I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. I just got back from Rome on
Saturday and had no bad experiences. In fact, I felt very safe there! This
was my second visit without any problems, and I used taxies and the Metro on
my visits. I live in London and I have been pickpocketed several times here
(I originally come from Norway, so I was a bit naive when I came here
several years ago!!). Rome in my experience isn't any worse than other
capital cities.

Cecilie

"John Smith" wrote in message
news:[email protected]
t...
    > I have just returned from Rome and having traveled most of Europe I have
    > never seen crime on the level it is in Rome. I had my wallet and cards
    > taken within 24 hours, and 6 people staying at the same hotel all had
    > money, cards or passports taken on the Metro. One girl had her bag taken
    > IN St Peters, a lady let the driver of her taxi see her purse and he
    > just drove off with it, another lady had her bag slit and passports
    > removed. The Police told me they cant stop it so if you have to go on
    > the Metro Keep your bag in front of you, do not put wallets etc in any
    > back pocket, and DO NOT STAND NEAR ANY DOOR ON THE METRO SO PEOPLE CAN
    > PUSH PAST YOU.
    > AND LOOK OUT FOR A WHITE MAN 6-2" with a small beard about 35/40 and his
    > Woman partner who yells out let me off ( in Italian)and pushes because
    > thats when the GUY with my money will push pass you .
    > Is there a worse place than Rome if so I have yet to see it.
    > No I am not going back
    > John

...these things happens everywhere inany big city around the world. I am from Rome, and my wallet has been stolen in Rome, but also in London, New York, Il Cairo, New Delhi.
I think we all have to be careful everywhere in the world when travelling.
In any case you have never been to Naples...I suppose.


[QUOTE][SIZE=1]Originally posted by John Smith:
I have just returned from Rome and having traveled most of Europe I have
never seen crime on the level it is in Rome. I had my wallet and cards
taken within 24 hours, and 6 people staying at the same hotel all had
money, cards or passports taken on the Metro. One girl had her bag taken

John Smith wrote:

    >I have just returned from Rome and having traveled most of Europe I have
    >never seen crime on the level it is in Rome....

Sorry you had a bad experience.

Why do the residents remain in Rome? There must be some way of
managing there without being robbed. Unless all the Romans are engaged
in robbing tourists. I formed the impression that some of them merely
fleeced us, and most of them caused no trouble at all.

PB

sgwennodd "dada" yn neges
news:451391.1035286173@britishexpats-
.com...

    > In any case you have never been to Naples...I suppose.

He can't have - only his wallet and cards were taken. In Napoli they do
theft properly.
    :-)

hwyl!
geraint.

In article , geraint wrote:
    >I find it amazing that people walk around __any__ city with their passports
    >on them...!

In some countries, having identification is mandatory, and local officials
are unlikely to accept or even know about foreign identification cards.

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Timothy J. Lee
Unsolicited bulk or commercial email is not welcome.
No warranty of any kind is provided with this message.

In article ,
Padraig Breathnach wrote:
    >Why do the residents remain in Rome? There must be some way of
    >managing there without being robbed.

The residents are probably more familiar with how thieves work, don't
carry as many valuables like plane tickets, rail passes, passports,
etc., and are better able to alert and assist police in stopping or
catching thieves. So foreigners are likely easier for thieves to
successfully steal from, and may be targeted (if the thief has a choice)
for that reason.

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Timothy J. Lee
Unsolicited bulk or commercial email is not welcome.
No warranty of any kind is provided with this message.

    >>I find it amazing that people walk around __any__ city with their passports
    >>on them...!

What is so amazing, in my case, I only had a 10 hour layover and rather that
trust a locker at the train station, I thought that I would be safer with them
on me.

Mike

[email protected] (Timothy J. Lee) wrote:

    >In article ,
    >Padraig Breathnach wrote:
    >>Why do the residents remain in Rome? There must be some way of
    >>managing there without being robbed.
    >The residents are probably more familiar with how thieves work, don't
    >carry as many valuables like plane tickets, rail passes, passports,
    >etc., and are better able to alert and assist police in stopping or
    >catching thieves. So foreigners are likely easier for thieves to
    >successfully steal from, and may be targeted (if the thief has a choice)
    >for that reason.

