Paris Pick Pockets, Purse, Phone snatching

Those kinds of happenings are not new, not in any big city in Europe. For your safety, and the security of your items, definitely do not leave your phone on a table in public, anywhere. And do not put your bag on the back of your chair. A google search or a search of this forum will give you more than enough tips and recommendations for avoiding pickpockets or having your stuff snatched.

As for someone snatching a phone out of your hand, it seems like most of the population has a phone in their hand all the time. However, if you are obviously a tourist (walking in a group, walking like you're not sure where you're going, etc.), you have a new iPhone in your hand, you are probably more vulnerable, as a skilled snatcher will guess that you aren't on your guard.

I recently read about phone and watch snatchings in London carried out by guys on motor scooters or bikes. So best to keep anything of value put up while you're walking, wherever you're traveling.

I use a Bandolier phone case with neck strap. So if sitting at a table, my phone hangs on my lap. If I'm walking, it's easily tucked inside my jacket. Have a great trip and safe travels!

Agree with kayla.p and Pat. Use common safety technics, and common sense; especially nothing in pockets, especially in museums, metro etc. I'm sure you could find someplace in a dark corner of any city where this could potentially happen, but I think you are worried for nothing. Never felt safer in Paris than our most recent visit in April. A Bandolier for your phone is so convenient while traveling. There's no reason to keep a phone in your hand. A phone lanyard keeps you hands free which is good for all sorts of reasons, including not dropping it while taking photos.

Where are you reading this? Post the source...

Yes, you should be careful with your phone when in Paris and anywhere else in Europe. Do you typically set your phone on a bar or restaurant table at home? I don't, and I surely don't do it seated at an outdoor sidewalk cafe in Paris or anywhere else with people walking right by the tables...

Do you typically set your phone on a bar or restaurant table at home?
I don't,

I do at home and don't even think twice about it. A glance around a restaurant and it's more common than not. It's only because of this Forum that I don't do it in Europe. I get the OP's question and because of what I read here that makes me think that petty theft is a more serious problem in Europe's larger cities than in North America.

I’ve gone to Paris 4 times in the past 2 years

I came home every time with my phone. I’ve never seen this “snatching”. And I’m planning a trip for October. No I don’t chain my phone to my body, neither do locals. I use common sense and so far so good.

Hard to know how to answer without knowing what you're reading. Paris is one of many cities where phone snatching, pickpocketing, and the like can be a problem. (Americans seem to lack the manual dexterity to do this at home.) My wife and I have had some near misses. Take precautions as described above and here. I expect this kind of theft will happen often this summer when Paris hosts the Olympics. But, you might think that in such a target-rich environment your precautions will be even more effective. Plenty of unprepared victims, you don't have to be one of them.

To All, thanks for your comments!

I was in Paris about a month ago and was on the Metro, using my phone, and 3 police officers got on the car. One of them told me to be mindful of my phone when standing near the door, because apparently people snatch your phone right as the door closes. I didn’t personally see that, but interesting that the police officer saw fit to tell me that. (I never felt unsafe in Paris.)

On the metro the 12 people closest to you will all be glued to their phones. I have never seen a phone snatching but can imagine it happening next to a metro door. In Paris if you keep valuables in pockets or backpack i.e. if you are a walking buffet, you might well be picked. This goes double for the Louvre, Orsay, Eiffel Tower and the metro. but you have an almost zero risk of being mugged. Violent robbery is exceedingly rare unlike the US where pickpocketing is very rare but violent crime in some parts of town is too common for comfort.

'Is it safe' is the 'American question' for a reason. The British question is 'how much is a pint of lager?'

Americans long ago lost the ability to assess risk. We act like Paris is dangerous because we might lose our phone. Of course we can go to New York and be shot but Paris is the dangerous city. Or I can go to my local grocery store or gas station and be shot. And yes, I live in a decent part of the city, but there have been death from random violence very close to me. It’s just bizarre.

Carol, I think it is more risk management. We can control our purse and/or phone, so we think about controlling that. We cannot, as individuals, control people with guns. We can live in states that do their best to try to control access to guns, but that's about it for now. So, we do the best we can to manage the risks that we can. And, in fact, I suspect it is more probable that one will be pick pocketed than randomly shot, even where you live.

So let's have fun and continue planning how to protect our things while traveling.

Have you traveled to Europe before?

Again, please post the sources of these rumors. We been to Europe several times, including 4 trips to Paris. We've never had a problem. Our oldest grandson lived in France, including a year in Paris when enrolled in a Studies Abroad program. He didn't have problems.

The key is to know the common scams and to practice situational awareness. Take reasonable precautions and you should be OK. Read the recommendations here at RS.

Again, please post the sources of these rumors.

Google purse and phone snatching in Paris and you'll get pages and pages of articles about how to avoid it. It's a reasonable question, even if all you read is this Forum. Where there's smoke there's fire....

Yes, you get pages and pages. Of course a great majority of those are trying to sell you something.

It’s kind of like rfid blocking You get pages and pages of those toobut the truth is it’s useless.

I suspect it is more probable that one will be pick pocketed than
randomly shot, even where you live.

Very true. People and the media exaggerate the risk of violent crime in the U.S. and some minimize the risk of being robbed in Paris. Regardless situational awareness will benefit you in all places. Code yellow everywhere you go is your best friend.

We were just in Paris a week ago. Use common sense and be aware of your surroundings and you'll be fine. In all our trips to various places in Europe we've never encountered a problem like you describe but sure things happen and they happen here in the US too. I personally use a money belt when traveling because I have a backpack that I carry and it's easier for me to have the money belt then dig a wallet out of the backpack when I need it.

A backpack is known as a pickpocket buffet. I know two different women (we were in a language class) in Florence who had wallets stolen from backpacks in the market on the same day.

It isn't 'awareness'; it is simply not having valuables in pockets, backpacks or carelessly held purses. I have been traveling in Europe since 1961 often for weeks or months at a time and have yet to be pickpocketed. My husband has been several times because he is 'aware' -- to give him credit he has managed to foil the pickers most of the time but still managed to lose the credit card in St. Petersburg when he had it and a transit pass in a front pocket -- pretty sure it happened on the bus. And it was a major pain since Capitol One at that time was nightmarish to deal with and also allowed a bunch of financial instruments totally nearly 30K to be charged to the card in the hour or so before we discovered and reported it. They are much more responsive now.