<p>I wired him $500 several hours ago, but I wired it using his “short” name – let’s use Sam. When he went to pick up the $$$, they wouldn’t give it to him, because his passport says Samuel. </p>
<p>So I called Western Union to try to change it. They said sure, but they’d have to call me back at my home number, for verification purposes. Well, I’m not at home; I’m an hour and a half away, at work.</p>
<p>But they could cancel the old transaction and we could do it again. Great, let’s go.</p>
<p>At the end: I’m sorry, but the system will not approve your transaction. Why not? Because the system will not approve your transaction. The only alternative is to go to a Western Union office and send it.</p>
<p>So I called another one of their 1-800 numbers to try again. Same thing – went through the entire thing, until at the end – Oops, sorry; the system won’t let us! </p>
<p>No explanation.</p>
<p>So son is wandering the streets of Barcelona with zero money.</p>
<p>European robbers generally have a reputation of using trickery rather than violence that American robbers have a reputation of using. This means that tourists, attuned to and careful in avoiding the types of robbery techniques in their home countries, may be easily victimized by robbers using unfamiliar techniques.</p>
<p>FWhen my son went on a group music trip (hundreds of high school musicians), the seasoned leaders insisted that all got passport holders. They even inspected each and every one at rehearsal. Now I know why! (My son got the type that went around his neck, and he wore it at all times even though uncomfortable in hot muggy weather. The belt style may be more secure, since it can’t get cut off).</p>
<p>I really recommend the Scottevest products. The windbreaker really does not look like you have a gazillion things in the pockets. I use it all the time since I like to go walking but want to carry my inhaler and a cell phone. I am going to get my husband the hidden cargo pants for our next big trip.</p>
<p>Sigh. Son received money. I had to go to a Western Union office (which turned out to be only a mile away, at the local grocery store). Unfortunately they would only take CASH, so I had to walk 10 feet to the ATM. Luckily I had the $$$ in the account.</p>
<p>I’m furious at DH; he was totally useless by, as always, not having his cell phone with him. I left four messages for him, all of them more urgent than the last.</p>
<p>In the end, as usual, I took care of everything myself.</p>
<p>Oh wait, that’s the other thread, about who you depend on emotionally. Sorry; I got mixed up.</p>
<p>The cargo pants is good if the pockets are hidden. I understand that in some places, hands are run over & in your pockets, especially in crowded settings where you can’t move around easily. Not sure how these pants fare in such settings. I think the hidden waist pouch is the way I would go in settings where I’m not confident about safety–that’s what we did in Europe. I did have my pocket picked without my knowing in the London tube; they got 10-20 pounds that was in a coin purse & I only figured it out that night when we were preparing for bed. The rest of my valuables were in my waist pouch under my slacks.</p>
<p>Barcelona is a wonderful city but full of pickpockets. We once watched a fight that turned out to be a diversion. We later saw the thieves throwing the wallets away (empty). </p>
<p>Twomules, my husband loves his cargo pants. I am glad to find a place to get them as we bought his pair years ago at Kohls. Dockers use to make them. He still uses a money belt but we like to split everything up.</p>
<p>Tell your son not to feel bad. My daughter had her backpack with her passport in it stolen at her feet at a cafe and a friend of hers had her laptop stolen under her fingers as she sat typing at an outdoor cafe by a motorcyclist. They are clever.</p>
<p>A woman said her iPhone was stolen from her while she was using it to text at a bus stop in broad daylight in Honolulu in a “safe” area. She & her husband were astounded!</p>
<p>Crimes are generally those of opportunity (unfortunately & some with violence). Rick Steves had a LOT of warnings about distraction crimes. H had pickpockets in Rome hassling him regularly until I was finally able to convince him NOT to have things in his pockets & use the secret pouch waistpack UNDER his slacks. They would thrust cardboard, babies and all sorts of things at him, trying to reach into his pockets before then.</p>
