Ok for teens to carry iphones in front pocket?

I would advise against letting anyone know you have an Iphone, especially in Rome. A common scam is a person will "accidentally" squirt the victim with mustard, apologize profusely and "kindly" help to wipe the mustard stain off. While the thief is wiping away, he/she will pick the victim's pocket. If the petty thieves see your sons pulling out their Iphone and then putting it back in their front pocket, they become an easy target and will be followed. I'm sure there are other variations on this scam. Really, all someone has to do is to pretend to bump into your sons and then swipe the phone. Please keep in mind, an Iphone is a valuable item to resell and thieves are always on the look out for tourists who are not paying attention.

Yes, it's possible for pickpockets to steal from front pockets since they are experts.

I know my teens are so used to carrying their phones in their back pockets and they don't think twice about
placing their phone on counters while ordering coffee or ice cream or placing it on the table while they eat
at restaurants. You can't do this in Italy or your phone will disappear very quickly!

Have you called you phone company to find out how much it will cost for your teens to use their phones while overseas?

I carried a small digital camera in it's case attached to my belt, and I carried it on the front of my waist, not the side or back.

Priscilla's question: "Have you called you phone company to find out how much it will cost for your teens to use their phones while overseas?"

That's probably a good question for you to ask--know before you go.

Here in the states its called "apple picking".

No, Priscilla and Kent, we won't be buying the international plan, so they won't be using them to talk/text/internet, but we are planning to use them for multiple things on and off all day such as taking pictures and videos, using the RS Audio Guide App for tours, maps and notes we'll download before arriving, and of course they will be playing games on them while they wait on us since our youngest has a much lower threshold for looking at art and museums than his parents! :) We definitely don't want to have them stolen though, so I'll be researching practical solutions. When I mentioned this to my son, he said "What about a giant safety pin to pin my pocket?". He wears mostly athletic shorts/pants, so that might work with that type of fabric...

Using a smart phone overseas could result in thousands of dollars of data roaming charges in just a couple of weeks. That might amount to even more than the loss of the phone. My wife had a $600 bill surprise from AT&T after a week in Italy when she first used her smart phone there. You live and you learn. Now we know how to go about it. I suggest you peruse this website, there are several posts about that.
Regarding the possibility of theft or loss, that is a real possibility anywhere, not only in Italy. Here in San Francisco on both BART trains and MUNI trains/buses smart phone/tablet theft is rampant, and the local police has set up a task force to combat the scourge, and both tourists and local commuters are victims.
https://gigaom.com/2014/12/05/fcc-smartphone-thefts-in-the-us-exceed-one-million-per-year/

Since many Americans, especially outside big cities like SF, NY etc, are not so familiar with using public transit, I would like to warn you that one has to be careful aboard crowded buses or trains anywhere. When I travel on BART trains to SF my iphone is NOT in my back pocket. It's securely attached to my belt case and my hands is on it the entire trip, unless I'm sitting down.

I have traveled all through Europe with my wallet in my back pocket and had almost no incidence of anyone trying to pick my pockets. I have seen aggressive panhandlers in Italy, especially in rail stations, but if one knows how to be aware and thoughtful, pickpockets shouldn't have a chance - even if they are "pros".

carrying valuables in a front pocket is no safer than a back pocket. my husband has put his hand in his pocket to find a hand already there. an inside zipped pocket, or perhaps one of those neck wallets is a safer bet. phones are among the most sought after items for pickers.

I read this thread while having breakfast, so I did a personal statistical survey on my way to work.

On the first metro car the number of young people with their eyes fixed on the screen of the iPhone was greater than 60%, the same on the second. The remaining 40% would get their phones out every 5 seconds to check messages and social networks. Males from the front pocket, girls from their funny purses.

Walking from the metro station to my office, I noticed that virtually the only ones that did not lay their phones/ipads on the table or at the counter in bars were those bringing one of Rick Steves' guides.
My 2 cents.

Ahh. Good to know. Sounds like teens and young adults on a NYC subway ride here. My husband has an OtterBox case on his iPhone. He was skeptical that someone could easily get it out of his front jeans pocket since he has trouble pulling it in and out himself. Maybe he just wears his jeans tighter! :). Also thinking about our oldest son who prefers cargo shorts. They have a button on the side pocket, so thinking that would be okay?

Obviously you, and you teens, should be aware of their surroundings, but not everyone is bad.

Here is a link to my iPhone story on the Circumvesuviana.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/lost-iphone

Apple picking is pretty common just about anywhere. So there will be a risk. Educating them about being aware and careful can help, as they might not be used to taking public transit and being in crowded situations that they will experience.

But some of the posts here make it seem as though pick-pocketing is so rampant that you will be fighting them off at every turn. The average tourist never encounters a pick-pocket, even on multiple trips. But it is prevalent enough that some people do fall victim. And often they work by distraction - either working from distractions of crowded trains/busses or by creating their own with partners.

