How to avoid being mugged ... and flying Roman babies !!!!

[Daanyeer]

Source: The Age
August 22, 2007 Author: Ben Groundwater


WORKING for a tour company in Europe, we were always told to warn our passengers about the flying babies in Rome. Granted, I'd never actually met anyone it had happened to (and still haven't), but we were trying to cover our arses.

We'd been told, by those highly reliable powers that be in head office, about a fairly sinister ploy being used by Gypsies in the Italian capital to rob tourists.

Typically, an old woman would approach a suitably gullible-looking tourist, and throw what appeared to be a baby wrapped in a shawl at them. The obvious reaction, of course, is to catch said flying baby, at which point a few well-trained hands (often those of small kids) would slip into the tourist's pockets and relieve them of their valuables.

Sometimes, muggings are as simple as a flash of a knife. Sometimes, they're as elaborate as the flying Roman babies. But regardless of where you are in the world, there are usually people out to get you.

Fortunately I've never been mugged, or had a plastic baby thrown at me, but I could think of nothing worse than being robbed while travelling. You spend all those months (sometimes years) saving for your big trip, only to have plans thrown into disarray by, usually, being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I've written previously about the scams to cheat travellers out of a few bucks, but a few people have written in in the past few weeks asking for tips on personal safety, for avoiding the more sinister ways of losing your money. As one reader, Helen, put it: "In Asia, your biggest worry is someone scamming you on a rigged taxi meter ... European thieves and robbers are a whole different kettle of fish."

In my experience, there are two types of traveller-targeted robberies: the organised and usually deceitful crime you usually find in Europe's tourist hot-spots, and the more opportunist crime you're likely to encounter in poorer countries.

Rome is notorious for its pickpockets, and muggings in varying degrees of violence. If you're ever riding the subway or walking through crowded areas, it's a good idea to carry your bag in front of you, where you can keep an eye on it. I've met some pretty experienced travellers who've had their loads mysteriously lightened in Rome.

Also, women shouldn't carry a normal handbag. One of the scams I've heard of a few times is guys on scooters flying by and grabbing women's handbags as they go past. Don't wear one of those stupid bumbag things either - they practically scream "gullible tourist" ... and they look crap.

Although Rome's the worst, those tips are worth remembering for every European city. Another that's fairly obvious, but not always easy to achieve if you're travelling alone, is not to wander around by yourself at night, particularly if you're drunk. If you're going boozing till the wee hours, try to find someone from your hostel who's going back there at the same time as you. If you can't, grab a cab, even if it's only a short walk.

That's not to say you should lock yourself in your room every night if you're travelling solo. It's more a case of trusting your instincts. If a situation feels dodgy, it normally is. Get out of there as quickly as you can.

For general travel, always keep an eye on your bags. If you're catching buses, watch the bloke throw your pack in the luggage bin before you get on. Keep your day pack under your seat, rather than in the top racks where anyone can wander past and grab it.

I also like the little wire cables you can now get to secure your backpack. They're great when you want to, say, sleep on a train, or there are no lockers in hostel dorm rooms. Little things like that tend to discourage the opportunist robbers.

Despite all of those precautions, however, there's still a chance you could wind up in a dodgy situation faced with the prospect of getting mugged. If that happens, don't fight it. Is hanging onto your passport and a few traveller's cheques worth your life? I doubt it.

A friend of mine, whom I'll protect with anonymity, managed to get himself into a bit of a situation in Cambodia, but got away unscathed after handing over his cash. Taking up a local thug's offer of "smokey smokey" in Siem Reap, he'd jumped on the back of said thug's motorbike to go and collect the gear.

Oh, this was at about 3am.

In a great surprise to absolutely no one, he was then driven down a dark alley in the middle of nowhere and surrounded by about 20 people who demanded he hand over all the cash he had on him. He pulled out about $80 US, handed it over, and was promptly loaded back onto the motorbike and given a lift back to his hotel. Robbery with a smile!

