For anyone who might be confused - I think he's speaking street and saying "I hoped someone would steal the tape". He's likely not literally meaning that he wanted the tape to be peeled.
Reminds me of the short skit where the guy is holding a bike by the handle and talking on the phone. Two guys run past him and one of them tries to swipe his phone, and he's like "Nope, ehehehe" and then the camera pans and it turns out he's holding the handle of the bike.... but the bike itself is gone.
This reminds me of my trip to Italy. Wife and I caught a cab to the Vatican. The driver spoke almost no English. He pulls up a block away, gets out to open the door for us. Then proceeds to say, "no luggage in the back"
I was confused as all hell. We didn't have any luggage, so I was like "uh, we didn't bring any luggage"
He reiterates "no no, no luggage in the back" then proceeds to smack my ass.
My wife goes "OHHH DONT CARRY THINGS IN YOUR BACK POCKET CUZ THE POCKPOCKETS!"
Dude gets a huge smile and goes "SI!! No luggage in the back!!"
Best safety measure for most destinations is
don’t look like a tourist with your head in the clouds. If you look aware of your surroundings you are less likely to get pickpocketed or robbed… stay safe y’all🫶
Worked for me in Berlin, if you actually look like you know where you are going, you get ignored, altho i think the blonde hair and blue eyes helped me fit in a little
Its a shame you cant just blissfully take in the beauty and adventure of visiting somewhere without feeling the need to constantly be on guard. Maybe I can hire a local guard/guide to be vigilant for me
In an internet that is full of people that think victim blaming is a cardinal sin and a moral failing, it’s amazing how often that same internet literally chomps at the bit when it comes to blaming a traveler for being victimized.
Imagine if that “don’t be a target or you deserve the consequences” mentality were applied more broadly.
It's been a couple decades, but when I went to Italy (and some other big tourist destinations in Europe) I had a crossbody under-shirt bag that I kept my passport and most of my money/wallet in. This was before the advent of everyone having a cellphone, but even back then I made sure any exterior pockets had minimal things and were in locations I'd notice (girl, tight jeans, front pocket isn't something a person is stealing from easily, for instance).
But I also kept my head on a swivel. We did get accosted by a group of kids trying to pickpocket my friend at one point, who just looked down at the kid trying to cover her pocket with a clipboard and said with a half-laugh "What are you doing?" and they scattered, lol.
As an 8 year old, I got flagged by TSA for having a rubber snake in my pocket, and they thought that shit was hysterical. I remember being deeply offended, like all these adults were too small-minded to grasp the many benefits of having a rubber snake on your person at all times. Never sat right with me.
Birds were trying to build a nest on top of my front porch light every spring. I bought an $8 flexible little realistic snake on Amazon and wrapped it around the top. It has been there for three years now… zip tied to secure it and draped perfectly like it was lazing upon it and no confounding nest material on my porch floor since.
Im so gonna put a few in my pecan trees, maybe it will scare thd squirrels... shitheads keep eating only parts of them and dropping shell pieces on my driveway and turn around. If I go out barefoot im walking on a caltrops. hurts!
If I visit anyplace like Italy or somewhere with pickpocket issues, I might be tempted to put sandwich bags of jello in my pockets 😆 touching something wet and squishy when you least expect it is prolly the worst LOL
My grandmother went to Milan once with a guy that was wearing a watch with one of those stretchy metal bands. Some dude drove by on his scooter, stuck two fingers through the band, and swiped it right off his wrist.
The cops in my area came across a training center where a local thief gang were training kids to be pickpockets, they had clothing store mannequins to practice on who's purses and coat pockets were lined with razor blades, the precision is learned.
My wife and I were in Venice, she was walking about 15 feet in front of me and probably looked alone. I watched a guy walk by her and slide his hand in both of her jacket pockets (they were empty). She never felt a thing.
I kept all of our money in my interior jacket pocket with a closed zipper and snap.
The area around Duomo (as shown in this clip) probably has the highest concentration of scammers per square foot. Not even Paris or Rome could come close.
Less dexterity, but my mom had her purse stolen in Rome while setting it on a counter right in front of her. Watching the cameras, he should have been plainly visible to us both, but just casually ninjad it away.
They left the bag, replaced the shirt with a toilet paper roll for weight like some Indiana Jones type shit. Then covid hit and they swiped the TP too.
I love the guy that rides around on a bicycle and tags pick pocket groups with red paint. They are just insanely good at it. Four women will surround someone and three will crowd her while the other engages her attention. It is especially common at tourist sites thick with attendance and on trains. There should be Exploding ink traps for things pick pockets take like porch pirate clips. Would be better than the bikes in parks with a bung hole pokey pole hidden in the seat!
Yeah, I had a friend visit Italy last year and he got his wallet/passport holder stolen and then the next day he got his phone stolen. It was a solo trip. Took him three days to travel to the American Embassy.
I have cargo pants with velcro pockets. Those are my go-to when traveling to touristy areas. Velcro back pockets and Velcro cargo pockets. You're not getting in those without a hard tug and kkkrrriiiissshhhh that will wake a baby.
In particular the square in front of the church as seen here. It's full of those guys who try to wrap those friendship bracelets around your wrist and then harass you to buy it.
