"Peter L" wrote in message news:...
    > And in many countries you are required to carry identifications with you.
    > "Mike Quint" wrote in message
    > news:20021022135643.25-
    > [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


Best to leave one's passport in a safe place and carry a photocopy of
it with one for ID.

Greg M.

"Greg M." wrote in message
news:b719446c.0210222112-
[email protected]...
    > "Peter L" wrote in message
news:...
    > > And in many countries you are required to carry identifications with
you.
    > >
    > >
    > > "Mike Quint" wrote in message
    > > news:20021022135643.-
    > > [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
    > Best to leave one's passport in a safe place and carry a photocopy of
    > it with one for ID.
    > Greg M.

If you happen to be an American in Italy you are required by law to carry
your original passport on you at all times. Yes you could probably get away
with a photo copy but if you do get stopped by the police for a routine (at
least for us here in Italy) document check, do not be surprised if the
police escort you to where you left the original document or be fined.

Cristina

dEAR mIGUEL,
I have been very distracted when I started travelling around the world, but now I have some tricks...

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
New mini photo-feature: Life in DC:
http://travel.u.nu/dc/
[/SIZE][/QUOTE]

Janet Wentworth wrote:
    > 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!.

I don't understand the difference in the experiences reported here. I
have been to Rome many times; I wouldn't be able to say off-hand how
many. My kids and other friends and relatives have also been there
numerous times. One of my daughters lived in Rome for six months. None
of us has ever had a problem, although a friend of my daughter once had
a bag snatched there. This was the only one of the many American
students my daughter knew in Rome who was the victim of any sort of
crime.

Barbara

Tru. Once I bought a radio on one of the stall in the streets and I can assure it was working - then I went home and the radio inside was completely empty!!!

This is the fascinating Naples.
Ciao Daniela

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

hwyl!
geraint.
[/SIZE][/QUOTE]

"siena" writes:

    >If you happen to be an American in Italy you are required by law to carry
    >your original passport on you at all times. Yes you could probably get away
    >with a photo copy but if you do get stopped by the police for a routine (at
    >least for us here in Italy) document check, do not be surprised if the
    >police escort you to where you left the original document or be fined.

Why do so many hotels in Italy insist on taking your passport and keeping
it overnight, then?

I really dislike letting my passport out of my sight, and usually when I've
been in Italy, I've done everything I can to not let the hotel have it, but
I've found that they get very irritated when I do this...

--
Paul Dwerryhouse

"Why not just have the arresting officer execute you on the spot? If you turn
out to be innocent, they can cancel the invoice for the bullet." -- sharkey

"Paul Dwerryhouse" wrote in message
news:[email protected]
b.edu.au...
    > "siena" writes:
    > >If you happen to be an American in Italy you are required by law to carry
    > >your original passport on you at all times. Yes you could probably get
away
    > >with a photo copy but if you do get stopped by the police for a routine
(at
    > >least for us here in Italy) document check, do not be surprised if the
    > >police escort you to where you left the original document or be fined.
    > Why do so many hotels in Italy insist on taking your passport and keeping
    > it overnight, then?
    > I really dislike letting my passport out of my sight, and usually when
I've
    > been in Italy, I've done everything I can to not let the hotel have it,
but
    > I've found that they get very irritated when I do this...


The only reason is because the person filling out the paperwork normally is
told to do it during the night so as not to take time away from his desk
job. What you should do is have enough photocopies of your passport to give
the hotel one upon check in which they can verify immediately against your
actual document. If they do not want to do this, find another hotel and
make sure you write a letter to them telling of the bad review you posted at
many travel sites as well as USENET then follow through with bad reports.

In article ,
Barbara Vaughan wrote:

    > Janet Wentworth wrote:
    > >
    > > 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!.
    > I don't understand the difference in the experiences reported here. I
    > have been to Rome many times; I wouldn't be able to say off-hand how
    > many. My kids and other friends and relatives have also been there
    > numerous times. One of my daughters lived in Rome for six months. None
    > of us has ever had a problem, although a friend of my daughter once had
    > a bag snatched there. This was the only one of the many American
    > students my daughter knew in Rome who was the victim of any sort of
    > crime.
    > Barbara

We have spent several weeks in Rome over several trips including 8 days
this May and in all that time I have only observed theft once -- on that
notorious bus to the Vatican -- and have never been bothered personally.

Of course we know how to give groups of thieving children the evil eye
and discourage them -- but even so, while pick pocketing is much more
prevalent in European tourist cities than in the US, it is not quite as
ubiquitous as the OP suggests at least in my experience.

