels confident. Do not pay attention to verbal attacks and other provocations. Also, avoid criticizing the regime or customs of the country you are visiting. In the same vein, it is advisable to respect the dress codes specific to certain countries.
- Be vigilant: don’t get distracted. Do not stray into sparsely frequented areas and only take “safe” means of locomotion, especially at night. Without going so far as paranoia, do not trust the first comer. At the hotel, keep your important documents and money in the safe of your room. If not, use the reception one. If not, lock your valuables in your suitcase with a padlock.
These little things will make you a savvy person and “a savvy man is worth two,” it’s well known. However, more than tricks to avoid pickpockets and thieves, these are reflexes that should be assimilated, you may also have others to share?