A few people have asked me to list certain suburbs of big cities where muggings are more frequent, but I think that's a bit pointless - if it's just not your day, you're as likely to get mugged in Sydney or Melbourne as you are in, say, South Central LA.

So I'll leave you with the charming piece of advice an old tour leader once gave me in Rome: "Kick the kids, and drop the babies."

Have you ever been robbed or mugged? What's your advice for staying safe on the road?

Hope you're enjoying the Backpacker blog. There'll be a new one up on theage.com.au every Wednesday, for a bit of light relief to remind you of why you went to work in the first place: to save up enough money to get the hell out of here! If there are any good travel topics you think I've missed, drop me a line at bgroundwater@fairfax.com.au.
Posted by Ben Groundwater
August 22, 2007 9:28 AM
LATEST COMMENTS

I also have never been successfully robbed while travelling. I have a great story of chasing down a thief in London, and recovering my stolen bag from him in a bathroom a block away. But it is a story better told with visuals...

But I do know of a number of friends who have been robbed of their "discreet" under the clothes money belt.

They are fine - until you need to go into them to get out your credit card or some cash - and then everyone can see exactly where you keep your stuff! It is much better to keep a small wallet (or purse) with enough cash for every day use in your pocket - and the rest in a secure pocket in your jacket or trousers. And remember - your back pocket is not as secure as you think it is!!

I dont know - maybe I am just lucky - but I have travelled a lot of countries where robberies are rife - and never had a problem using this method.

* Posted by: Stacey on August 22, 2007 10:13 AM

Like Stacey, I have never been successfully robbed - and I carry a $4000 digital SLR camera and a laptop around with me!! Solo!!

I have witnessed the flying baby thing, by the way! It was in Florence, and the guy who it was aimed at batted the 'baby' onto the road, then pushed the crazy woman after it. Obviously heard about this scam!

I met a girl who had her passport, eurail pass, and 200 euros stolen OUT OF HER POCKET..... Every stupid story about theft I have personally heard from fellow travellers has been the result of some such stupidity - even my best friend who complained about her camera case getting grabbed out of her bag - it was one of those oversized handbags with no zip or lock on it, which she left under a seat at a cafe!!! Well, der....

My tips:
I bought one of these wire netting things that you stretch over your backpack, pull the wire closed and lock - worth every cent! The cable was long enough to wrap around either the hydroponic heater attached to the wall, or the bed head - not all hostels have lockers large enough for a pack. Even on trains and so on this was extremely useful, and of course, you cant slit through it with a knife.

One of those portable wire locks that extends in and out and locks with a combination - excellent if you want to go to the bathroom on the train, and you don't want to carry all your stuff with you. Even just locking all my bags together was ingenious - impossible for anyone to carry away!

Lose the money belt! They are rubbish - everyone can see you fiddling around in there, and I actually saw one guy get his camera taken out of his bag whilst he was fumbling around his midriff in a money belt. (One of my companions grabbed it back - lucky we saw it, eh?!) Again, Stacey is right! Get a cheap purse/wallet and put enough money in there for your use - keep your cards separate, and if possible, keep your ATM card sepearate from your credit card.

Did you know you can use your ipod as a flash drive?! I have a little nano that I take with me - an encrypted file with scans of all my documents, flight information, and important phone numbers is kept on there, so that even if my main bags get 'lost', I still have all my information. I also keep this in an email in my inbox - you can access it any time you want, even without any bags. You could use a mobile phone for this as well - most these days have file storage.

Get a day pack that you can put a padlock on, and get decent combination locks - no keys to worry about! And yes, carry it in front of your body in crowded places especially.

Try to look normal - wearing that 'Australia' track suit top screams tourist!

