Smartphones in Barcelona/Theft?

My family all had our smartphones in Barcelona and used them for pictures. We never had any troubles as you will see 3/4 of people in Barcelona have smartphones as well. However, when we weren't using them, we all put them in our bags/purses, the male members had crossover bag, in a secure compartment. We never left them out on the table when in a restaurant or eating.

While pickpocketing is a problem and one should be vigilant, I never witnessed anyone being pickpocketed in the five days I was there.

this site: Outsmarting Pickpockets and Thieves
& someone's personal experience in Paris
I've never used a money belt. In crowded or touristy areas, I move my wallet to my front pocket of an inside pocket of my jacket.
I don't know how accurate this video is, but it might be helpful.

Since for much of the day I wouldn’t need to make a call to the states due to the time difference, most of the time I keep mine in a zipped pocket inside my backpack. I seldom use it overseas, so it spends most of my trips turned off.

I loop a camera type strap through the notches of my Iphone case. The strap is adjustable so I can make a secure fit around my wrist. As long the strap is around my wrist there is no way it can be snatched, plus the added benefit of protecting the phone from damage by accidentally dropping it which is a bigger fear I have over pickpockets:
http://a.co/daaUYKv

No, you shouldn't expect anything different in Barcelona. Anyone either living in a big city and/or that has traveled around the world knows pickpocketing is a common problem in most tourist destinations and regardless of the "fame" of Barcelona -which stats disprove, as Eurostat figures show, Barcelona's not much different from other European major tourist destinations- you shouldn't have to especially worry about it any more than you would in say Paris.

Having said that, and not knowing your previous "experience" with this problem, one should take some basic precautions. As born and bred in Barcelona, and having also lived in several major capital cities in Europe, what I -and many of my fellow residents- normally do is:

1. Never leave anything unattended :) ... neither on an exterior table -ie. terrace- or an interior table too close to an exit, even if you're sitting next to it. It takes a second to have it "lifted".
2. Never carry a phone/wallet in your back pocket!
3. For anyone carrying a purse/bag: always in front, not in the back. How do you recognize a typical Barcelona woman from a passer-by? she usually carries the purse in front!....
4. Be aware for unusual encounters (see below)
5. Look always who's next to you (Paris).
6. Be aware of your belongings, especially in crowded places, namely, certain metro stations/bus stops in the center and also around the main tourist attractions. When I find myself in a crowded place (ie. a 'busy' metro ride in the early morning) when you can't really do much but stand very close to your fellow passengers -with my phone and wallet in my front pockets!- I tend to keep focused on whether I "feel" someone trying to pinch them. Very often pickpockets are successful because we're distracted.
7. You can try one of the many "James Bond-gadgets" announced in many stores online -normally in countries where this is not really a problem I must add!- but, they're often rather uncomfortable to use (picture "half-undressing" yourself to reach that hidden pocket in the gadget underneath your shirt in the middle of a supermarket line, LOL!)

(From 4 above) I always like to reproduce the "story" of this British lady, published in the Barcelona forum at TripAdvisor by herself!, that still makes me roll out my eyes: in short, "she is walking down Les Rambles in Barcelona and this handsome Argentinian all dressed up gets closer to her, says something to her "she didn't understand" then grabs her by her waist and starts dancing a tango with her while whistling a tune.... she's all "flushed and overwhelmed". The scene barely lasts a few seconds. The guy stops, kisses her hand and wishes her a nice day. She goes away. Later she discovers her wallet and phone are missing" She "complained" in the forum that this "shouldn't happen" that she thought this guy was simply "being nice". I still remember the answer of a Londoner, asking whether it was "normal in her city" (she claimed to be from a main city up north) that someone you don't know approaches you in the street and out of the blue starts dancing with you. Leaving aside the fact naiveness is never a good travel companion, regardless of whether the story is true or not, the moral of the fable is that whatever doesn't feel "a normal situation", it probably isn't.

On a side note, did you know Barcelona hosts the second largest Apple store in Europe?. t's located in Plaça de Catalunya :))

Probably about 5 years ago a coworker of mine and his wife were in Barcelona. They sat down on a bench and she put her bag on the ground. Not paying attention to their surroundings or taking any precautions, someone came from behind and took her bag.

Barcelona warrants special awareness. I used my front pocket and on some tight fitting jeans (those tapas will add to the waist line!) as protection. I could barely get my own hand in and out of my own front pocket, so I didn't think a thief would find it any easier.

I say take the phone and use it as you normally would (there's lots of great pictures to take in Barcelona - you'll want the phone out regularly), but when you put it away and in especially high traffic areas (such as La Ramblas) use a tight/buttoned pocket in your pants. A phone in your back pocket, in loose fitting pants/shorts/jackets or a day pack hanging off your back is probably a donation to the local thieves union.

You'll love Barcelona!

