How bad is pick pocketing in Barcelona?

Zethor · 6 Mar 2017 at 15:36

dowie said:
Still waiting for anything showing that London is worse for pickpocketing than Barcelona....

Other than 'well I've been there lots and I figured they're both bad'

Why would anyone show you anything when you showed bugger all other than a half baked, how to lose weight in 5 steps type of 'study' recycled for the Brexir campaign? He put forward an idea based on personal experience, what's your experience in Barcelona, dowie?

dowie · 6 Mar 2017 at 15:38

Zethor said:
Why would anyone show you anything when you showed bugger all other than a half baked 'study' recycled for the Brexi campaign. He put forward an idea based on personal experience, what's your experience in Barcelona, dowie?

Barcelona seems to be generally regarded as the pickpocket capital of Europe based on multiple reports from visitors

yet one individual whose visited a few times thinks both London and Barcelona are bad...

so do we listen to the individual or the collective experiences of lots of people?

what have you provided?

Zethor · 6 Mar 2017 at 15:44

dowie said:
Barcelona seems to be generally regarded as the pickpocket capital of Europe based on multiple reports from visitors

Generally regarded by multiple reports from visitors? Well, dowie, let me try that and claim that you have no idea what you are talking about, based on multiple reports from fellow forum members.

How's that?

dowie · 6 Mar 2017 at 15:45

Zethor said:
Generally regarded by multiple reports from visitors? Well, dowie, let me try that and claim that you have no idea what you are talking about, based on multiple reports from fellow forum members.
How's that?

pretty baseless really, people posting that they personally didn't have any issues doesn't really give you much information

still you provide nothing to counter it

ttaskmaster · 6 Mar 2017 at 15:57

dowie said:
Barcelona is about as bad as it can get for pickpocketing.

Dunno if this really counts as pickpocketing, or outright mugging, but several European countries have gangs of 'persons of transient nature' that are big problems for tourists. Hungary is the one I'm most familar with, where it's usually groups of children that will just walk right up to you in broad daylight and crowd you out while they fish in your pockets.
According to Hungarian police, the best way to deal with them is to smack them one round the head and continue until they run off. I thought this was just my ex-pat mate making things up until I visted and did ask a copper - I was quite shocked when he basically said, "Yeah, go for it. We'll just look the other way..."!!!

dowie said:
Just be cautious on the metro and/or if approached by people on the street (especially if they get too close to you) and you should be fine.

Yup, common sense.
Kinda like how bad Cape Town is if you don't take reasonable precautions. Known plenty of people fall afoul of things there... and plenty of people who were perfectly fine - Mum & Dad went there last year and didn't have any worries.

dowie · 6 Mar 2017 at 16:03

Yeah I go there a lot, Hungary has a lot of issues with Gypsies, you probably could get away with that as the Hungarian govt is quite right wing and the police/authorities generally discriminate against the Roma population anyway. This isn't necessarily a good thing - a friend of mine there volunteers with a charity trying to help the Roma and they've had their offices raided by the Hungarian police.

I don't know why people in this thread are trying to downplay Barcelona because they personally didn't have any trouble, I didn't either but it is very obvious over there if you open your eyes. Certainly dismissing it as the same as say London gives a rather false impression and is frankly just bad advice to give to someone such as the OP.

Spain as a whole has a problem but Barcelona tops most lists for good reason. Another fun fact - the Foreign and Commonwealth has to issue more emergency travel documents in Barcelona than in most countries thanks to the number of British tourists getting their passports swiped.

TS7 · 6 Mar 2017 at 16:10

While I was there I witnessed a swathe of about 8 pickpockets form a crowd around people entering a train and pick pocket but they got rumbled and ran off. Someone also got their passport pick pocketed entering the airport as the man was making a scene. A friend (during a previous trip) had his passport pick pocketed on a train but he had a distinctive passport holder and spotted the lady rushing away from him and caught up with her and got it back.

It is worse than London in my experience. I spend a lot of time in London and am yet to witness such commotion or experience it myself yet 4 days in Barcelona I come across two incidents.

Importantly, it's not unsafe, there's no mugging problem, so along as you keep your wits about you'll be fine

ttaskmaster · 6 Mar 2017 at 16:11

dowie said:
Certainly dismissing it as the same as say London gives a rather false impression and is frankly just bad advice to give to someone such as the OP.

I lived in Camden and never even knew anyone get pickpocketed. I went to Barcelona a couple of times and was aware of a LOT more incidents in just that short space of time!

Common sense, common sense and common sense...

Malt_Vinegar · 6 Mar 2017 at 16:18

.Lethal said:
If you went for work, were you frequently spending time in the very popular tourist spots notorious for pick pocketing?

