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60th Trip I got robbed in Barcelona Spain

Author: suec1
Date: 06/03/2008, 02:27 pm

Well as the title says, on my 20th trip to Europe I was robbed on the Metro in Barcelona - Passage de Gracia station. It was the classic, block the door onto the train, then dip into my zippered purse (clutched tightly to my chest, I might add) while I patiently waited for the woman to move into the car. Surprise, she does not move in, she exits! I should have known it in that instant, if fact we even had a discussion about how pick pockets like to block doorways! But only when I got off the train, did I think to check for my coin purse tucked inside my purse, where I carry my Euros and credit cards. Gone!

We were with some Spanish friends who suggested we first tell the metro police in the station where we exited. He suggested we return to the station where we were robbed and look in the trash cans. He said the thieves almost always take the Euros and throw the rest away because they risk so much more by using stolen credit cards. So we went dumpster diving in the metro station! and in the 4th trash can (fortunately they were not very full and set up in a way it was very easy to look into!) we found the coin purse with the credit cards. PRAISE GOD!

OK now it gets a little weird. Two days later we were again passing thru the Passage de Gracia station. Hmmmm, look at that group of women over there, sitting on the bench, NOT getting on a train. We sit down next to them - they're looking at us, we're looking at them. A train comes and goes, we all watch. Two ladies leave the bench and go and stand at the entrance to the tracks, watching everyone. A train comes in, four ladies move onto a car, surrounding an old man - we begin to yell - "Watch out, watch out, ladrones (thieves)" The four ladies hastily exit the car, begin to run away from the crazy American women, still yelling "ladrones, ladrones" as we all run towards the escaltor.


Will I start to carry my money in a money belt? probably not. Will I ever again patiently wait for another rider to move into the metro car? I'll be watching alot more closely for sure! And if you go to Barcelona, be very wary in that metro station - I think that one and the Plaza Cataluna, they work alot. Connecting passages, lots of tourists, pickpocketers heaven - young to middle aged women. I won't be there anymore (well at not least for a year or two) to identify them for you but just remember, if you do get pick pocketed,dumpster diving may pay off! Happy travels!

My co-worker just came from Amsterdam and London. AMS was fine, in London she got pickpocketed, probably in the metro.

She said, her companion asked why her backpack is opened. The thief(thieves?) took the wallet that she tucked under a sweater in the backpack!

suec:


Very happy that you got away unscathed...after all, all you lost was money..only money! In retrospective thought...it really doesn't matter.

stu T.

This seems endemic in Barcelona and Madrid and makes one wonder why local cops can't catch em - a few dumb American looking tourists as decoys would work wonders.

A shame and a reason to be leery about going to these two cities IMO

On other threads there are scores of folks similarly victimized - even some by locals

So glad you found your credit cards. That would have been a nightmarish hassle. Would never have thought to look in the garbage.

Wow! Obviously you didn't know at the time how they actually did it, but do you have any idea (in hindsight) how they got into your zippered purse, clutched tightly to your body?

I had a zippered purse, worn cross my body and in front, which I thought would be safe. We were lucky and nobody tried anything, but I am amazed at what they get away with.

I'm so glad for you that you found your CCs!

You were lucky - my sister in law ended up bloodied in the gutter after a struggle with a bag thief in Madrid around 8am on a Sunday morning

she had nothing worth much in the bag and was actually trying to get it off to give to the thief and he was struggling as well to get it off

she was battered and bruised and she is a veteran traveler too of many years now

Shopkeepers nearby opening their shops stood by and did absolutely nothing

>Shopkeepers nearby opening their shops stood by and did absolutely nothing<>

Shelly - well it must have been that they were able to unzip the side of my purse that was not next to my body - the zipper does move pretty easily. There was alot of junk stashed in there - sunglasses, kleenex, meds, maybe even a small tour book, but they got out the coin purse and I never felt a thing. I think that was why I did not immediately suspect that I had been robbed - I thought I had a pretty good "lock" on my purse. I travel with my 29 year old daughter - I thought that after "the incident" she would never let me be in control of the purse again - she was quite gracious about it tho and she really got a kick out of chasing the theives the next day.

