Hotel oddity #49 – Bedside control
Can you read this? I love bedside controls, but this one was tricky. The buttons were small, the text tiny, icons obscure. Who designed…
Hamidovic Pickpocket Network—Fagin is alive!
Fagin—heard of him? An 1837 fiction. Hamidovic—know that name? He’s an actual, living, pickpocket kingpin. Reality. Hamidovic, arrested in late 2010, ran a network…
Sexy Pickpocket
Ego-stroking sex-based scams target vulnerable loners, or those who appear to be single. In a bar scene or come-on, some people suck up flirtation…
Unethical Blogger
Steal. Drink and snack from the hotel mini-bar, the unethical blogger advises in his unethical December 10, 2014 article. Go ahead and have a…
Hotel Oddity #48. Shangri-la tea
This intriguing basket was waiting in our room when we checked into the Shangri-La hotel in Singapore. It had been a long journey for…
FedEx delivery failure – boxes fall off truck
So, I’m expecting a couple of packages. The FedEx tracking site says they’re “on vehicle for delivery.” Yippee! When your box falls off a…
Arlanda shopping trick—offensive
Like shopping? Like to be forced into shopping? Ever feel like boycotting a store because of the arrogant manner shown towards its customers? Arlanda…
Four Seasons Hotel Perfection—Hotel Oddity #47
What has the Four Seasons Sultanahmet in Istanbul not thought of? I’ve already written about its coffee delivered with wake-up call, a practice worthy…
Paris pickpockets – kids you wouldn’t suspect
“No, no, I won’t steal from you,” the little boy says. “You’re my brother! Family! Family!” He touches his heart, repeating “family, family.” He…
Pickpockets in Paris
Pickpocketing in Paris is out of control. Or rather, the pickpockets in Paris are in control. The police arrest them regularly then see the…
Airport survival
Sometimes an exhausted traveler just has to give in and conk out. You can intend to be productive. You can try to be productive….
Wake-up call — Hotel Oddity #46
Four Seasons wake-up call: great morning! I recently had the great fortune to stay in the Four Seasons Hotel in Istanbul’s Sultanahmet district. The…
Nigerian torture officers
“Torture has become such an integral part of policing in Nigeria that many stations have an informal torture officer, Amnesty International says. “Both the…
Massive smartphone theft ring busted in London
Pickpockets are free to steal as usual on London’s Tube and trains, but they’ve lost their biggest buyers of smartphones. British Transport Police nabbed…
Romanian beggars
I recently wrote about beggars on the streets of Stockholm. I observed that an abundance of beggars are now stationed in the streets, and…
Romanian Pickpockets in Romania
The pickpocket pair was plain as day to us. And we were just as obvious to them: tourists—by definition, filthy rich and fair game….
Fresh Swedish potatoes
In Stockholm, it’s that time of year. Fresh, delicious, Swedish potatoes. Get them in the neighborhood grocery stores, dirt and all. I’ve never seen…
Hotel Oddity #45
Window magic at Hotel Luna Baglioni I was happy to discover that all three windows opened in my beautiful room at Hotel Luna Baglioni….
Stealing credit cards on trains
So, we’re standing at a bar near the train station, drinking espresso with pickpockets in Naples (how we got here is described in Part…
Coffee with pickpockets in Naples
Coffee with Thieves An August Sunday in Naples. Holiday time for all of Europe and most shops were shut. We bought bus tickets at…
Overcharge scam or accidental mistake?
Overcharge Scam “Do you take credit cards?” “Si, signora,” the salesman replied. “How much is this pepper grinder?” “€12.90.” So why was the credit…
Beggars in Stockholm
Beggars in Stockholm—everywhere! Just a few years ago, one never saw beggars in Stockholm. Today, one never sees Swedish beggars, but beggars from Romania…
Hotel Oddity #44
The mysterious case of the dirty toilet This time, the “hotel” is my own six-star guest room. We’d been away for six weeks and…
Naples pickpocket Angelo sighted
Guest Post Dear Bob Arno and Bambi Vincent, I want to thank you for your information. Before I went to Naples I searched for…
Pickpockets on Rome Metro
Hunting Pickpockets on Rome Metro As we rode the steep escalator to the depths of Rome’s Termini Station we marveled at the swirling, pushing,…
Theft deterrent?
Stop, thief! All you have to do is ask. Rather, tell the thief: “Stop. I’m not yours.” Cute. This method hadn’t occurred to me…
Venetian glass beads, blown live in Venice studio
Serendipitous finds are one of the joys of travel. In Venice, the rule is wander, get lost, and head away from the unbearably crowded…
Pickpockets on trains
Unfamiliar fingers fiddled with the flap of my bag. I let them. My American Express card was in the purse, along with a small…
Bugs in Hotels — Hotel Oddity #43
NIGHTMARES, ANYONE? These curtains look ordinary at first glance. Who scrutinizes the design on hotel room curtains? But your eyes have registered the subtle…
Springfield IL airport
Here it is, 2014, and we are in the airport of Springfield IL, the capital of Illinois. I’m amused to see the actual, in-use,…