Maybe solo travelling is less obvious - it occurred to me that Im not walking around speaking english to someone in a place where english isn't the main language - it kind of makes you stand out.... even as a female alone, I haven't ever really felt in danger - keep your eyes open, pay attention to what is around you, and if you are alone, you probably shouldn't be stumbling around drunk!

* Posted by: GK on August 22, 2007 10:56 AM

I have one of those jobs that has me travelling continually and I count myself as a very experienced traveller. With way too many scam attempts and muggings always avoided over the years I thought nup could never happen to me.

London Heathrow my wallet was taken from my hand luggage in the customs line, I didnt even make it out of the bloody airport.

* Posted by: Sam Holmes on August 22, 2007 11:00 AM

I never got robbed in europe, but i have been in asia. After having lived in KL for six weeks, i let my guard down with my shoulder satchel while on the monorail, not gripping it tight and they managed to open the zip and take my wallet before i even realised. At the police station there were at least three others in the exact same situation! I also witnessed the motorbike drive-by handbag theft. My friend was standing closest to the curb while we were going into a shopping centre and someone on the back of a bike just ripped off the bag and took off. Although maybe he had an attack of the guilts, because he started calling her friends using her phone afterwards, and she nearly negotiated to get her camera back!

* Posted by: GB on August 22, 2007 11:19 AM

In South America in some or most atms you actually have to press a button to finish your transaction "this is even after you have taken your card"
If you dont push the button the next person along can continue using your card...
Seriously if you stand out like a tourist your going to get ripped off, Dont take the fancy trekking walking stick into town, dont wear big gay hat to keep sun off face in town..
Some people simply are tossers they will always get ripped off

* Posted by: darren on August 22, 2007 11:24 AM

I don't get it... Do you mean that if you're being mugged in South Central LA you're just as likely to be being mugged in Sydney or Melbourne? While this is analytically true, I would advise extra caution even in the touristy areas of places like Los Angeles, let alone South Central. Australia seems to have more a tradition of burglaries; not sure why, maybe there just isn't the youth development in the local crime scene to get young people into face-to-face mugging, with shyer crooks keen to rob you anonymously. In any case, as a basic rule of thumb it makes sense to be on your guard in less familiar surrounds.

* Posted by: Pete on August 22, 2007 11:36 AM

As a backpacker is it such a problem to be robbed provided they dont take your valuables (passport, camera, cash).

I had my pack taken in Naples but had my valuables on me so I wasn't all that worried given the items in the pack (clothes, shoes, etc) had been with me for nearly 18 months and were due for replacement. Found the pack later down a side street. The guy had opened it up realised he had stolen a bag full of clothes that were in a state of disrepair.

See a lot of "new" travellers hanging onto the pack for dear life but not worrying about the valuables.

My anti-theft tip for when you are carrying everything slip you valuables down the front of your pants (outside of underwear but inside pants) if someone takes it from there and you dont feel it then they deserve it.

* Posted by: James on August 22, 2007 11:49 AM

I have been present for countless thefts, and almost got mugged myself once. I was working in a central London pub, and was alerted to a bag being stolen on average once a day. These people are very discreet, will sit or stand near a table, and without the people knowing take off with a bag. All you need to do is NOT put the bag on the back of the chair or on the floor, and keep it on the table in front of you all the time.

Another tactic in London is at the busy markets, where theives will slit the bottom of people's bags with a knife and pull contents out from the bottom without the person noticing.

One time I nearly got mugged was in Brixton (who hasn't), coming home late one night hammered after going to the ice bar, and was approached for some cash. We were saved by another passer by who was more street wise.

* Posted by: Blake on August 22, 2007 11:49 AM

Recently had a big trip through europe. My wife felt her backpack move in barcelona and turned to see an old woman denying the hand in the bag was hers! Unfortuantely wearing a backpack on your front also screams "paranoid worried tourist". We lenghthened the straps and wore it with the zips on our back. Not as comfortable but seemed to work. We used the round the neck pouch tucked behind our jeans/pants for passports and credit/debit cards and kept cash scattered through different pockets for routine purchases. That way if our pockets did get picked we would not lose the days budget. We also paid for 2 extra child seats on an overnight train to get the whole compartment to ourselves which we could lock - certainly worth it for the ability to sleep!