It's rife and frequently spoken about because it happens, a number of years ago it almost happened to me and my partner at the time. 3 girls came up to my partner wanting her to sign her name for some fake petition and while your attention is turned another girl will go for your wallet, I wasn't drunk and luckily noticed very quickly after it had happened so I got my wallet back. This doesn't mean it happens to everyone, but it doesn't mean those that haven't had it happen, that it won't. Just be careful and be wary of your surroundings, and if you go out drinking be sensible and only take what you need for the evening.

Yup, we went walking down las ramblas most nights, drinking in the bars, walk on the beach during the day, and shopping on others. Now i tot it up, I think I have been there 12 times in recent years. No one in our party ever had anything stolen/pick pocketed.

Maybe we were just lucky!

Steeps · 6 Mar 2017 at 16:58

Shouldn't be as bad this time of year as the crowds are thinner. A group of 60 of us went one year in February and the only loss was a passport from a rucksack pocket.

Closing · 6 Mar 2017 at 16:59

Barcelona is worse for pickpocketing.

Moving on.

Will Gill · 6 Mar 2017 at 17:04

Closing said:
Barcelona is worse for pickpocketing.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel...-most-likely-to-be-pickpocketed-a6844696.html

http://www.escapehere.com/inspiration/10-worst-cities-in-the-world-for-pickpocketing/

https://www.saga.co.uk/magazine/travel/travel-advice/10-worst-cities-for-pickpockets

http://www.traveller.com.au/worlds-top-10-worst-cities-for-pickpockets-gl27

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-travel-picks-pickpockets-idUSTRE5910WA20091002

http://www.news.com.au/travel/trave...d/news-story/49d486182614646ca665e48019da3312

http://www.pixte.com/420011/10-worst-pickpocket-cities-in-the-world/

http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/top-10-pickpocket-cities-watch-wallet-avoid-thieves/story?id=11769828

Moving on.

all quoting the same 8 year old TA report

nice work

Malevolence · 6 Mar 2017 at 17:05

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Leather-Shoulder-Holster-Prime-Hide/dp/B000O1AA28

Skiddley · 6 Mar 2017 at 17:09

We got done - hammered in the Gothic quarter at silly o'clock. Group of Romanies came over\blocked pavement\got in our faces - I immediately put my hands in my pockets and just walked through them, the Mrs must have been distracted and realised later she had a card, and some concert tickets pinched (already used so no problem). Card was just on some Toll roads that night. Bank refunded it so no issue.

The worst bit was going to the police station hung over. Complete waste of time of course.

Wimin!!

dowie · 6 Mar 2017 at 17:13

Will Gill said:
all quoting the same 8 year old TA report

nice work

So aside from actively denying that it is a particularly bad problem for Barcelona, what have you got other than personal anecdotes to suggest that it is just the same as London? You seem to be critical of a trip advisor report surveying multiple people including travel writhers yet surprisingly confident that your lone personal experience is in fact representative.

I mean when the FCO is having to issue more emergency travel documents in Barcelona alone than they do in most other entire countries it would seem to indicate there is an issue with theft.

Is this just a case of being a bit stubborn and not wanting to change your personal view on the internet? Because it isn't really helpful to people like the OP who have heard, for obvious reasons, that there is a particular issue in Barcelona.

Freefaller · 6 Mar 2017 at 17:17

I don't get why people are focussing on how "bad" Barcelona is for pickpocketing. It's a popular city with a lot of non streetwise people. Sure, it may have more incidents reported than London, but that does not mean it is any worse or better than London, it could just be that people don't report it as often in London.

It's a major city. It will have pickpockets. Just be aware, be streetwise, and be sensible - just as if you were visiting any other major thriving city.

Enjoy Barcelona, it's an amazing place

MarkLP · 6 Mar 2017 at 17:34

Is it worth looking to get some zipped pockets? I'm planning to use the safe as soon as we get to the hotel. I'm just really nervous having an expensive bit of jewellery on me even if it's only for a few hours till we get the keys to our room in the hotel. We get there at half 10 in the morning so doubt our room will be ready.

I guess this is why I'm so apprehensive I've been to quite a few major cities and not had any problems before.

Washout · 6 Mar 2017 at 18:39

Use that mini pocket on jeans (think it was for pocket watches originally).

You're more likely to lose it by mistake than get pick pocketed after only being there a few hours and in the morning! Vast majority of cases will be drunken folk getting done in the wee early hours...

Evo8 · 6 Mar 2017 at 20:31

When I went to Barcelona I had no problems. I went in December for a Celtic game though so obviously not as busy as it would be in summer!

richthomuk · 6 Mar 2017 at 20:40

Washout said:
Use that mini pocket on jeans (think it was for pocket watches originally).

You're more likely to lose it by mistake than get pick pocketed after only being there a few hours and in the morning! Vast majority of cases will be drunken folk getting done in the wee early hours...

Thats really not true, most people are likely to be done as a local on the way to or home from work on public transport or at busy stations or Las Ramblas in the summer, there are even volunteers that actively seek out pickpocketers during rush hour at stations etc.

How bad is pick pocketing in Barcelona?

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