Do people really cut and run with neck wallets?

Keep in mind that when you reviews these type of sites, only the problems are posted. And the conclusion is that you chances of being stripped naked are pretty good. We have traveled about 300+ days in some of the great pickpocket capitols of the world, spoke with a lot of other tourists and never heard of a first hand report of anything being cut off of anyone. But those stories persist with a small element of truth but always from a friend of a friend of a cousin of a ,,,,,,. I think it is more likely that a backpack in very crowd situation might have a pocket cut open but the probability of a PROPERLY WORN money belt or neck wallet being cut off is very remote. And by properly worn I mean out of sight, not obvious that you have it, do not access in public, etc. so that the potential thief does not know that you have it. Personally I think PacSafe and similar products market to that fear so it is in their best interest for you to believe that things can be cut off. I have never seen it, don't know anyone who was a victim so I think it is overkill.

You need to use the same reasonable precautions that you would use in NYC, don't show where you are keeping valuables, and you will be fine.

I think the wire is a bit of marketing overkill, though I doubt it would be enough metal to set off the detectors.

I prefer the neck pouch to a money belt, and being male it may be different than you, but I wear mine over one shoulder, so the pouch sits on my side, under my arm (underneath my shirt of course). It is just more comfortable and does not create a bulge in my shirt.

Wear the neck wallet under your clothes. Even in the extremely unlikely event that a would-be thief cuts the strap (if he even can see it), what's he going to do next?

Pickpockets want to snatch things in an instant and disappear into the crowd. A neck wallet isn't conducive to their m.o.

I agree with Paul, the wire is overkill.

Agree completely with previous posts…wear it like a messenger bag over one shoulder and under opposite arm under shirt. You can even flip it around so the pouch is behind you for maximum comfort. It’s possible that the cord might slide up and become slightly visible around your collar, but mine never does. The likelihood of a bad guy knowing you have a neck pouch is extremely small. The likelihood of having it cut away from you is infinitesimally small. It’s more likely the strap could break for some odd reason and the pouch would be gone without you realizing it, but even this is highly, highly unlikely. IMO, it’s at least as safe as the hot and very uncomfortable around-the-waist money belt.

Thanks, everyone!! I've been freaking myself out a bit - OK, a lot - about safety! :)

As a woman, I prefer the neck pouch. I actually wear it "normally" with the pouch lying flat against my stomach. Depending on your shape, you might find a different set-up is more comfortable. I'd play around with various ideas until you find what works for you. Make sure you load it with your money/passport, etc. so you know how the weight and bulk is distributed.

Assuming you wear the pouch correctly, i.e., under your clothes, including the cord--if someone were to try to cut it off, you'd have bigger things to worry about with a knife that close to your neck. I think one of the best strategies for travelers is the 'personal bubble'. I know it's not always possible, but they can't rob you if they can't reach you.

I've used a PacSafe bag during my last couple of trips to Europe and the UK and have never had any issues with metal detectors.

On my last trip to Europe, I used the moneybelt, but did think it was uncomfortable. I'd like to know, from women, how noticeable the neck wallet is, where it hits, etc. What if you're wearing a tank top or halter top, can it be seen?

Cindy-
I have worn a neck wallet on two trips to Europe. Maybe it depends how one is built (to try to put it politely!), but I keep the strings on mine fairly long, and thread the strings under the center of my bra. This keeps it tight against my body, and I feel that if someone grabbed the strings from the back, they couldn't pull it all the way off (although I admit I've never tested that). The actual pouch hangs down close to my waist, under my shirt. Yes, I think it makes me look fatter, but usually I wear a small messenger type bag in front that adds even more to that effect, so I don't worry about it. Also, the strings do show above most shirt necklines, because they come up through the center, not out by my shoulders. But that being said, it is not uncomfortable, and I feel like it does a good job keeping my passport secure.

We have a frequent poster who lurks here primarily to pump listings for specific hotels in popular destinations. A while ago he started a minor frenzy by deciding to claim that he has personally seen tourists stripped of their neck wallets as they disembarked from cruise ships.

If he did, he was the only one who did. He was thoroughly rebutted by the veteran travelers here. But the rumor mongering had its effect and may be responsible for the unnecessary anxiety you're feeling.

Julia - there is a fine line between being sensible and cautious and being paranoid. Stay in the former, relax and enjoy your trip :-)

The odds of someone actually cutting the cord of neck pouch/wallet with a knife and lifting it off the person are extremely low. But, in any case, I am not sure that a wire in the cord is a good idea. If someone has a knife against my neck, I would much rather he cut the cord than my throat, which is what could happen, possibly by accident, if the knife slips against the wire.

Congratulations on your first trip, Julia. I hope you have a wonderful time. I have travelled in Europe twice and worn a neck pouch both times. I put the pouch on before I put any other clothes on and then the strap is under my bra. It feels secure and has not failed me. I am currently planning my next trip for 7 weeks this summer and I will continue to wear the neck pouch.

I have been living and traveling in Europe extensively for all my life, and have never even HEARD of someone having their neckpouch cut off of them until this post . .

