Madrid is not a violent city at all, the problem is pickpocketers who steal tourists.

I've not been pickpocketed, robbed or stolen in my whole life and I'm a citizen of Madrid. I have been in Sol, in the streets in the center, until very very late at night. I've also been solo while there, and never get pickpocketed.

It is not my innate skill to elude it (though as any of you in your respective places of residence have some experience on what to do and what to avoid to lower the chance of being pickpocketed). The problem is that the pickpocketers target systematicly tourists because:

1) they are easier targets,
2) have more money with them,
3) are going to leave the country in days or hours, so they would not court them,
4) are more confident,
5) are not used to their methods,
6) can be easily identified,
7) have other valuable items (as passports, cameras, etc)
8) they concentrate in key special touristic areas (pickpocketers outside those areas are much more rare)

Thus, until the government did something to stop this shaming situation for us madrileños, extreme the measures to avoid pickpocketing.

1) Don't have your wallets at hand (for example in your back pocket, put them at your side).
2) Don't let people come near to you. Madrileños are quite friendly, but this is a big city and unless someone asks you we don't go everywhere watching for someone who is in trouble.
3) Hide cameras and maps, you may take pictures but try to have someone watching around you. Look at your maps inside a shop or restaurant.
4) Try not to have bags or have them always at sight.
5) Separate the money and the documents in two wallets if possible.

Try not to be obsesive, be careful, use common sense, but enjoy! And if you know a local go with him!

If you get stolen at all: Ask someone where's the nearest police station (better a comerciant, clerk or waiter) and tell the police. They may help you if you lost documents, or perhaps if you are lucky they may find your goods and send them back to you.

Fernando

Miguelito,

Theft at the point of a gun or knife, or picking a person's pocket is still theft. Treating it as if it was littering, and letting these people continue operating with impunity isn't in the best interests of Spain.

Since the majority of people who are robbed by pickpockets are foreigners, Spain is sending us a message that it's okay to steal from us, if you're willing to pay a fine for being naughty.

The point is, the theft of one wallet can amount to thousands of dollars, and in my book, that's a felony, and the person should be dealt with in a way that includes a prison sentence. You have stricter laws for parking tickets than you do for these criminals.

Maybe jail after 3 or 5 times caught? Are you kidding? Putting them in jail will make them worse criminals? Hey! They've already found their niche in the world of crime, and it pays well. Probably better than a lot of people make working for a living.

So - To all wannabes who'd like to go to Spain to live - going over illegally - The way to make ends meet is by being a pickpocket. Just keep a few bucks handy to pay the fines, and you should be able to support yourself quite well on your earnings. Hey! They won't even deport you like they would if you overstayed your visa and had a real job.

Isn't there something wrong with that picture?

Wolf

Couldn't agree with you more Wolf. What's wrong with prison the first time. Ah, the days when the Guadia was on every street corner and every Plaza with the grease guns. The strong police presence made for a very safe city.
The problem in Madrid nowadays is not pickpockets and thieves per se, it is that the streets are crawling with them. I had two encounters with them in three days. If the police made an effort to thin them out, it would be helpful. But when I talked to the police after both encounters, they complain about the number of police on the force and the bureaucracy.
I really can't understand why there is not a greater effort to rid themselves of illegal immigrants. I was under the impression that the government was very particular about who they allowed to stay in their country. When my wife worked there, she had to check in with the local police station and prove she was there legitamately.
Oh well, it's good to see that the government of Spain is no more accoutable than our government here in the U.S.

What you folks have said is true, you have to take responsibility for yourself if you don't want to be victimized as a tourist, whether you are in Madrid,Spain, in Rome, Italy, in Orlando, Florida, or New York City. You have to be attentive and aware that in even the most wonderful places, there's always going to be unsavory people waiting to take advantage of the unwary happy traveler.

I know we joked a lot about hiding our money and important documents in our underwear as a precaution, but it is very effective deterrent! I will definitely buy a Wonderbra or its French equivalent for my next trip, thanks to Churrocaliente's tip!

Wolf and Gazpacho, the 3 strikes your out thing would work on a scale. First offense.. well, slap on the wrists, second, I don't know, but something that hurts a bit more, and third, Jail time! Or if you're illegal, well, a one way ticket back to wherever you came from!

The illegal issue... well, the EU as a whole is trying to figure out what to do. I've heard that Germany has the strictest laws... I think they should just adapt that and make it the same in all of the EU countries (because if they don't all agree, the illegals will just go wherever its easiest!) I know that's a proposal- maybe not to use Germany as an example, but about all of them having the same rules to deal with illegal immigration. Unfortunately, why do some of the more important things take so long to fix?

Hi there,

Pick pockets don't go ONLY for tourists in Madrid! This summer, riding on the metro, my husband Carlos got pick pocketed!

A butch of LatAm natives got on the metro I think at Sol, then got off at GranVia. They were pushing everyone. My husband was wearing shorts with a velcro pocket in the front. Somehow, they took out his wallet, took only the 4B (debit card with less protection than a regular VISA) and his DNI (national ID).

We discovered the theft when we went to pay in a store. He had cancelled his card 3 hours after being robbed and they had already spent 1,500 Euros! We, finally and just recently, were able to get our money back.

But, everyone needs to be careful and use common sense!

Keep safe,

Val

What Val says is true. Anybody can be subject to pickpocketing in any area that´s crowded enough. Everybody needs to be careful.

And as for the penalty the pickpocketer gets... well, if there is no intimidation, it´s 24 or 48 hours. But even if it were more than that, I think it is better if you are not stolen.

I don't think any of us thinks that the pickpocketing is only towards tourists...just that tourists, because they are in an environment not their own, need to use more common sense than a person who is from a particular area, because obviously, as a native, you have more options- complain, getting your money back (as all that takes time a tourist doesn't have) and natives are more familiar with what's what, and the kinds of scams that go on. A tourist unless they find a board like this one, or LP or a million of others, isn't likely to know of the scams until they are a victim.

My family born and raised in Spain, I've had an Aunt mugged in the doorway of her own building, another Aunt, not once but pickpocketed 2x in the metro (from her purse!) I've chased someone away from another one of my aunts, mother and I as were were walking down the street, trying to sell us a farola and one of the few times that the person actually FOLLOWED US!- which is why I say eye contact and a strong NO! is important, and other stories from outside my family also. So yes, it happens to EVERYBODY- but like Wolf said, tourists (anywhere) are a favorite target because they stand out, and yes, they ususally carry more money with them- this stereotype is especially true of americans, which is probably another reason why there attractive to a thief! So, to people, past, present, and future tourists, consider yourself warned. Pay attention, use common sense and you'll have much more fun!

I don´t think starting is the word. The biggest group of inmigrants come from Ecuador and Colombia, followed by Morocco. At least that´s what I read on the newspaper El Pais last week.