In article ,
[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

how many times does someone have to have their wallet stolen before they
think to use a money belt or make other arrangements for carrying money?

In article ,
Paul Dwerryhouse wrote:

    > "siena" writes:
    > >If you happen to be an American in Italy you are required by law to carry
    > >your original passport on you at all times. Yes you could probably get away
    > >with a photo copy but if you do get stopped by the police for a routine (at
    > >least for us here in Italy) document check, do not be surprised if the
    > >police escort you to where you left the original document or be fined.
    > Why do so many hotels in Italy insist on taking your passport and keeping
    > it overnight, then?
    > I really dislike letting my passport out of my sight, and usually when I've
    > been in Italy, I've done everything I can to not let the hotel have it, but
    > I've found that they get very irritated when I do this...


Letting hotels do this is foolhardy. We once returned to a hotel lobby
in Siena to see our passports just lying on the check in counter in a
completely unattended lobby. Anyone could have picked them up. If it
had happened it would have been our problem, not the hotels. After that
graphic demonstration that hotel clerks don't give a flying fig, we
simply don't let them take our passports. If they can't complete the
paperwork right then, we give them a copy.

On Wed, 23 Oct 2002 10:24:54 -0500, Jenn wrote:

    >In article ,
    >[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
    >how many times does someone have to have their wallet stolen before they
    >think to use a money belt or make other arrangements for carrying money?

Took me three times. Could never believe it would happen after travelling for'
over sixty years, then three times in three consecutive trips to Europe.
The last two times were over ten years ago now, but the thieves only
got away with a 'dummy' wallet with a few dollar equivalents in it.
The really valuable stuff was in a pouch tucked away inside my
shirt. It is a shame that the world has come to this, but there is a
vast underclass out there, some want food, others need drug money and some
are just plain villains.

In article ,
[email protected] (Irwell) wrote:

    > On Wed, 23 Oct 2002 10:24:54 -0500, Jenn wrote:
    > >In article ,
    > >[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
    > >
    > >how many times does someone have to have their wallet stolen before they
    > >think to use a money belt or make other arrangements for carrying money?
    > Took me three times. Could never believe it would happen after travelling for'
    > over sixty years, then three times in three consecutive trips to Europe.
    > The last two times were over ten years ago now, but the thieves only
    > got away with a 'dummy' wallet with a few dollar equivalents in it.
    > The really valuable stuff was in a pouch tucked away inside my
    > shirt. It is a shame that the world has come to this, but there is a
    > vast underclass out there, some want food, others need drug money and some
    > are just plain villains.

we do the same thing -- I keep money in my purse or camera bag/purse and
my husband in a wallet -- but it is only day money like yours -- our
extra credit cards, passports, tickets and money are stowed in my money
belt or in the hotel safe. I make a point of booking hotels that have
room safes and have never had problems with those. We have never been
pick pocketed -- although my husband once had his prescription glasses
stolen as he sat on a wall at the Colloseum and laid them beside him as
he changed into sun glasses -- but if we are then they only get the day
funds and not our key papers and money.

In article ,
Paul Dwerryhouse wrote:
    >Why do so many hotels in Italy insist on taking your passport and keeping
    >it overnight, then?

They want to do some paperwork (of registering foreign visitors), but
they are quite willing to take a copy instead. So just bring copies
to give them.

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

"Barbara Vaughan" wrote in message
news:[email protected]
.edu...
    > Janet Wentworth wrote:
    > >
    > > 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!.
    > I don't understand the difference in the experiences reported here. I
    > have been to Rome many times; I wouldn't be able to say off-hand how
    > many. My kids and other friends and relatives have also been there
    > numerous times. One of my daughters lived in Rome for six months. None
    > of us has ever had a problem, although a friend of my daughter once had
    > a bag snatched there. This was the only one of the many American
    > students my daughter knew in Rome who was the victim of any sort of
    > crime.

I had the same reaction to this thread as you. We've visited Rome a number
of times, usually for 5 days to a week at a time. We've never encountered
crime of any sort, and, needless to say, have never been pickpocketed --
either in Rome, or anywhere else in Europe.



    > Barbara

On Tue, 22 Oct 2002 17:21:14 GMT, [email protected] (Timothy J. Lee)
wrote:

    >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.

Didn't we just have this discussion? Might want to refer to that
previous (lengthy) thread.

---------------------------
A truly cool book:
The World Is Already Yours
Conscious living in the real world
www.alreadyyours.com (sample chapter, etc...)