We were in Barcelona six weeks ago. I wore REI casual travel type of pants the entire time. Not the zip off bottom kind. The pants have a zippered pocket within the normal front pocket and that is where I kept my iPhone 7 the entire time. I never had any problem and never noticed anyone even attempting to get at my phone. But, it being in the zippered pocket gave me peace of mind.

But, my wife and 19 year old daughter basically just walked around holding their phones like they would at home and didn't have any problems. However, I will say my wife always had her hand on her phone as that is what she takes photos with and she is one of those people who takes way too many photos. And my 19 year old daughter is, well.... a 19 year old so she was always holding on to her phone.

I also use a Pacsafe travel billfold with a chain that goes around my belt and goes in my other front pocket. That set up really gave me peace of mind and it has worked on many European trips.

What is your phone for while traveling? Our answer really depends on your answer. If you aren't really using it, then leave it secure at the hotel, or secure in a bag that cannot be pick pocketed. If you have it for communications, keep it in a secure place on you that would not be easy to remove. If you use it for photos, consider a case that can have a wrist strap as someone mentioned.

Front pockets are better than rear pockets, but they really are not all that secure. It depends somewhat on how tight and deep the pocket is. But even then a good pickpocket can distract you to remove it if they happen to target you.

My overall system works great for a phone. I have a belt loop wallet that hangs on my front side and is big enough to slip the phone in. It also holds all my other valuables like money, cards and passport.

We see phones as safety measures. We are old; we don't always go out together and when in museums and such we don't stay together, so we need phones to be in contact with each other. We never carried phones until a few years ago after my husband was injured and taken to the emergency room and had no way of contacting me. He was late for an important reserved event and I realized I had no idea what to do if he didn't show up; luckily he walked in with stitches in his forehead about the time I was beginning to try to figure out a strategy for finding him. At that point, we each got small flip unlocked phones for European travel. Now since he needs an Iphone to drive his hearing aids, we both have smart phones on the same plan; it is really convenient for connecting when we are out and about and not together.

Front pockets are not safe. Zipped outer pockets are safer than open pockets but somewhat vulnerable. I use an inside zipped pocket in a jacket or else carry the phone in my cross body purse. A backpack is vulnerable unless you have it in a well buried zipped pocket within the backpack. Most people have a smart phone, and most people just use them normally and stow them as you would any valuable. Most dangerous is leaving it sitting on a cafe table (the Paris chief of police lost his that way) where it can be easily snatched, or using it while sitting or standing next to a metro door as grab and jump off the train is a risk. The door closes and there is your phone on the other side walking away.

We had a phone lifted out of the side pocket of my daughters coat In Barcelona. She typically carries her camera and phone in a cross body purse, but we were sitting on some steps on New year's eve with a lot of people and she was taking some photos so that when she had wifi she could send greetings to friends. Some guy came and sat somewhat close to her and she moved over a bit. We thought it was strange but didn't think much of it, other than maybe he was going to "hit" on her. At least 10 minutes later, someone came over and started to chat with us--"where were we from, where'd we get the pizza, etc.". Being "Minnesota Nice" we engaged in some conversation until we became really annoyed with him. I actually apologized and said that my daughters and I were just enjoying time together. A few minutes later my daughter noticed her phone missing. So here is what we learned:

1. Smart people do get pick pocketed.
2. Unsavory people are likely watching you for an opportunity
3. Any kind of "strange" feeling or unexpected interaction may likely be a diversion.
4. You don't need to continue an interaction that you don't find pleasant.
5. PLAN to be pick pocketed. So have copies of credit cards, don't carry a lot of cash, split up cash and credit cards between people and locations, and back up photos every evening.
6. You may be more likely to get pick pocketed in Europe, but the chance of violent crime is much lower than in the U.S.
7. When you get your crappy phone with the broken screen stolen, you might get some consideration from Verizon and money from your mom and end up with a much nicer phone with more memory. :)
8. Don't let stupid people and stupid stuff ruin the vacation. My husband who was at home and had to deal with stopping service on her phone, said, if she can't deal with the loss of her phone for the month we were in Europe, buy her another one. (She dealt with it fine) Similarly, my other daughter, dropped my camera in Vienna. We had a spare and it was under warranty, but again, husband said, if you can't take the photos you want, buy a new one.

So if you have stuff that is helpful or makes you happy for travel, by all means bring it and use it.

I appreciate hearing everyone's experience and advice - thank you! The enumerated lists reiterate advice I've seen elsewhere, but such points are still instructive and helpful.

Sorry to hear that some people got picked : (

@ Going234 - Interesting/useful links - thanks.

@ Enric - Great to hear the first-hand perspective of a local. I've heard similar stories of dancing pickpockets before - I'm always amazed that the victims weren't more suspicious.

@ Douglas writes "What is your phone for while traveling?"

Nearly everything! I can tell, based on these responses, that some still view phones in terms of making calls, but that's pretty far down the list for me...

