>>>>>I am sure she learned the lesson of being more accurate with valuables in Europe. Where I grew up pick pocketing was a very common thing. And still is in most European countries.
>>>>
>>>>It is an art practiced by those having less, but more a function of time and place than country. Prague as tourist attraction gets higher # like Rome, Vienna and Budapest - we get the same artisans in xMas market times and villages have much smaller problems if any at all with this kind of thing.
>>>
>>>And there are different styles. Milano or Napoli (am: Milan, Naples), and probably most of Italy as well, are famous for scooter-drive-by purse snatching, where the rider may have a box cutter to sever the strap, and the guy in the rear snatches the purse.
>>>
>>>In other places, they prefer a more personal touch - so it's the city transport, various queues, entrances to large buildings, where they have the expectation of coming really close to you and snatching the wallet out of your pocket or the purse off your shoulder.
>>>
>>>I don't think I've ever had the honor of being pocket picked (or is it pickpocketed?) but that's probably my defense system:
>>>
>>>- don't have a wallet - my possessions are few, just a few pieces of plastic (card, driver's, ID) in one pocket, and a moderate amount of cash in the opposite pocket in my jeans
>>>- don't look like I have a wallet or anything worth picking
>>>- nothing on me or about me looks expensive (and isn't)
>>>- I can't be seen leaving expensive places
>>>- my car is never clean
>>>
>>>Worked so far. The guys aren't interested, and I don't mind being neglected.
>>
>>When I'm somewhere where pickpocketing is common, I carry a bag that has a flap over the opening (actually, I pretty much always do that). I carry it with the flap against my body and I keep one hand on the strap.
>>
>>Tamar
>
>I have two credit cards. When I am traveling, I keep one in my purse and the other one in a completely different place. Having said that, so far I have never had my money or credit cards stolen or lost.

Ditto. We've been the victims of petty theft a few times (and once had a car stolen from outside our house), but never outside the US.

Tamar