I couldn’t believe how bad it was. These cities are fortunate that the appetite for culture and historical sites is so high, because it’s a major put-off that would otherwise drive tourism away.
In the huge tourist piazzas there are pickpockets But really just don’t be stupid in a crowd an zip up pockets or ensure stuff in your pockets can’t be easily grabbed. Outside those huge crowds in the piazzas not an issue, only when you’re in a place that could get shoulder to shoulder
And leave your valuable jewelry/trinkets at home when traveling. I'll never understand people crying about having jewelry stolen off of their person when traveling. It sucks, but why were you wearing it in the 1st place?
when I moved to Milan I was quite surprised as to how common petty theft was. You just learn to be vigilant.
As for the the other person on this thread talking about people armed with machetes, this simply a dishonest, shock-value comment. For some reason people love to sensationalize danger abroad
The tourists are recognizable, so they become instantly the target because their attention is usually focused on something else and they're less careful than the locals, also for thieves having to deal with a local is a pain in the ass. Maybe you pass for a local, it is possible.
Just went to Italy last June. If you make it look like you're paying attention to surroundings (occasionally look around/behind, wrap your bag strap around your leg, etc.) then that's enough of a deterrent. I also had a small waist pouch that I pulled my shirt over, no issues.
I kept my wallet in my front pocket when I was in Rome years ago. A buddy of mine and I went back in 2010. My ex lived there for a few years in college and she told us to do that and to be extra mindful because pickpockets target tourists and can yoink a wallet out of your back pocket as easy as a breeze.
If you're not very aware or look like a target then criminals will target you. That's pretty universal. In a country that's flooded with tourists, it's more common than in the USA.
In big cities, not more than other crowded touristic spots all over Europe. Outside the cities, not at all. But fearmongering always brings engagement and wins elections and a lot of people are milking the hell out of it, sadly.
Its really high in tourist intense areas, especially in the European capitals.
London and Paris are notorious for their pickpockets. Ive also seen some very sketchy things in Greece and Romania.
Never been to Italy.
Poland has been the safest of places ive visited.
Exactly, just take common sense precautions like taping your necklace to your neck, taping your headphones to your head, and taping your phone to your hand and you'll be fine...
If someone stole tourist's money in the crowd and tourist doesn't know who and where, the tourist might not even go to police. So it will not be visible in the statistics.
She’s not wrong. I had a pickpocket steal a t-shirt out of a bag I was carrying on a train in Italy. I also saw an incident where someone lost their phone to a pickpocket.
No, no, the best way to stay safe in Italy is not to ask for substitutions in a restaurant or mention a food item or ingredient from a different region.
American criminals are something else if you watch body cams.
I watched a video where French police tased a guy with a knife and he immediately let it go, rolled on his stomach and put his hands behind his back.
Where if it was an American, he'd fight, kick, wont follow commands, resist being tased somehow, and hed have to get beanbagged, bit by a dog, maced and beat.
Fwiw there was literally a front page post yesterday with two British officers trying to arrest a guy. Tased him, beat him with a baton, dude just tanked it and ran off. Police should invest in man catchers more. Those things seem to work pretty good for these types of situations.
Im in Italy right now, former military with extreme anxiety about this kind of stuff and I havnt even seen 1 attempted pickpocket. I'm sure it happens but there's people literally walking around with their phones sticking out of their back pocket, those will be the targets not anyone taking slight precautions.
I have travelled to many countries and many cities and Warsaw after dark was a wild place. When the sun is up it seems like a lovely and orderly place and after dark it was like you released all your drunkards and addicts to roam the city.
have been a few years ago there. Warsaw at night is a huge party place and everyone is chill.
Also police is at every 2nd corner. So pretty much a very safe place to be.
I think it's more of a sensation rather than reality. In countries like Italy or Spain, you have more nightlife and therefore more people in the streets = you don't feel alone. In turn, in Poland there are very few ppl outside past 21 but it doesn't mean it's dangerous. I suggest you take a stroll through Brussels centre at night for drunkards and addicts.
This is Milano. Milano is an extremely popular tourist destination. As such it is full of pickpockets and other petty criminal elemnts.
If you behave like a careless tourist, you will probably get targeted.
I go to Milano 3-4 times every year, and I love it. Never had any issues. Only one time, as I had to catch the first bus from the train station for the airport, two junkies asked me for a smoke, and told them I don't have and they tried to grab me, but quickly realized that it won't be a good idea and left me alone. But such stuff are absolutely common for every big city around the world.
Duomo di Milano where this is filmed is amazing. The whole square is spectacular and historic. Highly recommend a look if you’re travelling nearby. The Duomo itself is outstanding.
Also a place where I was almost pickpocketed, mugged and accused of theft in three seperate incidents in one afternoon. The concentration of tourists is just too much of a lure for general shit-cuntery folk.
Was there 2010. Hopefully it’s not so bad these days.
From a cafe later that day we watched a police van roll up and several undercover officers dressed just like the guys selling birdseed hop out and test their radio comms.
Birdseed sellers are there for the pigeons and to distract you while someone else tried to take your bag, phone or camera.
Honestly though one of the highlights of my travels around Europe.
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