Traveling? Don’t be Self-Ripped
byPickpockets, thieves, and con artists aren’t to be blamed for all losses. When you travel, don’t rip yourself off due to ignorance or naiveté….
Travel
Stolen bag tag
byWho steals bag tags, and why? It couldn’t have fallen off. I had just received my Star Alliance 1K tags from United and, having…
Hotel sex sounds survey
byDo you like hearing the sounds of lovemaking from the hotel room next to yours? I’ve had my fair share of overhearing neighbors in…
Hotel oddity #33
byCadiz hotel mystery knobs. What could they be for? They’re way up there, beyond my tiptoed reach. There were no connectors, no hoses—not even…
The Thieves of Naples—part 9
byNAPLES, ITALY, the week before christmas. We now have to rush to our last meeting with Franco outside Mergellina station. It’s 5:00 and Michele…
The Thieves of Naples—part 8
byNAPLES, ITALY, the week before christmas. After his demonstration of hard bargaining, pickpockets Angelo and Luciano smoke on the narrow balcony while we chat…
The Thieves of Naples—part 7
byNAPLES, ITALY, the week before christmas. Michele arrives promptly at Circumvesuviana station with his brother Lucca. Lucca’s nice to have along, and also helps…
The Thieves of Naples—part 6
byNAPLES, ITALY, the week before christmas. Leaving our hotel at 12:30 to meet Michele for our 1:30 appointment with Luciano, we pass by the…
The Thieves of Naples—part 5
byNAPLES, ITALY, the week before christmas. At the Piazza Garibaldi bus stop outside the main train station Michele goes to buy a bus ticket…
The Thieves of Naples—part 4
byNAPLES, ITALY, the week before christmas. We take the tram to Circumvesuviana train station to meet Michele, with whom we intend to go find…
The Thieves of Naples—part 3
byThe Thieves of Naples NAPLES, ITALY, the week before christmas. At Osteria Tonino, a small family restaurant, we were seated with friends of the…
The Thieves of Naples—part 2
byNAPLES, ITALY, the week before christmas. Everywhere we go, people recognize Bob from the film. They stop in cars in the street (1:30 a.m….
The Thieves of Naples
byNAPLES, ITALY, the week before christmas. POURING rain. 3:30 p.m. and it’s already dark, with gushing rivers flowing through the streets. Our luggage didn’t…
Hotel oddity #32
byHotels are getting personal. The Holberg Hotel in Bergen, Norway, wants to be sure its guests know how to do a breast exam.
Sfogliatelle!
byIf this doesn’t make you drool, well, try the lower photo. Sfogliatelli must be the most exquisite pastry ever invented. Found only in Naples,…
Hotel room theft
byIt happens. For the most part, it’s rare. At the risk of tempting fate, I’ll admit that we’ve never been victims of hotel theft,…
Hotel guests: read all about ’em
bySo much personal information on display at quaint, old-fashioned hotels like the one we recently stayed at in Bali. Which rooms are occupied? What…
Hotel Oddity #31
byWhat the hell happened to the sink? Why is its plumbing all bandaged? Is it insulation in case of a freeze tonight? Are the…
Scenic tunnels
byNorway is undoubtedly scenic. Spectacular! Though I travel up and down the country every year or so, I rarely take pictures because a camera…
Pig organ soup
byHere’s a restaurant in Singapore I didn’t try. In addition to its famous pig organ soup, the specialty restaurant pushes portions of pig livers,…
Portrait of a hanger thief
byThis man had weighed his bag and was now shedding stuff when I saw him at the check-in counter in Pisa airport. What he…
Child phone thieves answer questions
byFlorin and his 13-year-old pal emphasize that they are not pickpockets—they are phone thieves. They steal phones from tabletops, not from people. The distinction…
PowerKiss
byI found this red circle embedded in the wooden table at a coffee shop in the Helsinki airport. Next to it was a little…
Hotel oddity #30
by“Thief!” That’s my hotel accusing me, before it even knows me. What kind of customer relations is that? I feel insulted when I find…
Bob Arno pickpocketed in Bali—video
byWhat kind of monkey business is going on when the thief rejects cash and throws bills taken from the pocket onto the ground? Watch…
Bag tag sabotage
byFor various reasons, my luggage is hard to steal from. I take hundreds of flights every year, and so far, thank goodness, nothing has…
TSA thieves
by“New figures out today show 381 TSA officers have been fired for stealing from passengers and their luggage, and members of Congress think that…
Bag theft epidemic at Atlanta Airport carousel
byAtlanta Airport Police tell a business traveler that luggage theft from the carousel is currently an “epidemic” and “out of control.” The busines-traveler-victim plays…
Pickpocket steals from jacket on cafe chair
byA strategist thief is one who creates his own opportunity, one who operates on a specific plan, one who steals with malice aforethought. The…
Hotel oddity #29
byWe were nearly asleep when the Jacuzzi turned itself on in the bathtub next to the bed. Of course we both flew out of…