The problem is mainly for people working in the streets and tourists wandering off the beaten track, who take it to lightly, or who is caught unaware, so It can happen in places like Paris or Rome, let’s not forget the naive US YouTuber who where relived of all his camera gear on a local train.
So it happens in tourist places as well, it tend to happen especially for the naive and unaware tourists who isn’t used to navigate the place they are in, having visible gear make you a far more likely target … these people will follow you, even take a train or place an air tag on you… I always put my camera in a bag never hanging from my shoulders, because its not uncommon seeing them being snatched, being followed for km, placing a map over it if you placed it on a coffee table in front of you…
Americans are forgetting that europe there countries that are very rich and some that are the opposite, with open borders between those it creates this particular issue in tourist spots, they are especially targeting Americans… police also won’t do a thing about it…
But yeah wrapping it up also for protection is always a good idea, although I used white lenses in tourist places in Europe, the worst places I typically prefer less expensive looking glass or wrap it up at the bare minimum.
The security in tourist areas in Europe is close to nonexistent compared to basically everywhere else
Thanks for your advise. Trust me as I have heard enough such incidents or even worse in US and some EU cities
Depend on in which area really. In Lisbon, Portugal (or almost entire country where I have visited many places) where I live now, I feel very safe to be honest, almost as in Iceland or Switzerland. But certainly I cannot assume such in Rome, Milan, Paris etc. I was in very preemptively defensive alert mode when I took photos in Manhattan for example in last several years. I always look around and didn't let any suspicious persons even closing to me that is the key. As I said in the other threads, I even resort to jump to the street when I saw suspicious someone approaching me on the pavements
I assumed I'd be attacked in those places. I wrapped camera bag in my leg when I'm eating in restaurant. I only wrap camera on my neck or cross shoulder. Although I am getting old now, I am still moving fast and pretty nimble
Portugal is very safe, I’ll say the problem is mostly felt in the worst tourist areas of Italy, Spain, France and England but can also happen in tourist hot spots like Athens, Santorini and Amsterdam. In places like Portugal and Croatia I rarely seen or heard about it, I shot night scenery on my own and people were generally just curious in a polite way. But even in italy not all is bad, Puglia again were very safe, so in my experience it very much depends on concentration of tourists and especially what type of tourists, because it attracts the wrong type of people as well. Why Paris, London, Rome, Barcelona, Firenze, Venice etc. are as bad as those places are, all are unfortunately been hit by well organised, often east European criminals, while they won’t physically hurt you (very uncommon in Europe) they will distract you, bump into you, play like they are tourists and ask for directions while an accomplice will relieve you of your belongings.
I went to the southern Spain in last Nov, no issues at all, feel very safe too. But very careful on potential pickpocketing especially in Seville.
Seville ain’t bad, neither is Granada, Cordoba, Valencia, white cities etc. there is of course the usual pickpockets, as you will find in any decent sized city across the globe, but beyond that, I’ll say those regions are safe.
It’s not Barcelona and Madrid
But I had nothing valuable to carry with except camera sets. I usually leave passport and even camera bag in hotel and walk out in one set hanging on my neck and another set crossing shoulder. Cellphone in pocket but with a rope crossing shoulder. I even didn't carry cash but just one credit card in a deep pocket and tried to pay everything via apps in cellphone.
I never carry cash, not really worth it in europe with the availability of places taking credit and apps…, I honestly never had an issue with having my smartphone in my front pocket, I even do it like that in slums in Asia… basically what most Europeans have… but we are used too it… so
I’ll never have a visible camera, always in bag or shoulder bag/sling never had an issue doing it like that… even in paris… or poor areas in Asia, Africa but then my bags are very worn and most look nothing like a camera bag
Plan to visit Barcelona and Madrid and nearby in Oct. My friend and his wife had a bad experience in Barcelona however. Their bag with passports got stolen just outside the airport when they arrived. He put the bag on the luggage and was distracted when picking up a call.
Feel bad for him, but also a bit of a rookie mistake, never loose eye contact with your luggage at any airport and for sure don’t place your passport and credit in it. Certainly not at the airport and definitely in Barcelona of all places.
I'd never do such but camera bag wrapped in my shoulder and pay every attention in such crowded area and don't let any suspicious persons even closing to me and I'd not be distracted easily with such tacit such as keep a distance ever in talking
yeah always be aware of your surroundings, this is very important, dos not matter where on the globe you are, as it is the fundamental of not loosing your stuff
there reason why you hear on basically all European trains “ please take care of your belongings and never leave them out of your sight”
Sure about. I wrapped camera bag in arm or even in leg. I even never put camera bag on overhead luggage layer but in person securely wrapped on body. I even don't trust wife to safeguard but carry camera bag in person to the rest room as I heard enough
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https://www.flickr.com/photos/55485085@N04/albums
Overhead luggage layer is only for stuff you can afford to lose. I have no problem with letting my bag lay loosely on a passenger seat, but access to it is in that case blocked, if not I have my arm on it
I use public transportation weekly so I know how to place stuff, but its equally important acting naturally, calm and relaxed, acting tense and nervous, showing sign your not accustomed with public transport can also be a tell sign your carrying something of value and make you a target in the wrong area.
its just as important not advertising for it, so taking care of your stuff should be done so it look natural and relaxed.
it is a balanced act
The problem once were not bad, even in places like paris, but due to massive increase in tourists where several have never been outside their country before, EU opening their internal borders wide open have made it a free haven for cross border crimes that found it attractive to target tourists who are easy prey, we even for awhile so a drastic increase in burglaries especially near highways
The reason I went for a wrap over this solution is that I want to see the zoom ring FL and aperture etc!
