This may sound silly to some travelers, but I've heard that in sites very popular to tourists, it is not uncommon to have a group of very young children, (who are too young to arrest), surround tourists to distract and pick-pocket. We've travelled elsewhere in Europe and, although pick-pockets may have abounded, we did not encounter this version.
What is the best way to deal with this situation should we find ourselves surrounded by young children?
I can't recall this as an issue on our trips to Italy which included Rome, Florence and Sicily, among other places.
I think I'd just keep walking holding onto my belongings while saying a very firm "NO". Try not to smile or engage from the very beginning.
In nearly 50+ years have not encountered it either. Sometimes minor events get repeated so often than it because a major happening. First off, you minimize anything of value that a pickpocket could get to if they get close enough. Second, just more rapidly away with a loud no, no, no. It is not a big deal.
Best solution? Just don't have anything of value in your pocket that someone else can easily get their fingers on, big people or small. We've never experienced marauding bands of scamps but if encountering one, we'd look 'em firmly in the eye and make a bunch of noise. Once they figured out that we had nothing they could get their fingers on, they'd likely give up and move on tout de suite.
We are careful not to disclose willy-nilly where we keep our cards and cash...which is never in an exterior pocket or unsecured bag.
I’ve never encountered anything in my many visits my most recent was in April. Just be aware you may want to get something you can put under your clothes if you are worried. Also just ignore them if you do feel it could be a scam aware it’s hard if it’s kids but just continue walking and don’t acknowledge anything. We had to do this last visit as they kept trying to give me roses.
I’ve also never come across any situation like this. Years ago, when I first went to France, I remember hearing about gangs of children who would throw something at you as a distraction and then grab your stuff. Also heard about throwing babies which is too horrible to believe.
This is a new one to me. I've been fortunate to never encounter any scams or thieves in Italy. Paris - every visit.
Keep everything of value in a money belt, look stern and scream “ no “ and I mean scream. Startles them and makes them realize you mean business.
If on the street, apart from money belts etc, start walking and continue if it looks like a group of kids are coming your way. Keep your eyes open as you may see the problem coming your way.
40 years ago in Paris, near the Eiffel Tower, I was surrounded by a group of small gypsy kids pushing an open newspaper in my face while keeping up a conversation. I pushed them out of my way and continued walking saying No loudly. I could feel their hands on my body but my money and passport were in my money belt under my clothes and one hand was on my camera. They didn’t get anything.
I haven’t seen anything like this in Europe since.
Monkeys at a shrine in India tried to steal my glasses from my head but I managed to hold on. I did get a scratched cheek. A local came along banging on the adjacent metal railing to chase the monkey off and said that they would take things to their ‘trainer’ who would get your items back for a price / donation.
I do worry about my wife with her purse which is an obvious target no matter how she carries it. Keep her walking on the building side as a friend had her purse grabbed by the passenger on a passing motorcycle and she ended up with a wrenched shoulder, scratched / bruised knees and no purse.
Tourists pulling their luggage from the train station are obvious targets as they have their valuables on them somewhere and not in their hotel safe. Take a taxi.
Thanks to everyone for their advice. We do plan to keep everything of value in money belts under clothing, be aware of our surroundings, etc. We've both lived and travelled outside of the US so yes, being aware of your surroundings is always important. (That could be said even for areas of our hometown as well.) We read about this less familiar type of scam using little children to pick-pocket in Rick's book though, (and have heard about it a few other times), so thought I should check it out. I'm very glad to hear that so few people have encountered it, and yes, I can have a very gruff and mean-sounding "No", so, that's a help!
We definitely did not encounter in three weeks in Italy, nor have I other places I have traveled. Maybe I just give off the vibe that kids should stay away from me? LOL.
I always have a hand on my cross-body bag when out and I don't carry more than I really need. I keep all but one CC locked away just in case the one I carry is stolen or compromised - I have backups that are safe.
I will say in Milan, we had tons of men come up and offer us "free" bracelets at all the major sites. We just said no and didn't let them try to put anything on our wrists.