A zippered purse under your arm really isn't safe. I was pickpocketed on the notorious bus 64 in Rome basically the same way. The thief pried the zipper apart behind my arm while I was distracted (I know, I know, but I'd been drinking and it was late). Happily, all that was in my wallet was one day's cash and an expiring bus pass - I always use a money belt.

I too am very sorry for those who were mugged or had things taken. With regard to the person with the backpack.... A lesson is to NEVER put anything of value in a back back. When in a crowd put your passport, wallet and credit cards in one pocket with your hand over it until you are safely out of the area.

Sorry to hear about your experience - a very good suggestion to go back and look in the trash.

You are very lucky that you found the CCs, I give you credit for going to the trouble to look for them. The one time my wallet was stolen (in college), they also dumped it somewhere so at least I had my IDs.

I don't use a money belt but some places in Spain like Barcelona do sound worse than others. I've been in Madrid, though, and did hear some folks at my hotel desk complain about being pickpocketed in the metro. I do use a purse, but don't carry it in a way that anyone could easily unzip it from the rear without me knowing. I have the zipper opening inaccessible to people beside me. and don't casually carry it under my arm. I would never use a backpack, but I've seen them a lot in Europe, even in Spain. You learn these things after having problems, sometimes. Like the blocking the door thing on the metro. You know when something funny is going on that you should be more careful with your belongings.

these examples are always good descriptives for other people to know what to look out for.

>Shopkeepers nearby opening their shops stood by and did absolutely nothing<>

Certainly but i theorize the shopkeepers themselves were worried about retaliation

When I visited Barcelona a few months ago, the hotel I stayed at gave me a list of "security dos and don'ts" upon check in. Basically it warns visitors about petty crimes and thefts etc. I had read about pickpockets before my trip, but never had a hotel give me a formal warning sheet!

Anyway, I only used my moneybelt when I was moving from city to city with my hands full of luggage. Other times while in Barcelona, I split up all the money and CC into various pockets inside my day bag. My wallet only has some pocket money but no CC. And I also left extra cash in the hotel safe, only took enough cash I would need for the day.

I actually did not witness any crime on my 12-day trip in Spain, but perhaps being there in Feb which is low season means pickpockets are on hiatus as well.

my business colleague was finally robbed. she has lived here for 25 years.

same thing.. metro in valencia during fallas.. but they didn´t get into her purse from above as she had it tightly clutched against her body in FRONT.

they had a razor blade and CUT IT vertically along the side near the bottom and just worked on it during the metro ride as the metro was totally packed wall to wall.

she didn´t even realize it had been slashed down the side until she stopped for a coffee.

why don´t the cops arrest these people?

Until the laws change.. (we are still waiting) these sons of *****es
go in one door and out the other at the court house.

unless they steal more than 3,000 euros, i think, it is not an important "crime".

so..it is a vicious circle visitors and locals are fed up with, let me tell you.

some of the BIG crime rings are getting caught, but theses little creeps just like spain too much and our laws to move on anywhere else.

once i saw a whole FAMILY of thieves get on and off a metro car in madrid.. the little boy holding up a mobile phone to show his mom and saying "mama, mama!!".. with a huge satisfied smile on his face as our train pulled away.

they learn young.

Thank you so much for this first hand report and warning! We will be in Barcelona this Fall and although we take general precautions, it sounds as though this is much more of a problem than I realized. I'll be thinking about the very best way to carry cash and CC's as well as camera, etc.
Does it seem to happen mostly on he Metro?

A better purse would be one with an inside zipper pocket. But, it's still not a good idea to have all your cash and cards in one place.

Double zipper pulls, that can be moved around to the bottom of the bag and twist tied together are better.

Or, a recessed zipper pull, and you tuck the pull inside when out and about.

Where pickpockets are especially problematic, it's just more prudent to use an under your clothing security pouch or a hidden zipper pocket in slacks, etc.

When out and about, I never carry cards/cash in any sort of wallet.

My husband and I were also robbed in Barcelona. We were sitting on a park bench in Arc de Triomph park. We noticed a man watching us. Then he seemed to be talking to himself. We watched him get on his bike and pedal to a tree down the path. He kept looking around the tree at us. The next thing we knew he was in my husband's face yelling in Spanish and pulling on his jacket. He rode away and we were like, what the...? Then I noticed the bag that I had next to me on the bench was gone (taken by his accomplice). Gone was our camera, my iPod, prescription sunglasses, rented cell phone, gps...but he got no cash or CCs (inside jacket pocket, zipped up) and our passports were safely back at the apartment in the safe.

