Pickpockets in Prague
byWhen in Prague, Czech your Wallet We hit the cobblestones as soon as we had dropped our bags and admired our room in King…
When in Prague, Czech your Wallet We hit the cobblestones as soon as we had dropped our bags and admired our room in King…
Bob Arno, a security consultant [as well as a comedy stage pickpocket], is the world’s most prominent pickpocket. Speaking to 02B, Arno lifts the…
Prowling and preying with impunity, the pickpocket pair cared little about hiding their business. Yet none of the mighty swirling masses intent on going…
One day in Spain and we are bombarded with sad stories, particularly of crime in Madrid. Crime in Madrid 1. Madrid Metro: A couple…
While pickpocketing and bag snatching are said to be fairly common in Mumbai, Bob and I feel a visitor is less likely to become…
“We do what you do,” Bob told the poker-faced pickpocket. “Same job.” Looking at his blank expression, it wasn’t clear that he understood. Perhaps…
Beware, pickpockets are working here. That’s the first thing an international visitor sees when entering Sweden at Stockholm Arlanda Airport. Face level signs are…
Wondering about street crime in Nassau, Bahamas? First we witness a tourist robbery, then meet another tourist just robbed at gunpoint. We’re standing on…
Barcelona pickpocket statistics Barcelona visitors experienced 6,000 thefts per day during 2009’s tourist season. 115,055 pickpocketings and bag snatches in Barcelona were reported in…
Papua New Guinea Would a slathering of Dijon tempt the formerly (?) (supposedly) cannibalistic highland villagers? I couldn’t get myself to attempt the experiment….
Thieves are thick on Lisbon’s two main tourist trams, 15 and 28. Within five minutes of arriving at a tram stop for #28, we’d…
When my friend, Stephen Kane, described what he witnessed on a recent afternoon in Buenos Aires, I begged him to write it down for…
Message to Telsta executive pickpocket victim: don’t beat yourself up. It happens to lots of visitors to Barcelona. So many, that events are starting…
In Johannesburg for a string of corporate shows, we managed to find and talk to three pickpockets, one of whom claimed to be reformed….
Bob and I looked at each other in disbelief. Only we knew the incredible odds we’d just beaten. To stroll into Rome’s Termini, the…
What is a perfect pickpocket victim? Let’s look at the anatomy of a pickpocket victim. I’m thinking of a couple I saw in Barcelona…
Over-confidence is the enemy of travelers in unfamiliar lands. The know-it-all risks loss and embarrassment. Henry started his story with the wistful remark we’ve…
Sandy and Frances thought little of the gaggle of girls who flopped onto the bench they were resting on. There were more girls than…
Adrian has been a living statue on Barcelona’s Ramblas for two years. He was a chef in Romania before, and part owner of a…
When you research your destination, check on crime and security issues, too. Knowing what commonly happens and where gives you the edge. The goal…
Rome, Italy—Termini Station serves up buses, trains, and the subway. Four long rows of ticket machines busily dispense tickets and confound travelers. Traffic is…
Caught-in-the-act criminals aren’t always keen on conversation. “Why I should talk to you!” some say. We’ve been threatened with rocks, hit, spit upon, flipped…
The Bolshoi Bandits and the Crosswalk Czar In which Bob Arno and his fancy accessory spy on the Russians. St. Petersburg, Russia— I was…
Pickpockets in St. Petersburg St. Petersburg, a few weeks later—We loaded ourselves with video equipment this time, and headed straight for the Metro corner….
St. Petersburg— “They think I robbed you,” he said. By then it must have been obvious to the cops that we were not Mohammed’s…
St. Petersburg—Pseudo-cops!” we thought: bandits who pretend to be police. We’re about to be robbed! At the same time, I thought: no, we’re about…
St. Petersburg pickpockets St. Petersburg—we were surrounded by five hostile faces. Shaking inside, we stood firm until the men stalked off. Bob and I…
St. Petersburg— The beefiest of the five Mongolian thugs shoved his fist in front of Bob’s face, thrust forward his chin, and stared. Bob…
A family visit to Stockholm turned into a media circus. How did they know we were in town? First was an interview for an…
In a quick visit to Rome last month, Bob and I found it pretty quiet on the streets, theft-wise. Granted, we only spent a…