[Idyllchat] Thievery in Rome

[dtrees]

Be very careful in Rome.  We were on a bus tour and as we exited the bus at a popular bus-stop, pickpockets "attacked".  We literally had to hold onto our purse straps with one hand and slap thieves off with the other.  We had our purse straps slung over our necks and across our bodies and I guess that saved us.  I have since purchased a bag with a cable in the straps.  If they had had knives, they could have sliced through our straps and been long gone.  They were only after us for a minute then all ran off before any security could arrive.  It was a little frightening but I wouldn't hesitate to go to Rome again.  It's such an incredibly beautiful city with so many nice people.  The thieves there are very good, though.  Some friends were sitting on a bench with a bag of souveniers between their feet and someone got the bag....they even had a foot sitting on part of the bag and still never knew when it was taken.  I've heeded advice given by more experienced travelers to have things like credit cards, passport, etc. in a money belt hidden under my clothes (in a plastic bag for warmer cities where I "glow" more.....you know women don't perspire, we glow).  

Deb
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: kegonsalund 
  To: idyllchat at lists.untours.com 
  Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2008 8:52 PM
  Subject: [Idyllchat] Thievery in Rome


  Rick Steves' Italy 2008 warns about the theft via pickpockets (kids in a group with an adult handler nearby; i.e. Coliseum, busses, trains), purse snatchers (either the grab and run variety, or the Vespa Mounties).

   

  Is he overdoing the warnings? What have been others experience in Rome?

   

  Don Lund



------------------------------------------------------------------------------


  _______________________________________________
  This message was sent by IdyllChat.
  To reply or send a new message, email to:
  IdyllChat at lists.untours.com

  Visit the IdyllChat archives:
  http://mailman.dca.net/pipermail/idyllchat/

  Search Idyllchat Archives for any subject at: http://search.dca.net/sites/untours/main.html
  >
  Read real Untourists' candid accounts of their Untours: 
  > http://www.untours.com/triplogs.html To unsubscribe, change to digest delivery, or 
  temporarily pause delivery, visit:
  http://mailman.dca.net/mailman/listinfo/idyllchat
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.dca.net/pipermail/idyllchat/attachments/20080113/9229a4d2/attachment.htm