It can happen anywhere, a distraction, a quick hand slipping into your backpack or pockets and then it’s gone, and in the blink of an eye you’re without your wallet, cell phone, or other valuable personal items. It’s a phenomenon. PickpocketsA real army of henchmen trained to carry out robberies with skill, exploiting crowds. They operate particularly in public transport, in the metro, trams, buses, but also in very crowded places, such as city centres or near monuments.
This phenomenon is particularly deep-rooted in Italy and difficult to eradicate. The perpetrators of such crimes are often pregnant women or minors who end up out and about the day after their arrest. Large cities such as Rome H Milan It is the most dangerous and where most thefts occur. But as we mentioned, the phenomenon is not purely Italian because thefts occur everywhere. However, our country did not make a good impression in the ranking of countries with the highest rate of pickpocketing throughout Europe.
Countries with the highest rate of pickpockets across Europe: Italy in first place
Last year, a British insurance comparison site analysed British holidaymakers’ opinions of the top five holiday destinations in the most popular European countries. Italy came out on top for the biggest complaints. A breakdown of pickpocketing reports by British holidaymakers showed that 478 tourists reported theft. In second place was France with 251 references.
The areas most studied by reviews are the Duomo area in Milan, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, and the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and Colosseum in Rome. It must be said that this study only contained reports from British tourists but it still gives a general picture of the situation in Italy.
The most common tactics used by pickpockets and how to defend yourself
Those who live in big cities know very well how to behave, especially in crowded places, but tourists are often unaware of this danger. As time goes on I Pickpockets They have improved increasingly sophisticated techniques to reach the goal. For example, an English tourist reported that in Florence near the Ponte Vecchio, it is the custom of a girl to walk with very little clothing in order to attract the attention of those passing by, who, distracted while looking at her, allow their belongings to be stolen by her accomplices.
Or another report tells us about a group of pickpockets who act like they want to rob the person with us on public transportation. By making us focus on avoiding theft from our loved one, we end up taking less care of ourselves and thus getting robbed.
There are behaviors we can follow to avoid being robbed by pickpockets. The first tip is to always keep your bag on your shoulder, never leave it unattended on a table and in crowded places, such as the subway, turn your backpack forward and keep your personal items in the front pockets. Also pay attention to jewelry, if it is flashy and valuable it is better to leave it at home.
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