That’s horrible. As for the passport and money, we all get lax from time to time. So no criticism there.
I live here and once left a camera bag (with camera) in a bar. Took me about 90 minutes to get back to the bar (it was a long day couldn’t remember which one I left it in). I got very lucky when I walked in, and the waitress handed it to me. Good thing I tipped her when I was there. Maybe it helped her to remember me. But it could have gone the same as it did for you. Now the camera bag or if only my little cross body bag never gets off me, even on a train or in a bar. So it takes one experience to learn (for me).
If you got hit at Kelenfold, then at least you can rest assured that they weren’t there looking for tourists, for that they would go to Keleti or Nyugati where 85% of the tourists travel from.
This is a very poor country. The median income in Hungary is about $800 a month, but I presume Budapest is somewhat higher than Hungary as a whole; but still very poor. They define poverty here at half that number so on paper the poverty rate is low. But imagine living on $400 a month?
Depending on how you defined “homeless” Hungary has no less than 10.000 homeless and I would suspect while 20% of the population lives in Budapest, at least half of the homeless live here. Interesting, I looked up the statistics and there is a higher homeless rate in France. I was surprised.
With income and homeless numbers like that begging is not uncommon and seeing someone sleeping in a park is also not uncommon; and unfortunately petty theft is not terribly uncommon. But it’s rarely pickpockets, more generally if you leave it by the front door it will be gone in 10 minutes. None of this is terribly common in the tourist areas of Buda or Pest but it happens.
A few weeks ago I witnessed the police taking a homeless gentleman into custody. The care and respect they showed was really something the locals should be proud of. These homeless people, for the most part, are not homeless because of a lack of opportunity, there are other things going on that prevent them from taking care of themselves. So respect is called for.
If you add all my time here together I have about 6 years, and thanks to G-d, I have never been a victim. To be honest you are the second victim I have ever “met”, never met or even heard of a pick pocket victim, but I do know things happen here like everywhere. I don’t live with blinders on.
But this is why we travel. To learn the condition of the world. The good and the not so good and to see the consequences of decision making in a culture.
And in nearly 40 years of travel I have been the attempted victim of a pickpocket once, but she failed (Paris), and have only met the victim of one pick pocket who got hit on a tram in Vienna. So I think the world is better than we make it out to be sometimes. Hard to remember that though, when its you they got. Again, very sorry it happened. Sounds like you handled it very well and didn’t let it spoil the trip. Means you are a step above many.
G-d bless and travel safe.