No argument there. So the trick is to look like a Roman.

When in Rome . . .

PB

And in many countries you are required to carry identifications with you.


"Mike Quint" wrote in message
news:20021022135643.2534-
[email protected]...
    > >>I find it amazing that people walk around __any__ city with their
passports
    > >>on them...!
    > What is so amazing, in my case, I only had a 10 hour layover and rather
that
    > trust a locker at the train station, I thought that I would be safer with
them
    > on me.
    > Mike

Padraig Breathnach wrote:

    > No argument there. So the trick is to look like a Roman.
    > When in Rome . . .


For example, you can regularly shout "A li mortacci!" ("The souls of
your dead relatives", tipical Roman expletive)(pron. Ahh Lee
mor'tatschee - the "a" sounding like "mortality") . The trick would be
perfect :-)

-- -----------------------------------------------------
Luca Logi - Firenze - Italy e-mail: [email protected]

dada wrote:
    > ..these things happens everywhere inany big city around the world. I am
    > from Rome, and my wallet has been stolen in Rome, but also in London,
    > New York, Il Cairo, New Delhi.

That's pretty impressive. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone who got
their wallet stolen quite so often.

miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world:
http://travel.u.nu
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On Wed, 23 Oct 2002 01:03:15 GMT, [email protected] (Miguel Cruz) wrote:

    >dada wrote:
    >> ..these things happens everywhere inany big city around the world. I am
    >> from Rome, and my wallet has been stolen in Rome, but also in London,
    >> New York, Il Cairo, New Delhi.
    >That's pretty impressive. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone who got
    >their wallet stolen quite so often.
    >miguel
There is a return policy if you are not satisified.
Thieves in Catania Sicily returned my wallet,
minus the cash.

We were in Rome about a year ago. We were targets of thieves several times
but due to our diligence in putting valuables in money belts and hidden
pockets they got nothing but receipts, maps and a soiled Kleenex. However
picking was so rampant we started a game -- assigning points to each time a
picking was spotted and the losers buying the winner a glass a wine with
dinner!. When you start looking it is amazing what sort of thievery is going
on. We stopped several would-be thieves in action much to the surprise of
the potential targets who had no idea that they were about to lose wallets
and purses (some were locals). I would love to visit Rome again, but not
sure if it is worth the effort in being constantly vigilant in watching for
thieves. Even if you have all your valuables secured, it just isn't much
fun-- and heaven help you if you let your guard down. Pickpockets were kids,
well dressed gents, all types. Yes, most large cities have a pickpocket
problem but in my experience Rome is the clear cut winner.

Janet



"Ken Blake" wrote in message
news:[email protected]
m...
    > In news:7669rug8aamtg0f8m9i-
    > [email protected]    , gerald wrote:
    > > If you don't know what is a money belt, you ain't got a chance
    > in
    > > Rome.
    > Sorry, but that's simply nonsense, in my view. As I said in
    > another earlier message, I've been in Rome about a dozen times,
    > and never had anything stolen from me. And I've never worn a
    > money belt.
    > Wearing a money belt probably isn't a bad thing to do. But it's
    > far from necessary. It's only one way to protect yourself.
    > --
    > Ken Blake
    > Please reply to the newsgroup

    >>> ..these things happens everywhere inany big city around the world. I am
    >>> from Rome, and my wallet has been stolen in Rome, but also in London,
    >>> New York, Il Cairo, New Delhi.
*****

    >>That's pretty impressive. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone who got
    >>their wallet stolen quite so often.
******

Good grief, by now you think they'd dump the wallet (probably had it
in a back pocket to boot) and invest $10 in a moneybelt.....(not a
fanny pack, but the kind of contraption you wear under your
clothes).....

In article ,
Desmond Coughlan wrote:

    > > Yes, it is unfortunate. I have never been ripped off in that way myself,
    > > but in Paris my girlfriend had her ass pinched
    > Well it serves her right for walking around Paris with a donkey, doesn't
    > it ?

Everyone's a comedian around here. :-)