lørdag 4. januar 2014

Barcelona Pick Pockets

Returning from a New Years Eve concert in Barcelona, walking in the side streets towards the La Rambla tourist street with my wife and daughter, I got pick pocketed. I was somebody pretending to give away leaflets and showed some business card. He was first acting really annoying and starting to play and touch. My natural reaction is to immediately check my back pocket and yes my wallet was gone. I lept to my feet and ran after him, ready to ram him into the alley walls. He understood the situation and threw the wallet on the ground and ran. I could have run after him but I quickly checked that my cards were there, and yes all there. He probably would have removed the cash out but no luck for him, I had no cash. For a place like this full of tourists I don't think he would fight back with knife or so and the guy was smaller and weaker than me. I imagine I could have hurt him pretty badly ramming him into the walls. Safer for him to throw the wallet on the ground since most people would be happy at that point. If one out of ten would continue after him and say one of five is quick enough to figure it out and go after him, that would mean every 50th time he would be in severe trouble. I think the pick pockets most often operate in pairs, but maybe it was just way too safe and easy on this holiday.

Continuing someone else was playing the same pick pocket game. The card he showed us was exactly the same as the other guy showed us as the other guy so this was probably his regular partner in crime. I was not in the mood for a fight and did not want to cause any stir so I told him to get lost and put my hand over my back pocket to signal I recognized his game.

Barcelona is the number one pick-pocket city in Europe. A word of advice is to not use a wallet in your back pocket, which can be seen as an invitation to a pick pocket.