* Posted by: greg on August 22, 2007 12:02 PM

I know a friend who went travelling to China I think it was, and met up with a couple of people who were staying in the same hotel as them. They were invited to join in some drinks and the drinks were ordered from the hotel's room service. When the drinks arrived, the ice was already in the glasses with a little bit of what was assumed to be melted ice in the bottom of the glasses. One guy tipped out the melted ice, the other didn't.

Consequently, the one that didn't, was passed out for the next week, not remembering most of what happened. The other guy noticed what was happening and managed to get back to their room to try and hide their valuables, before passing out for a much shorter amount of time. But in that time everything apart from their passports was gone.

Beware of gifts from strangers. I'm not saying don't go out and meet new people, just be a little careful

* Posted by: Sally on August 22, 2007 12:04 PM

A friend of my relatives got mugged in Europe while traveling on a train. He had 10K Euro in his pocket. The next thing he knew, he woke up at the hospital. He has been told that he was found stripped to his undies. It took him 3 days to recover from the drugs the robbers somehow slipped into his system. HE only remembered sitting next to a girl and two guys...

* Posted by: nicky on August 22, 2007 12:26 PM

Interesting that a few entries ago Aus was a boring place, and you really should travel and see the world...only to be mugged.

One of the great attractions about holidaying in Aus is that I can walk down the street in Palm Cove, buy a paper, and have a morning coffee, without being hassled by begging kids, pickpocketed by a'holes, or made to feel guilty by not haggling a buying a bloody rug...

That's right Dateman, no one's ever been mugged in Australia. Damn those begging kids and their annoying poverty. - Ben

* Posted by: Dateman on August 22, 2007 12:46 PM

I just got back from my fit overseas trip and while not directly mugged I did get a bag stolen at barcelona train station. Had the bags on the ground and was distracted by one person while another swiped the small bag from behind me.
Nothing like losing all the photos from the first half of you trip to add a bit of 'street sense'

The tips I would offer based on this are
- If you are leaving bags on teh grounds always lock them together, it only takes a couple of minutes
- Can also help to have a strap under the table/chair leg so it can't be pulled out
- Use a standard wallet to store you day to day cash and get out a days cash at a time not a weeks. Losing a weeks spending money to try and save on bank fees isn't worth it
- If you have multiple cameras give the cheapest one to somebody to take you photo
- Always ask somebody to take you photo don't give your camera to somebody who offers (Unless they are wearing an Australian tracksuit top and have the right accent)

I won't bother listing basic things like don't leave valuables in your room and don't flash large amounts of cash in public places

Hope these tips help somebody and save them hassle of trying to make a police report, in a language you can't speak, after the bag that contained your phrasebook was stolen.

* Posted by: Tigerion on August 22, 2007 12:51 PM

in 2000, My GF and i travelled for 3 months through Sth America and heard all sorts of scams, ripoffs, etc. My steet wise lady was walking down the street in LaPaz, Bolivia and a guy came running up and squirted her with mustard. Bang, there's 3 people with tissues there immediately and they start cleaning her up. We had heard that they will clean you out, while wiping you down. Her hands went into her pockets to protect cash & ID and she hunched over onto the ground and started screaming. Smart move, they all took off.

Another variation is that someone will spit in your face and swear about tourists... The "good samaritans" with tissues will appear miracuously.

Dont let this put anyone off travelling to sketchy places. Walking with an air of confidence is the key. Walk tall and appear to know where you are going and what you are doing.

King St Melb at 4am on a saturday night is more dangerous than most places in Asia or Sth America.