We ran into a pharmacy and as with a previous posters experience, found them less than helpful. Even directed us in the opposite direction for the police station when we asked.

I don't use a purse in Barcelona. Wear pants with zippered or buttoned pockets. Carry only 1 CC and whatever euros I need that day.
I have heard too many stories of women being dragged through the pavement or pushed and badly hurt by thieves trying to dislodge the purses from their shoulders.

Barcelona and this sort of thing features so regularly on this forum that perhaps it is time for formal international recognition, starting perhaps with 'Fodor's Europe Forum's Pick Pocket/ Tourist Mugging/ Robbing Capital of Europe'.

This is very disturbing to read. I had thought about Spain as a destination for our next trip, but after reading these posts I don't think I want to go there. Unfortunate, since there are so many beautiful things to see.

no need to cancel your trip!
People who had no problems in Spain ( or any other place) DO NOT start threads like " I have not been robbed in Barcelona, pick-pocketed in Rome,
mugged in New York....

There are more of us !

please do not cancel a trip over this thread and others.

just prepare yourself.. so you can travel in any country using the most precaution possible.

it is a shame, though, that so much of this is happening to so many poeple that there have even been advisory warnings at embassies worldwide in the past years. (this was highly protested by both cities).

watching these thieves just makes your blood boil. some people in barcelona film them from their apartment balconies and send the films to the television for documentaries.

That's one of the things that riled me - a report a while back, here or somewhere else, of locals - and even other tourists - watching as if it was some kind of sport. In those circumstances you'd be entitled to feel the local authorities are not doing all they can - then it's not a simple matter of accepting it as 'something that occurs in all big cities'.

I've also posted here on Fodor's regarding thieving in Barcelona (trip to Spain in 2006).

What really shocked me (naive I guess) was the attitude of the police. On seeing a pickpocket in action, and then being shown photos taken by our fellow travellers of said pickpocket rifling through many pockets,they merely remarked 'oh we know him!" What the...!

More shocking was watching as the street cleaners emptied all the rubbish containers and piled literally tens of purses and handbags on to the ground as they emptied out the rubbish.

I loved, loved Barcelona, and might return, but I have to say in just three days I witnessed more street crime than in all my previous fifty six odd years - and I've travelled widely.

It does appear to be endemic and dealt with far too lightly by the local authorities. I rarely felt unsafe, but returning would mean hyper vigilence, and that's not exactly relaxing.

How many TIMES have we warned people here about the Metro pickpocketing in Barcelona????????????? (BTW the only time I have ever been pickpocketed)

so it is obviously periodically worth repeating.

It's important to emphasize what one is able to do about things like this - rather than obsess about what couldn't be recovered (the euro cash in this instance) or what won't likely change in the way of circumstances for awhile (the police budget in Spain). This is why I find suec1's report encouraging. She lost something - but took action ON HER OWN. Even without recovering her stuff, taking action is the key to not feeling helpless - a real downer.

In chess, sometimes one has to lose a few pieces in order to win the game. It's important, therefore, to identify what is a) the object of the game and b)what are the most important 'pieces' in the game.

I suggest the objective of the travel game is to safeguard your health and physical safety. That equates to the 'king' - something to be protected at all costs. Your passport is the queen - you surrender that only if some other smaller sacrifice won't do the job. For this reason, it is critical to keep your passport separate from your purse, which being only money is a piece of lesser value.

If someone bigger and stronger than you is trying to mug you for your purse/wallet, try talking calmly to your assailant. Gesture that you're giving him the purse. Smile if you can. This is smart strategy under the circumstances. There's a huge difference psychologically, and possibly in the ultimate outcome, if one makes a tactical, planned retreat as opposed to being caught in a rout.

Freedom from embarrassment is a pawn. Not worth keeping if one of the other pieces is at risk.

Yes, sometimes you lose at the game. But as someone once said, "I may not always win, but damnit, I'm qualified." To that I add, one is qualified - so long as one keeps playing.

"Does it seem to happen mostly on the Metro?"

