Another favored spot for Madrid pickpockets is on an escalator to the Metro. They stand behind you and can try to life your wallet almost at liesure. The guy who hit me was inept, and I felt him searching around in my empty back pocket.

Another attempt was in the Metro, while I was standing, hanging onto a pole. This guy too was clumsy. Again, my wallet was not in my back pocket, but some cards and notes were. They fell to the floor as the guy removed his fingers. I shouted to all the world that we had a ladron among us. He scampered out the door at the next stop.

From what I've been reading, I imagine those guys have since had lots of practice and are now enjoying more success.

Sad. It makes me long for the Franco days, when this kind of crime on tourists was extremely rare.

Cops were often judge, jury, and executioner in those days. It had a distinctly inhibiting effect on street crime.
Cantabene

[ 05-07-2001: Message edited by: cantabene ]

[ 05-07-2001: Message edited by: cantabene ]

Interesting, when we were in Madrid last week, a Spanish man was yelling Ladron out loud at the top of his lungs as he was exiting the Metro, and the thief, was still on the train. I have been pickpocketed here in Chicago, so I have learned what to take with me and where to keep it, when traveling on the Metro. I never, ever, take a purse when sightseeing. When shopping, I only take a change purse, big enough for my drivers license (for id)and a credit card. I take a small amount of cash. Keep it in a waist pouch, under your pants. The small sacrifice of lifting your shirt just enough to take it out is worth a lot of heartache.

Can't say as I long for those repressive days of Franco, or for those times of old when the police were empowered to commit summary executions. Spain is a much better place in so many ways than it was under the thumb of its all-powerful dictator. It IS a nuisance to deal with the army of petty thieves who swarm the streets of Madrid, Barcelona, etc. every day. But by taking a few smart precautions to protect your belongings, you will thwart most, if not all, attempts to divest you of them.

As for those of you who persist in carrying your wallet in your back pocket, you might as well also tape an arrow to your back pointing to it. It's THAT obvious to a ladron.

I travel to Madrid regularly and have been the target of clumsy pickpockets numerous times, I have seen 3 attempted muggings all round the bottom end of Gran Via, all on older guys with wallets clearly visible in their pockets, they were more snatch & grabs than heavy violent scenes. Over so quickly that the crims had disappeared into the back streets before anyone realized what had happened. Although I have seen so much crime here I feel so much safer in Madrid than any
of the major cities in the US and happily wander about at any time of day or nite, if you need to worry about anything here, worry about crossing the street when the little guy is green.

Enjoy Madrid

jonconway, just for clarification, your profile says you're in Madrid, but you say that you "have seen so much crime here...", but where is "here"?

I agree though. I feel SO MUCH safer in Madrid/Spain than almost anywhere in the USA.

Saludos, MadridMan

jsut returned thursday, and though I was sure we would run into trouble I am pleased to inform everyone that not once were we mugged nor was our luggage stolen from our car. However, while we did not witness it, we did see a women who seemed to be a local running out of Parque del retiro, saying her purse had just been stolen. She was along and ran trying to find her accosters.