<p>I know everyone is trying to be politically correct here but let’s face it. Barcelona is notorious for pick pockets. The unemployment rate of 21% is astronomical. When I was there last time our English tour guide told me that he was very concerned about the American HS kids we were chaperoning being robbed. We walked very quickly, continually told the kids to keep up, one adult in front, one in back. More than once I yelled in Spanish to keep others from approaching our kids. The information from the State Department is accurate. They distract and steal. I asked our Barcelona tour guide why the police don’t do more and he told me that they just gave up. That many Americans don’t even file a police report. They just go get another passport and go home.</p>
<p>How is it being politically correct to suggest that pickpockets in Barcelona don’t represent all Spaniards?</p>
<p>Very Happy - Oh, I so sorry to hear this! I am happy he is safe and hope he quickly gets his bearings. I am sure he keeps replaying the scene and thinking, “If only…”</p>
<p>One of our family’s favorite stories is when our older daughter went to Spain with HS group, they were chaperoned by the principal, her Spanish teacher (his wife) and one or two other teachers. Prior to leaving, the administration conducted several meetings with the students advising them on the dangers of Barcelona, where to keep their passport and wallet, telling them to avoid gypsies & of course the dire consequences of misbehavior. </p>
<p>DAY 1 of TRIP - Coming up an escalator, some people tripped and of course the principal bent down to help them.</p>
<p>Guess who got his pocket picked??? Students were hysterical. Fortunately, the principal and his wife both had a good sense of humor and took the ribbing very well. </p>
<p>I hope someday soon your son will put this episode in the “Boy, do I have a story for you” category.</p>
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<p>Agreed. What Americans might not realize is tourists to the US get the exact same warnings. Here is one from Canadian Consular services, warning us about Florida. This took two second to retrieve but there are many such others. Every govt does this, except not about their own countries, lol. Everything is scary when its somewhere else it seems. </p>
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<p>Very Happy, I’m so sorry, but extremely glad he wasn’t hurt, and that you were able to send him some money (what a frustrating experience). Unfortunately I’ve heard similar stories from more than one friend who was victimized by a scam like that in a train station in Spain (one of them on an escalator, if I remember correctly). My son is going to be traveling by train quite a bit in Germany this summer, and is not known for being particularly careful, although he had no problems in Vienna last fall. (He’s the absent-minded type, and I’ve been with him at times when I see his wallet sticking halfway out of his pants pocket or falling out of his jacket!) I think I need to have another talk with him about this subject.</p>
<p>Oh man, VH. This sucks. My DH was pickpocketed in Madrid, so feel free to generalize about the spaniards 
Fortunately at the time he was with a coworker who had some cash so they went on to their next location (Brussels). Tried to get a “quick replacement credit card” from the local AmEx facility. Despite all the ads you see on TV, they were not quick and would not deliver to the hotel (claimed it was specific to Belgium-- who knows). Fortunatley he didnt lose his passport.I am so sorry for your son’s challenges, and your Wire transfer fiasco. At least he is safe.</p>
<p>glad he is ok.</p>
<p>when I traveled through Europe, I kept all my credit cards and passport in a waste pouch. Luckily I didn’t have any problems. I tried to read as much as I could about potential scams and theft strategies. For my vigilance, I was rewarded with the passport scanning machine in Paris unable to scan the barcode on my passport, and have the person tell me that I “should really keep it flat” as I explained that I had been carrying it for a month around my waste in an effort to be careful. They did eventually let me on the train, and when I got off in London, I was pulled out of the line of all the people exiting the train by a security guy, who looked at my passport and asked me more questions. Guess they forwarded my picture ahead, heh.</p>
<p>Sorry to hear about your son’s misfortune. At least he’s safe. My D had her wallet and passport taken in Moscow. I had some problems getting money to her through Western Union too, but she did get it. She also had problems in the Moscow Western Union office–they wanted her to show an ID. Duh–her passport was stolen! Can’t remember how she worked it out, but she did get the money. It is pretty disconcerting to be without an ID or money. I lost my wallet today. It’s not fun and I was only 80 miles from home–not across the ocean.</p>
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<p>Actually, a fair number of countries do list warning to tourist on that country’s website of domestic areas that present problems to tourists. In Brazil, there is a website of the Rio tourist policia that tells tourists what to avoid and gives information and phone numbers for assistance.</p>
<p>Thank you all very much for your support. It means a lot to me.</p>
<p>I sent him an email at 6:00 PM last night – midnight Barcelona time – with the subject line, “I Hope You’re Sleeping.” Got a reply back – Nope! He was still too wired up, still too angry and upset. He went for a run at 1:00 AM (ouch – sure hope he was careful) and this AM I have an email asking me to check and see if his driver’s license is in his room at home. </p>
<p>He will hold this experience very tightly for a long time and brood and brood. </p>
<p>But Yes, he will eventually get over it, for the most part, and be older and wiser for the experience.</p>