* Posted by: Blue Ball on August 22, 2007 12:52 PM

As a female, for 7 years I have carried the same leather 'faithful' handbag strapped across my shoulder, front and hip. Even with my backpack on, I always had a visual on all my valuables in the handbag. Without the backpack, I looked like a local. I never had a single problem. Tip for girls – Get yourself a strong handbag to wear across your shoulder/neck on the hip!

BTW - I notice some coverage of the old 'sleeping-gas-in-the-train-cabin' trick again in France...This is an old favourite....Has anyone every experienced it?

* Posted by: Mish on August 22, 2007 12:54 PM

When I am wandering, I generally dress down in track pants. Generally they are best because of the sun, dress codes in places like temples etc..

I wear a light pair of shorts underneath so as to be able to take off the trackies if necessary.

Anyway, I always carry my wallet inside my shorts pocket and some loose cash in my trackies pocket. That way, I have a few bucks handy or can empty my pants pocket if mugged, but my actual wallet is on me and safe.

When sitting down with a backpack, stick your leg through the strap. That way nobody can run by and grab it when it's on the floor next to you.

* Posted by: Alexander Hoffman on August 22, 2007 1:17 PM

being 6'3, i suspect i'm less likely to be targetted than some others, although i'd never pretend i'm immune.

my closest shave was on La Rambla, the main boulevard in Barcelona. while on the public phone to my folks, money belt open from where i'd fetched my phone card, two vagrants attempted to steal my wallet from the belt. one tapped me on the shoulder saying "per que" or something and the other tried to pluck my wallet from the other side.

i turned around, put my scariest face on and thundered "**** off!!!" so the whole street turned around. they quickly blended back into the crowd and no one blinked an eye.

for the record the waist-mounted money belt is a winner in my book. sure you are a dead giveaway as a tourist, but that's usually a given, regardless. secondly, it makes your valuables easily accessible and difficult to steal without your noticing (see Exhibit A above).

the best scammers are indians in my view. rarely violent or outright dishonest, they instead rely on talking you into spending money in their friend's shop or somesuch, and charge 20 times the real price for whatever you end up purchasing.

it sounds lame but i was amazed at the skill and persistence so many of them possessed to achieve the same goal as more blunt methods.

my rules for not being ripped off or robbed are:

1. paranoia and mistrust of all others, and
2. appear to have nothing worth stealing.

my brother tells the hilarious story of the japanese backpacker in Lima who couldn't leave his hostel for fear of the throng of local youth waiting outside to dispossess him of his various hi-tech gadgetery.

the Columbia attired tourist with his $500 hiking boots and Goretex all weather jacket is well prepared for extreme conditions, but not the type he was originally anticipating..

* Posted by: jules on August 22, 2007 1:27 PM

While in Rome in 2003 my boyfriend and i had a baby thrown at us while walking near the Colliseum. There was a young gypsy mother who was carrying the baby, and was accompanied by a young girl. We had left the main road and were taking a shortcut down a path parallel to the main road and they started following us. Then the mother threw the baby at my boyfriend, and was screaming "ohh Baby baby" and ran into us while the young girl went for our pockets. Luckily we had traveller's wallets strapped to our bodies under our clothes (always thought it was a bit naff but now im so glad we had them). My boyfriend promptly pushed the baby back at the woman and slapped the young girl's hands away, while swearing and yelling at them, luckily they backed off and we hastily made out way to the main road as we did not know if they were working as part of a bigger group. Good advice from your tour guide Ben - slap and YELL LOUDLY. I was also nearly mugged in Brunswick last year, in broad daylight in a melbourne suburban park on a sunday afternoon - luckily the guy was a bit of a nutter and ran away when i started yelling and swearing at him after he tried to grab at me. Advice - if you're ever in that situation, get really angry, and really LOUD really quickly...it may just save you from a much worse fate. Overall, Rome is an amazing city so don't let anything (including thieves and pickpockets) ruin it for you!

* Posted by: Sharna on August 22, 2007 1:43 PM