Never, EVER put the phone down on a counter or restaurant/café table. That is ripe for someone swiping it. Keep it in as secure a pocket as possible. Make sure data on the phones is backed up before you go. But otherwise, relax and enjoy the trip.

I use an iPad and phone in Italy, I've put the iPad on the table (even outside) many times and it's never gone missing. But if I were at a table at a busy train station or airport or a crowded outdoor seating area, I would probably not leave it on the table.

@Zoe - The iPad is bigger and perhaps less easy to steal. But a phone on a café table is very easy to steal. Typical is for someone to come along with a paper for you to look at. As you look at it, they are grabbing the phone hidden underneath. Happens all the time and a friend of mine almost got nicked with that system (the waiter noticed and saved the day).

And of course the idea is not to "leave" it sitting on a table. If you are using it, then fine. But just put it away when you are done.

Douglas, thanks for your reply. I never leave the phone out, and you are right about the iPad being bigger and not getting "lost" on the table with other things. If someone approaches me with something to read, I ignore them or politely say I'm not interested.

Everyone in Europe is, indeed using their phones and even setting them on restaurant tables, but tourists make a more common target, since you are often distracted or at least assumed to be so. When handling your luggage, map, or guidebook, for instance, you already have one hand occupied.

REI sells some slacks and cargo pants that have fairly secure pockets. One pair of slacks I've used has a concealed zippered front-side pocket that is pretty deep too. The cargo pants have a Velcro strip.

Tmobil has a pretty cheap international plan that might work for some smartphones. We will probably use it on our next trip. There was a post on this site about it.Tmobil plan thread

I too use a belt case for my little digital camera. Have never had any problems in Europe. My money belt fits on the belt too and rides under the pants and camera case and down the leg.

I also use a little pocket you can buy at Amazon that is actually made for ladies: little credit card pocket . I'm a guy and so don't have a handy bra :). I use one of those small rings you can buy at the hardward store and insert it in one of my pants belt loops. Then the snap on the little pocket is attached to that and tucked into my pants. That way the Visa card is easily accessible and doesn't have to go into my wallet. My wallet just contains a bit of cash and is in my (deep) front pocket.

As you can see, I'm a bit paranoid about security. But never been ripped off yet.

Deterrent pair of pants:
http://www.travelsmith.com/pickpocket-proof-pants/men/pants/704001?isRecentlyViewed=true&redirect=y

Deterrent shirt with zippered pocket behind breast pockets:
http://www.travelsmith.com/travelsmith-uber-utility-chambray-shirt/men/shirts/794360

I plan to carry my iPhone in the zippered pocket behind my left breast pocket. This also depends on when you go to Italy. We are going next month and the temps will be conducive with wearing warmer layers of clothing. Nice to hide the iPhone under coat, sweater, and in shirt pocket.

My actual camera, not iPhone, will hand around my neck and under my coat.

Hope that helps,

Except for the camera/video use, I was going to suggest a different phone - an older one from the junk drawer, a prepaid one, etc. Of course the gaming might be a bit s.l.o.w. and the camera not the best, so...

Do you have replacement policies on them that cover 'uhhhh...I lost my iPhone'? I skipped that policy because I've lost approximately 3 things in my entire life. I just don't lose things. Only you know your kids, though. I would never hand someone an iPhone to take my picture! (At a Rick Steves' Tour Reunion sure, but not to someone - no matter how nice they appear to be - standing in front of the Eiffel Tower.) I practically never lay my iPhone on a restaurant table even directly in front of me. I just can't! I'm not one to place rings on the sink while washing my hands in a restaurant or on an airplane, but people leave jewelry behind everyday.

If their current cases don't allow for this, maybe they could use a different, well-fitting case that could have some type of chain attached to it - like a wallet chain - to cut down on the 'leave behinds' and the 'quick snatches'. This would be a deterrent, not a sure thing.

Again, you won't be greeted coming off the airplane by a marauding gang groping each one of you. But the pickpocket/thief/'oops I left it in the taxi' is a very real thing. My test is always 'if I lost or broke this item, could I accept that loss?'. If not, it stays home - no matter how badly I'd like to have it on my trip. If they have access to another good camera, you can always use much more expendable devices for Rick's Audio Tours, maps, etc. If they have demonstrated that they are very careful with their phones and they take seriously your admonitions concerning pickpockets (they WON'T know it's happening!), they keep up with their stuff, etc., AND all of you can live with any unfortunate consequences, then take 'em. Make some good backups before leaving home ;-)

Make sure they know how to switch data "off" and how to keep it off. My husband's phone reverted from data "off" to "on" when he turned his phone back on after switching it off for a time to save the battery.

Fortunately, AT&T now sends a warning by text when roaming charges for data reach $100, so we did not face the massive charge that Roberto's wife did.

I switched to T-Mobile just for international travel. Their plans include free texting when you are overseas along with unlimited data (alright it was slow not 4G or even 3G speed) but it worked for me while wandering around.