My wife and I use smartphones for navigation/maps, trip planning/on-the-fly research, photos, flight/train info, language translation, etc. At least one of us will have consistent data/internet access. Phones enable us to traverse cities WITHOUT using paper maps and guidebooks (both of which might mark one as a tourist). For navigation: I set up routes before leaving the hotel/apartment, but we often use Google Maps as we go. Only ONE of us ever navigates at a time. Phones give us flexibility; we can search for a lunch spot or find info about a tourist site at any time, without pulling out a guidebook.

I also do TONS of research beforehand and generate a massive file on my laptop (the laptop never comes with us) that gets transferred electronically to the phone ("Notes" for Apple). It includes an itinerary, extensive checklists, flight and hotel info, confirmation numbers, and an extensive list of restaurant possibilities (we're big foodies). This file is referenced often, not just in our hotel room, but also as we're out and about. I back the file up and could reach it via e-mail, but having it all on one small device is immensely convenient.

And, of course, there's the camera...

I acknowledge that this style of travel is HIGHLY phone-dependent : )

I might even have an "eggs in one basket" problem here, but it's made travel so much easier and more enjoyable...

We've done this in other cities known for pickpocketing with few issues (e.g. Paris), but I'm obviously treading lightly with this approach in a city like Barcelona ...hence my original queries...

Again, thank you all for the useful context. My wife carries a small purse (always in front in "problem" areas). I'm looking into getting some travel jeans with hidden zippered pockets. I might normally view such pants as "overkill," but perhaps not in this case...

@ jules m writes:

"PLAN to be pick pocketed. So have copies of credit cards, don't carry a lot of cash, split up cash and credit cards between people and locations, and back up photos every evening."

Ah yes - sound advice. We carry very little cash, even at home, but I'm sometimes lazy about backing up photos. I won't be in this case.

Just bumping this thread in case anyone was unable to respond...

The topic was mistakenly flagged and deleted, but the Webmaster revived it.

I wanted to note this, since I've seen other topics lamenting users "deleting their own posts:"

Why do people delete their own (non-controversial) posts?

It's entirely possible that they did not actually delete them - perhaps the posts were removed and they simply didn't follow up. Indeed, I never would have deleted such useful information, and I'm glad the Webmaster was able to restore it.

In any event, thanks again.

From the Guardian newspaper's personal finance editor -
I was mugged on holiday. Don’t make the mistakes I made

This is what you’re supposed to do before you go abroad:
Take your wallet and empty it out. Remove all the things you really don’t need for a week or two in Spain, that if they were lost or stolen would just be a pain. Your work /staff pass. Your Tesco Clubcard or Boots Advantage or Waitrose card. Your library or cinema membership card. Your driving licence (if you’re not hiring a car). Credit cards you know you are not going to use. All those other little loyalty cards, receipts and general rubbish you keep in your wallet. Why take them abroad? Just leave them in the sock drawer until you’re back home.
The next stage is to split things up. Why have everything in one wallet? By all means take two credit cards, one as a back-up. Secrete credit cards in pockets or toiletry bags. The same with your physical cash – leave some of your euros/sterling in your wallet to use while travelling, and hide the rest elsewhere among your bags and belongings.

Can someone please explain: Are the pickpocketing rates in Europe truly much higher than in North America?

And if so, why?

I've traveled to all 50 states and most provinces of Canada and not only did I never have anything stolen, it wasn't even in my mental sphere of possibility. Nor can I think of anyone I know in North America who's been pickpocketed. Why the difference (if there is one)?

Anywhere in the world where tourists congregate, there will be pickpockets at work..even Disneyworld. You hear more about it in western Europe because no other area on the planet so many popular tourist attractions per square mile.

@Marcia, yes they probably are, but @Michael very eloquently explained the reason.

There are a few other, of course, like for example the fact mobility in Europe is highly developed and these days it's very easy to cross borders from one country to another yet there isn't a proper harmonization of the judiciary of the different countries in Europe --which, don't forget, are SOVEREIGN countries-- not even within the ones forming the European Union nor the ones in the Schengen Area, so it's difficult to prosecute cross-border crime when it comes to petty crime and organized gangs of pickpockets know this and take advantage of it.

In any case, know that at least, you don't have to worry about personal safety -as in crime involving life-threatening situations- while here in Barcelona

I can echo Heather from Chicago nearly word for word. Our family just returned from Barcelona, and we were vigilant, and were not pickpocketed. I used my phone a lot for photos and navigation, but when it wasn't in use, it was in my crossbody bag, and I could feel it in it's place. My daughter rarely had her phone out in public, but when she did she was careful not to leave it on a table. My sons and husband kept their phones in their front pockets, often with their hands in pockets, too, when we were on the bus or metro.

After everything we'd read, I was concerned about roaming pickpockets, especially along La Rambla, where we were staying, but all was well.

Just be aware, as so many people have said in this thread, and you should be okay. Even if you take an abundance of photos, as I did! :-)

Laurie