Pickpocket in Brussels

[quik!]

I just added myself to the statistics today.

I was walking around Brussels City Centre today, and was approached by a stranger asking for a lighter for his cigarette, I said no I don't have it, and then he became friendly asking where do I come from and etc, etc, (I should've known that this is a way how these pickpockets work!)...so I said i came from UK and then he kept talking to me even though I wasn't intersted and walked ahead, he then talked about Beckham, and tried to be playful with me and was "tackling me"...WTF...then he walked away and I realised my wallet was missin! I started to panic (after all, it's my brand new Gucci wallet!!)!

He walked the opposite direction and I followed and approached him, he didn't even run but just asked me what is wrong, I said my wallet is missing, and he said I was crazy. Then I begged him to just take the money but return my wallet. He did return my wallet, but I realised later he did take the cash (100EUR). WTF.

I suppose I was "lucky" to have all my cards, but still...feel gutted...I had always put my wallet in my front pocket, but forgot that one time and put it in my back pocket, so this serves as a warning to all travelers...never be too friendly, and put your wallet in ** front pocket.

[jhm]

Sorry to hear about your incident, quik!. Thanks for reminding us to take care.

[Singapore_Air]

What a bastard.

Sympathies about your loss quik!. At least you got your Gucci wallet back though.

Bloody strangers.

[Rejuvenated]

Unfortunate things like these happen to many people like the OP. Does happen in Brussels but Rome tops out the list in being the worst European citiy for pickpocket victims.

The last time I was there, our hotel staff warned us to be on the lookout for women carrying babies performing suspicious manouver. In that these women would approach you up close, drop the baby as a mode of distraction. In most cases it is only human kind, which would automatically react in lending a helping hand to prevent the fall. Once this takes place, her accomplice will size the opportunity in snatching your wallet while you are distracted with the baby issue. LukeGT, are these behaviours mainly centred around Rome or are they common practices throughout Italy?

There are certainly a variety of distraction techinques deployed by pickpocketers to catch a tourist off-guard. So I normally would use common sense and be on the lookout for suspicious behaviour.

[N120KF]

Yes, Rome is pickpocket heaven.

I was once approached by two gypsy women outside Vatican City. They were wearing a lot of clothes (it was summer and about 100 deg F then) and one of them appeared to be carrying a baby in her arms. They begged me for money but I said no.

One of them (the one w/o the baby) then tried to distract my attention by talking incessently to me. Now, I always put my wallet in my front pocket of my pants/jeans and I always have this habit of hooking my thumbs into my pockets a la James Dean. Thankfully I was doing so, because I felt the other women use her hand to reach into my wallet pocket. It turns out that she was actually using a hidden sling inside her clothes to support the baby (a common tactic, according to the cops), thus allowing her free rein to pick your pockets.

I grabbed the woman's arm and shouted "THIEF!" very loudly. They were stunned and started running away before the cops came.

[Singapore_Air]

You should have given her a slap!

[KeithMEL]

Sorry to hear about your experience, quik!

Hope your trip is going ok otherwise.

[jjpb3]

What a bad experience. Sorry, for that quik!, and thanks for reminding us to be alert in our travels. I tend to be too trusting myself.

Hope the rest of the trip is a lot more positive.

[Lobster]

Sorry to hear about your bad experience quik.

I had one attempted pickpocketing experience in Barcelona. I was there for New Years Eve just after the seeing in the new year I was walking down las Ramblas with my girlfriend when I bloke came up to wish me a happy new year. As he was shaking my hand my girlfriend noticed that his other hand was trying to get into my pocket. She raised the alarm and he ran off.

[impresta]

wow you actually asked nicely for your wallet back. When I got pickpocketed in Thailand I beat the crap out of the pocketpicker, the tourist police had to restrain me.

[pilotsnoopy]

yea im a little surprised you have to 'beg' for your wallet back...

[YK@HKG]

I was nearly pickpocketed in Rome...while going down the stairs on the subway. There was this boy who followed me and tried to open my backpack And I was travelling in a group of 3 Luckily, I looked back on time and managed to scare him away before he can do anything.

[psan]

My wife was a victim of a pickpocket in Paris, 5 hours before her return flight home. She went for last minute shopping and found her bag unzipped and her purse missing at a boutique's cashier! Credit cards, some cash, ID and DL were all in that purse. Luckily she placed some of her cash, passport and airline ticket in her room safety deposit box.

Imagine my feeling when she called weeping, so far away (I was in Singapore) and there was nothing I could do other than to console her.

She couldn't make a police report due to time constraint. It was probably her worst long haul flight.

Later, she remembered being bumped by someone when she left the hotel.

[token01]

it makes me feel bad hearing these stories but ive also been to one of the worst places - india - if ** a foreigner or even someone with indian descent watch out because they can sense ** not local from a mile away and those slimy buggers are extremely good at it - usually when im out i hardly try to carry many valuables with me - i no this is not possible always but as others have said be vigilant about it - ah its life isnt it