Not necessarily... we witnessed a couple working the street in Madrid. Woman had a jacket slung over her shoulders -the way my grand mother would wear her cardigan- to conceal her hands as she reached into an elderly woman's hand bag from behind. On a crowded street she blended in.

About a month after we returned I read about a similar tactic being used elsewhere.

I love what we experienced of Spain and will return. Crookery is everywhere.

I use small safety pins to close zippers. I wear travel clothes with zipper pockets both inside and outside, and pants with zipper pockets, esp. down my leg. All my stuff is spread around, it would be hard for a thief to know exactly what was where. I also have a purse that has a long strap that I can wear across my body, and it also attaches around my waist like a fanny pack. I don't carry more than one credit card with me at a time, and little cash. Nothing is 100% safe, but at least I feel I'll give pick pockets a lot of work for possibly no reward.

As the original poster of this thread, I want to give credit where credit is due. Yes they took my coin purse out of my pocket book - it had a limited amount of euro's (just for the day's outing) and one credit and debit card. Back at the apartment were my passport and additional cards plus copies of the stolen cards and contact numbers to call. So while I was dismayed, I did not feel paniced mainly due to all the advice picked up on this board over the years. Like I said, this was my 20th trip to Europe - I have visited many parts of Italy (where I saw pickpockets in action on the 64 bus in Rome), France, and other trips to Spain without incident - I always thought The Ramblas was the major threat in Barcelona! I am just very thankful for all the good advice on this board to help me be prepared when a little glitch came along. I wanted to post my experience to advise people to be extra vigilant in the mentioned Metro stations and also to tell anyone who is pickpocketed to look in the nearby trash if they know where it happened. I still love Spain and Barcelona, I hope to return! - I'd hate to see anyone put off by these incidents and choose not to go there - just be careful and have any backup cards / copies / numbers that you would need if you do have a problem.

This is a post written by my husband (who has never posted before). He witnessed an attempted pickpocketing tonight on the Barcelona metro:

We stayed on La Rambla at Hotel Monte Carlo and enjoyed it very much. Certainly plenty of street performers, crowds, and potential for problems. However, we witnessed none over the first 3.5 days of our trip. Tonight, we boarded the Metro at Catalunya (at the top of La Rambla) en route to a small restaurant outside of town. I was on the train and noticed a bit of commotion as the doors were trying to close. My wife thought that the two well built young men (in late 20's) were helping a couple (mid 60's) onto the subway. However, I watched as it transpired in front of me - too quick to do anything about it. They pushed the man from behind onto the train and about to the level of the aisle. While doing so, and being loud acting as if they were not able to get in before the doors closed, one of them started trying to unzip the bag the woman had "in front of her!" They failed. The back man was keeping a foot in the door. This allowed their escape back off the train. The couple fell into their seats then looked at themselves in wonder. They checked purse, wallet and bag. Nothing was gone, but they were shaking their heads in amazement.
We had no problems, but had heard many accounts of pick pocketers. On our last night I watched it first-hand.

My husband 'lost' his passport and I had a small coin purse lifted from my handbag in Amsterdam. We've been back at least 5 times since then. Gluttons for punishment.

This past April, I spent 21 fantastic days in Spain, including 5 nights in Barcelona. I never witnessed any crime or felt unsafe at any time. I did not, however use the subway. I would return in a heartbeat.

We just returned from a trip to Amsterdam and Paris. I was robbed on the5 tram in Amsterdam before we even got to our first hotel. Passport, euros, credit cards. It was a nightmare. I had broken at least 5 of my own rules - i blame it on jet lag. Number one is nothing of essential value past my undergarments, don't even get on crowded trams - especially when you're juggling you luggage, travel partner carry different credit cards. i also was perplexed that the police were so courteous to me, but there seemed to be no effort to try to catch the thieves.
BTW: we were in Spain last year for Semana Santa - it was wonderful and never had or observed a theft incidence

Amsterdam is one of the dicier cities for tourists as well. Dutch blame it on immigrants - esp those from Eastern Europe some have told me

My husband was pickpocketed a few weeks ago on the very crowded bus between Florence and Fiesole. He didn't even realize that his wallet was missing until he was about to pay an entrance fee in Fiesole and realized that his wallet was gone.

It looks like the most likely places for pickpockets is on crowded public transit in all big cities in Europe.

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