I prefer a neckpouch made of a thin material, not of leather, so it will lie snug under my shirt and not irritate or add too much extra to my shape ;-))

Thank you Corinna. The cutting off of neck pouches sounds like something that might happen in NYC or Chicago. Have never heard of such a thing happening to anybody over here.

I wear a pouch when traveling, but it is more for convenience than anything else. The rest of the time I just have my messenger bag. Walking with a certain stride and a disparaging, withering look at scammers discourage them with a quick glance.

I have never heard of this happening, but anything is possible I suppose. I would worry about wire actually. What if someone tried to grab the wallet and ended up nearly decapitating you! I don't like neck pouches as I already have too much going on at the front of my body! Do you tuck the cord down your cleavage or try and tuck it aroud the outside of your bosoms. Sounds very uncomfortable...

Could you not sew a little pocket into the inside of your clothes. I keep my notes in an inside pocket like this and my shrapnel in my bag.

I'll agree that I've never personally seen anything like this during my travels, but the concern may stem from the State Department's crime information for some locales in Europe, such as in Italy. According to State, thieves have been known to slit the bottoms of purses or bags with a razor blade or sharp knife. Sort of similar? BTW, I spend alot of time in Chicago...you may get shot, but your bag won't get sliced open by thieves. Not to disparage Chicago...I love that city.

Thanks, y'all! :) It's so funny - I live in a city that has a rep for being dangerous, but I've never done anything besides carry a regular purse crossbody here. But I'm freaking out about Europe, lol!

Isn't that funny Julia? Same here, don't even worry about that when I go to NYC, just know enough to hold your purse securely against your body but for reason, I'm freaking out about getting pickpocketed in Rome. It'll be my first trip to Italy too.

When I was young, I hitch hiked through Europe and North Africa. My chief concern was not to protect my money - I never had much - but my passport. Money is relatively easy to replace, the loss of a passport is a hassle. So I wore my passport in a neck pouch all the time, and my wallet most of the time. In Marrakech, just as I had separated my wallet from my pouch and put it in my back pocket, a pick pocket lifted it. The passport stayed where it was, in my neck pouch.

The moral of the story - there are pickpockets in populated places, chances that your wallet and papers get lifted are slim, but they are even less if you make it difficult for thieves to get to them. But you don't need to go overboard. Paranoia can ruin your travel experience. A simple neck pouch is protection enough, in my opinion.

I'll never wear a neck wallet again because in Milan, two girls saw a bulge through a thick sweater I was wearing, and the girl just walked right up to me and put her hand under my sweater! I slapped her hand and ran, so she didn't get to it. If you do wear one, don't stuff it too much to have it bulge through your cloths. Put very little in it. I had no idea there was a bulge under such a thick sweater I was wearing in November.

I have given over to a neck pouch after years of wearing a money belt. I ware the neck pouch under some type of clothing (shirt, teeshirt, etc) that I tuck into my pants. If a pickpocket can get it from there I won't care because I won't need it any more anyway.

I made my first trip last summer - Amsterdam/down the Rhine and then the train to Vienna. I took a leather messenger-bag-wannabe style purse with a zippered pocket on the back where I kept my passport,tickets, credit card, most of my cash and always wore it cross-body. I didn't hink anyone could rip it off my body and the zippered pocket was hidden away against my stomach. I thought I had it all figured out!!!!! Now I'm reading about money belts and neck pouches and getting concerned. Maybe I was a little too naive, and just got lucky. Going again this Christmas to Germany/Austria/Hungary. What do you experienced travellers think? Do I need to step up my game? Should I upgrade to neck pouch? I'll be at crowded Christmas markets, then on a Danube cruise - that should be safe - then three separate rail trips

Elaine, the whole point of a messenger bag for safe keeping, is that your items should be "inside" the bag, it should zip across the top and then there should be a flap that goes over the entire bag, hopefully fastening at the bottom. Putting your items for safe-keeping in a zippered pocket on the "outside" of your bag isn't the best idea. Doesn't matter if you keep this zipper next to your body. All you need is a quick jostle, or bump. Plus you then have to walk around with the tourist clutch.

That said, traveling in Germany is should not be a big worry as far as pick-pockets and thieves are concerned.

Elaine;

I travel like you did much of the time, though I do use a neck pouch as well. Not mentioned above is that the main reason for any of these security measures is not that Europe is so much more riskier than the US or your home, but that the consequences of that risk are so much greater when travelling than at home.

If I lose or have my wallet stolen here, I pretty much go on, I get my cards replaced, and while an inconvienance, I pretty much go on with my day. In Europe, on travel, my whole trip is disrupted and replacement of items much more difficult.

That said, I prefer to divide my items, not keep everything together. I too keep many things in my messenger bag, but I will keep at least some cash and a second credit or debit card in my neck pouch. I guess I figure that even though I have my bag with me at all times; at a restaurant, on the train, checked at a museum, there is the possibility of it "disappearing" even for the most seasoned traveller.