<p>As everyone said, glad to hear there was no physical harm to your S & good that it was at the end (rather than the start) of his trip. If you use a fancy jacket or similar with lots of pockets & valuables, the thieves can force you to hand over the jacket but haven’t heard of many asking people to remove their slacks. Jackets and/or vests could also be left behind.</p>
The thread title had me worried that your S may have been hurt - I’m glad it was a theft rather than a real assault.</p>
<p>A friend of mine from England was over here (DC area) one time and was seriously assaulted in a mugging. He had to spend some time in the hospital. </p>
<p>Another American colleague of mine was in Holland on business and was assaulted there in a theft and it took a while for his knee to recover.</p>
<p>We have to be vigilant everywhere. Of course, Barcelona’s known for pickpockets and thieves as are some places in Italy so one has to be extra vigilant there.</p>
<p>I hope your S can get on with getting a passport replacement and some money soon. If he’s traveling with friends maybe he can just borrow from them and pay them back once he gets home. I assume you’ve already canceled all the credit cards and have contacted the credit bureaus to put a fraud alert on.</p>
<p>Since he’s off the family payroll, the credit cards are in his own name. He did immediately cancel them but today got an e-mail from Amazon telling him that they could not complete his “recent order.” Which of course wasn’t his order. At least they couldn’t complete it!</p>
<p>I finally got the money to him by going to a Western Union site (did you know many grocery stores and drug stores have them?), getting $500 in cash from my ATM, and sending it that way. He picked it up a very short time later and has since had a decent meal.</p>
<p>And, since it’s now 24 hours since the event, he was able to get a passport replacement already.</p>
<p>But he’s very shaken up. Nothing like this has ever happened to him. His faith in humanity has been shaken, and he’s not too wild about the Spanish right now either.</p>
<p>But I keep e-mailing him, it’s just stuff. Nothing important happened. He is unharmed.</p>
<p>Yes, the unharmed thing is very important. </p>
<p>S said his faith in humanity was shaken when his wallet & cell phone were stolen from lying on a bench in the U gym when he was gone using the bathroom. Nonetheless, he left the wallet lying on a bench when he went to a climbing wall just weeks later but fortunately, his aunt had sharp eyes & picked them up for safekeeping for him. He has not reported any thefts since, in 4+ years, nor any at all in the month he was in Taiwan or 6 weeks in Thailand, so maybe he has learned to be a bit more careful about his possession.</p>
<p>Scary when victims need a lot of medical attention & are badly hurt. :(</p>
<p>Not sure we ever stop worrying about our kids or loved ones. My mom is in her 80s & still worries about us, her “kids” as well as her grandkids. ;)</p>
That’s understandable but as he starts to relate his story he’ll hear of other examples like those posted here and realize this is behavior not unique to Spain and not typical of all Spaniards.</p>
<p>It sounds like the passport replacement happened pretty quickly. Was that a big hassle other than getting to the embassy (or wherever)?</p>
<p>It sounds like he’s back on an even keel logistically now and can move on. I hope he enjoys the rest of his time.</p>
<p>From the website of the US Consular Services:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Forewarned is forearmed. This information is available for a huge number of countries. The site also has help and emergency phone numbers in each country. A traveler can also sign up for a program that tracks and assists American travelers</p>
<p>I’m sure once he gets home and reflects upon the experience, he will realize that “the Spanish” are not to be blamed for this any more than I should think poorly of “Americans” since I was mugged in the United States. Tourist areas all over the world are full of people ready to victimize others. In your son’s case, annoying as it was, there was clearly no intent to physically harm him. In mine, I was knocked to the ground by two very large males for my purse, which probably had all of two bucks in it. I have not lost my faith in humanity, but I am very, very careful now in tourist areas and never go out and about alone at night.</p>
He has not reported any thefts since, in 4+ years, nor any at all in the month he was in Taiwan or 6 weeks in Thailand, so maybe he has learned to be a bit more careful about his possession.</p>