crime

'I love Paris' image hit by crime

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Levis jeans, baseball cap, and white sneakers, then they will leave you alone

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I met my husband in Bangkok, and when we were fiirst chatting he told me he couldnt believe it, but there was a guy in a jewellers shop who has a BROTHER living in Osaka! Unbelievable! And get this - if he buys these sapphires (which he then showed me) he can sell them for DOUBLE what he paid for them back in Japan! Amazing!!!!

I showed him the page all about it in the Lonely Planet guide. He groaned, and then asked me to marry him. I accepted. Hell, the guy needed me. My cynical suspicious-old-bag ass is the perfect foil for his sweet innnocent Japaneseness!

When I backpacked I always kept a "muggers wallet" on me - some out of date credit cards and a few dollars. Muggers take and run, they dont stop till later to check whats in the wallet. Other than that - sadly - take every approach as a potential scam and pretend you dont understand them and walk away quickly. Just say "non"! Dont know about Chinese but Japanese are known the world over for being a) trusting and sweet and b) carrying shedloads of cash. They are sadly an easy target.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

People should just maintain distance and don't throw money at every person who asks for it.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Ppl mugging you or threatening you with violence or weapons is pretty scary. Pickpockets a nasty nuisance.

But, sorry, falling for a charity scam you've never heard of before, or worse, that cup-and-nut game (for them the painted disc thing they were talking about), that is lame. I understand it is a temptation, and I got taken for 20usd when I was 12 (a fortune at that age) in NY, but I learned my lesson. Anyone who bothers with that stuff has the cash to spare.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

“Do you speak English?” "Yes, and Karate too."

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The problem is not only Paris, The same gangs are in other European capitals. And that's not only for tourists, I can't count the times pickpockets took stuff from me as I was commuting. In my years in Japan, only twice . My sister likes to say "That's not like Mexico-city -where she was exchange student- you come back home with your jacket.". I hope it's still true that they let you your clothes on, and certainly that's not what I fear the most, but that's nasty.

Button your pockets. Walk with confidence and purpose, avoid eye contact, ignore attention-seekers. try to look like a local

That kind of advice is totally useless. That makes you feel better. I can spot a Chinese tourist 2 km away no matter the attitude. Even their hair cut screams who they are. There will always be groups and if you go to the Louvre, or enter/get out a nice hotel, you are obviously a tourist no ? Then if you refrain from going there, you lose the purpose of your trip. Technically, the way to avoid is never going to crowded places and never taking public transportation (and using automatic car-lock in the South as the Spanish specialty beside paella is the thief opening car doors at traffic light). Well, the days you take the bus/subway or go to a big fair, expo, let your expensive stuff at home, carry the minimum of money, pay everything with a credit card and if you need to take them, hide your ID/telephone in inner pocket.

If asked “Do you speak English?” while visiting Paris, take a tip from the locals and just say no.

I always say yes in France (and no in other countries where I have no duty hospitality). Whenever I walk 2 streets in Paris, I am asked a few times because I am so beautiful and all foreign men try to chat me up, while women think I look too clumsy to be a pickpocket. They are tourists that look for help to find their way or whatever. Scammers talk French too and they have many different lines.

Romanians ?

Short answer : yes. Don't take it as the nationality. as I have many Romanian friends that would run after you to bring you back a 1 euro coin fallen from your bag, but with free movement of people in Europe and the huge number of illegals from outside Europe, the underworld is back to what it was in Middle-Age. Gangs of high-street thieves, that use on a crowd of vagrant, with no nationality, no official papers, many kids that can't be arrested for long. The scam talkers are adults, but the average pickpocket is 12, many are even primary school kiddos (that should be in school).

Force the French government to do something by staying away!

Then force the French government to do nothing by signing the petitions to get them released in the name of their Human Rights ?

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Button your pockets. Walk with confidence and purpose, avoid eye contact, ignore attention-seekers.

Shops are great if you're being tailed. If you are followed inside, greet the shopkeeper, and stay with them.

If confronted by a stubborn scamster or aggressive beggar, I point to my ear, and speak like someone with a chronic hearing impairment.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

When your own workers at the louvre are protesting pickpockets, you know you've got a problem. Having seen firsthand the pickpockets and scams there, I wouldn't recommend anyone to go there until they do something about it. They're all camped out by the famous spots waiting for unsuspecting tourists in awe of the sights. Force the French government to do something by staying away!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I've been to Paris twice and never had a problem. You have to learn all of the danger spots and about dangerous scams before you go. You never show money or flash out in the open. One friend was on the Paris subway looking at her smart phone. As the door opened, a thief grabbed her phone and he was long gone before she could even react.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Anyware in the big cities you have to be wary.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Madrid is worse, it's teeming with thieves there.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Try pick pocketing me in my skinny little jeans lol

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Romanians ?

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

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