I've had this happen to me, not in Italy though. It was in Paris in 2012. I was walking on my own nearish the Louvre and suddenly I was swarmed by small children. I think a couple were waving a paper in front of me asking me to sign it.
My bag was a cross body bag with only a single zippered compartment. I kept one hand firmly on the zipper pull (zipper was closed), the other was swatting away the papers in my face. I felt their little hands on my bag and in my pockets (where there was nothing). I didn't stop walking, sped up a bit and ignored them as best I could. After a few feet they disappeared as suddenly as they had appeared. And I had a good chuckle to myself after confirming they had got nothing off me.
There was probably 8 of them the tallest maybe came up to just above my elbow, so maybe 9 years old. Be sensible about your belongings, don't stop walking/moving and hopefully if it happens to you, you'll come out of it having gained a story to tell and lost nothing.
Act crazy like you are about do Karate always works
When we were in Venice about six years ago, near the Rialto Bridge, a young couple got into an extended screaming match. Pretty sure they were distracting the crowd so that their cohorts could fleece the gawkers.
I don't carry a purse when I travel, and instead use the lightweight Scottevest or Exofficio travel vests with the inside zipper pockets, but folks here on the Forum don't seem to like these vests. I also have a Bandolier phone case, which is designed with a neck strap , so hopefully I don't drop my phone or leave it unattended on a table. And - it always helps to have some good luck!
The problem with this thread is that it is based on the assumption that swarms of kids can do what they want because they have no fear of being arrested. And it's wrong.
Unfortunately (for them) they can be arrested. Unfortunately (for us) they can't be sentenced to prison and flee the protected houses after a couple of days. But they are absolutely afraid of being arrested because they'd loose a day of work and they are beaten by their owners when they don't bring "home" any money.
Taking them away from the families who send them to pickpocket doesn't work. These groups are not made by locals, when the social services get too close, they just move the kids to another EU country with new names and new owners. Or they all go back to eastern Europe for a while to get new IDs.
Same for pregnant minors, who are those who actually pickpocket most tourists: they can't be sentenced to prison unless there is space in the few prisons with maternity rows and they can't be expelled to Bosnia because it's not a country and it's not safe. But they can be arrested, prosecuted... and spend 22 years in prison when they grow up. (True story)
So what's left of the above advices? Dunno, but...
Hey people, look on the positive side, the silver lining, the sunny side of the Piazza.
None of those pickpockets are packing heat, concealed or otherwise.
...and they are beaten by their owners when they don't bring "home"
any money.
Not just beaten but the adolescents girls could be raped. And that is the dark exploitation part of pickpocket rings. It's a terribly sad situation.
No European knows what a money belt is, but If it makes you feel safer get one.
The first time I ever saw one was on a kid from Denmark (my cousin's brother-in-law). One of his bucket list items was to go to 47th street in NYC and buy a Nikon 35mm SLR, (now you know how long ago this was). So we went into the city and he found what he wanted at a price he liked. They were apparently very expensive in Denmark. So he pulled up his T-shirt and there was the money belt strapped to his belly. He unzipped it and pulled out 4 crisp $100 bills and he had a new camera.
We experienced this in Rome 19 years ago. Nothing in our coat pockets except used tissues. A women and several children walked towards us on the sidewalk. We were prepared with everything of value under our clothes. As we walked through the group, my husband put his hand in his jacket pocket to find the hand of one of the small kids (age 5ish) already in there. So yes, it happens and has been happening for a LONG time. Your best course of action is to expect it. Every time you leave the hotel. Wherever you are.
Jazz+Travels......love your idea about acting crazy doing Karate moves! Inspector Clouseau comes to mind!
I had it happen on my first visit to Rome in 1986.
A group of quite small kids came up to me and two friends, and shoved a piece of cardboard under my friends chin while the others swarmed her underneath.
They got nothing as we had heard about this in advance.
The second time was in 2013 walking to Termini in Rome.
A teen girl stepped beside my friend and tried to get her crossbody bag.
I saw her and did shout at her at the top of my lungs.
She just smirked and stepped away.
Best to be well prepared, then you'll be fine.
