Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I use a simple neck pouch. Use it even traveling in the U.S. I keep most of my money in there as well as one credit card. If I'm overseas I keep my passport there as well.
Pockets are too easy to pick....
This is one of the best methods really. Some people complain that a thief can steal it from your neck, but I see little chance of that happening. Pickpockets usually try to steal without being noticed. The neck is a very sensitive area.
The chest is also too sensitive and noticeable for pickpockets, which is why it's good to use buttoned or zippered shirt pockets.
In Latin America they have various scams going to distract you. Like the old lady that falls to the sidewalk, and then screams: Help! Now these women have played and re-played this role many, many times and the performance gets better every time. It's always performed somewhere where there 2 or 3 accomplices nearby. You stoop down to help the old lady, and bam! And then there that every so foolproof way of stopping people is money dropped on the sidewalk. Naturally, as to be expected, you see a hundred dollar bill laying on the sidewalk, need I say what action you'd take. And parked nearby are bandits just waiting for you to stoop down to pick it up. And then there's the food throwing incidents. That happened to me in Quito, Ecuador about 4 years ago. Just walking down the street, and suddenly a couple appear and say: Oh dear! Look what happened to you! Completely unaware of what happened, I look around and there's this gooey, chocolatey, yogurty like substance running down my pants legs. And the couple are right there to "help you" clean up, with tissues in their hands. And the couple? Grey-haired senior citizens! All dressed-up like they were about to enter a 5 star hotel! I had read about this scam on the travel forums, but I had tried to imagine the perpetrators, and I had wrongly guessed young kids or teenagers. Those senior citizens completely threw me off! And even after I got back to the U.S., when at dark, and seeing a senior citizen couple approach me, I'd get nervous. Perhaps if social security runs out some day, we'll be dealing with this on a daily basis.
It's just crazy and unnesseccary carrying large sums of cash on you, unless you go to a remote area without ATM's. I've been to these areas, but on the normal tourist circuit you won't have these problems.
That being said, some countries have the art of pickpocketing down to a science - with timed distractions, slight of hand, using children, cutting open purses with a razor blade, the works, so you need to protect your pocket money and credit cars and passport and all that. Armed robbery is not that much of a risk, pickpocket theft is a very real risk.
I don't like the neck chain because it can be grabbed and ripped off in a "snatch and grab" robbery, even if it's under the shirt. The pickpockets are very aware of neck purses. I usually use a money belt for the bulk of my money and passport, maybe keep one credit card and some small sums of cash in a very deep FRONT pocket. More importantly - be aware of your surroundings and any distractions.
Oh - and make copies of your credit cards and passport before you leave to plan for event if it does occur. Keep a copy of your passport in your luggage. U.S. passports are very valuable to pickpockets, probably more valuable than any cash you have.
It's just crazy and unnesseccary carrying large sums of cash on you, unless you go to a remote area without ATM's. I've been to these areas, but on the normal tourist circuit you won't have these problems.
The problem is that an ATM card could potentially be even more valuable than a large sum of cash.
The problem is that an ATM card could potentially be even more valuable than a large sum of cash.
I don't see how, you have a password that you secure. It's a worthless piece of plastic without the password.
Someone mentioned something about theives hanging out at ATM's. I beg to differ, at common tourist routes (in Europe, etc) ATM are very secure - Inside banks with guarded access, and I'm talking security guards with submachine guns. Off the toursit routes you take normal precautions like you would do at home.
I'm surprised how many people at the airport are just so careless with their id's and boarding passes. They keep them in their hands while waiting in long lines at security or waiting to be called to board the airplane. If some jokester came running along and snatched them out of their hands I don't think the security people would (or should) give a rat's body part for the stupid people who got their stuff stolen.
But how could someone use your boarding pass if they stole it? If they do it past the security checkpoint you would just go to the gate and report it there and if they stole it before the gate you would report it to the tsa or just go back to the check in counter and report it.
When we go on vacation we only take a couple of hundred dollars cash, split it between us and use ATM's. We did have a slight problem in China because they are such a cash society that we only used our credit card for one hotel. Every other place we stayed at and even flying on the airlines, we had to use cash so we were withdrawing money from atm's every day!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Beware of the scams, too