<p>H lose his wallet years ago in Paris. We’re not sure if his bag was picked or if it was open and fell out. Fortunately, he did not lose his passport, but lost his credit cards, green card, driver’s license, and $100 cash. I was able to fax a photocopy of his green card to him and cancelled cc’s. When he returned we replaced his driver’s license and were just about to make the long trip to Chicago to replace his green card when the wallet arrived in the mail from the US Embassy. Apparently, someone had dropped it in a mailbox and it was delivered to the Embassy. We got everything back except the cash. </p>
<p>I’ve traveled all over the world, as a family and by myself. I’ve never had anything touched. But I am always obsessively aware of what’s going on around me. The only place I worse a money pouch under my clothes was Rio, and even then I never felt uncomfortable. Well, only once, but I was prepared. We wanted to go to a real samba club. Someone told us about one in a not so nice neighborhood. We went to the show which was mainly for Puerto Rican cruise ship tourists and then stayed for the dancing. The place was literally packed. No way, you could move without rubbing up against other “dancers.” But we only had a bit of cash on us and photocopies of our papers. Didn’t really have a problem, and I was glad to see the most humongous bouncer frisking everyone coming in.</p>
<p>I just returned yesterday from Naples and was worried, but again nothing happened, even in the crowded tourist sites and at a huge political rally. H & I carried different credit cards, a bit of cash, and I always use safety pins on pockets/purse pockets where valuables are kept. Things can’t be lifted quickly from pockets. It there’s a zipper, put the safety pin just behind the pull when it’s closed.</p>
<p>The gypsy women or children offer tourists a sprig of lavender or rosemary. If you take it, they start demanding a ‘gift’ in return. When you refuse, they start screaming at you…collecting a crowd…which conceals pickpockets. </p>
<p>Our tour group was also targeted by a pickpocket in Sevilla…fortunately, our guide recognized him from a previous encounter! </p>
<p>I’m not prejudiced against Spain. It’s just I was there last. </p>
<p>I have Disneyworld stories too…</p>
<p>This is my favorite ‘recommendation’ for travelers. Their bags have steel cable running through the straps so no one can ‘cut and run’ as well as steel mesh throughout the fabric. </p>
<p>[Pacsafe</a> Anti-Theft Bags & Travel Security Products](<a href=“Pacsafe Official | Shop Online For Anti-Theft Backpacks & Travel Gear”>http://www.pacsafe.com/www/index.php)</p>
<p>VH…so sorry to hear about this but I’m glad he’s not hurt. When will he be returning home? At this point, it sounds like he’ll be “very happy” to be here. The inconvenience of losing things in a foreign country is…well…a PITA.</p>
<p>Thumper, assuming he stays according to plan, he leaves Barcelona on Sunday, for Madrid, and then leaves Madrid next Wed AM and arrives in the US at noon. He’s so upset, though, that I told him he should consider heading to Madrid sooner. I think being away from the city where the bad stuff happened will make him feel better.</p>
<p>VH - so sorry to hear about what happened to your son. I’m glad you were able to help him out and I hope the rest of his trip is trouble-free.</p>
<p>Oh, VH, I’m so sorry to hear about your son’s troubles. I hope his travel back to the US will be uneventful. Time will heal a lot of “wounds”.</p>
<p>My kids went to school in Florence, Italy for a couple of years. S1’s school was right on Piazza Santa Croce. The kids would spend recess hanging out the windows watching the pickpockets work. Things my son learned: 1. Don’t worry so much about the gypsies, it is the guys in black leather jackets that are the real deal. They do not even need a distraction – they can just walk past and your wallet is gone. 2. They don’t want your passport, credit cards, atm, etc. They want your cash. The kids all knew where the pickpockets would dump the wallets after they stripped the cash out. Son said there were always passports, drivers licenses, etc. there but never cash. 3. The surest way to get picked is to look like a tourist. Sounds easy to understand, but he said they would watch Italians walk across the plaza with purses hanging open, completely distracted, etc. and they wouldn’t touch them. But a group of tourist would draw them like flies. When son travels in Italy now he always carries cash loose in his front pocket and a single credit card in his other front pocket.</p>
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<p>Nobody would want to root around in that! :)</p>
<p>My BIL just had his money and wallet stolen in France; sorry, I don’t remember which city. A group of girls were in his face about something, and he kept shooing them away. He looks down and sees his fanny pack is unzipped (my daughter tried to warn him about wearing a fannypack; nothing like looking like a tourist!) He saw the girls in front of him, took off after them and strong armed one of the girls (he is a deputy.) He told her in no uncertain terms that he wanted his wallet back, and now!! With that his wallet appears on the ground, where she informs him he must have dropped it. His wallet was intact along with his money clip-minus the money. He let the girl go and she and her friends took off.</p>
<p>Most of the pickpocketers are experts at their trade, and all we can do is not stand out as tourist, kept our belongings as safe as we can. I think short of keeping our money in our underpants or maybe our shoe, a career criminal could get a hold of it with enough distractions on our part.</p>
<p>Our girls and I always carry large handbags. Our bags are so big, and we carry so much crap in those bags, I don’t think anyone could find our wallets even if they wanted to (we certainly couldn’t). I don’t know where H carries his wallet. We are off next week to Italy for 2 weeks. We will certainly keep an eye on our stuff.</p>