Parents robbed in Spain-WARNING

It ain't just Spain - its a common deal at airports, passenger ship docks, train depots, and bus stations everywhere. Be alert, and keep your real valuables on your person. And have a backup plan ready to go if the worst does happen.

my poor dad, the gullible creature that he is, was robbed in turkey, in poland, in paris, in new york - and those are only the times that he admits to. i'm sure there were more. it is very easy to trick him. "sir, would you like to exchange some money? here, give them to me, i'll be right back with the dinars/zlotys/dollars..." i was robbed once, and came close twice. one of which was in madrid, but i don't think it has anything to do with spaniards per se. tourists are a good target everywhere.

Yeah,soz,didnt mean to put Sapain down.
I went to Florence years back near the Duomo.Kids as young as 8 were selling posters which they held out at arms length.They went up to a friend of mine holding th poster out but underneath their outstretched hidden hand is going into my friends pocket.lLuckily she was too quick for the kid and we got to have a chat with some hunky Italian policemen.

Also, this isnt robbery but I went ot New York, got in a taxi with pals when we were about 19, we asked to go somewhere downtown and he took us to the same number street uptown,we had to pay up.

Looking back its all so annoying.

Italy has been the worst in my experience with pickpockets. We've never been targetted in Spain, probably because we've gone so many times that we're practically not tourists. But in Italy, we were taken by three "gypsy" girls (that's what they called them, sorry if that sounded really racist) came up to us. One held a sign asking for money, covering my dad's line of vision to his pocket, while another grabbed the wallet out of his pocket. A third, underaged girl, was left behind to be "caught" by my dad. Since she was only 12, the cops couldn't do anything to her.

I was 14 at the time, and since then, I've been much more cautious. When I see those kinds of people begging for money or selling things on the street, I just ignore them and keep my distance. They've gotten in my face, yelled at me, used babies to pity people, even put their kids up to dirty tricks, but I just can't trust 'em. They're desperate for money, and it's sad that they need to resort to these tricks to buy food to eat, but no one wants to be robbed, so it's best to come off as cold-hearted than be stuck without money and important documents.

Material girl: I'm sorry about your parents. Southern Spain is nice, but VERY touristy compared to other parts. It's like a breeding ground for thieves. That really stinks that your parents had to go through that just as they'd started their vacation. Did they enjoy/Are they enjoying themselves, at least?

Tourists are marks generally, in whatever country, but mostly in the key tourist centers, and it has been thought for quite a while to be smart to carry your key items (big money, credit cards) in a under the clothes carrier, available at many travel stores and sometimes in US drug stores.

I'd poo poo this, except that I've been surrounded by folks after my worldly goods myself a few times, and I try to not look like a flamboyant tourist.
Mostly.
Except for the time I gave in and bought white shoes (I was wearing my black suit) in order to walk one more step, having the world's biggest blister... (the white ones were the ones I could stand to walk in) -
nothing, nothing at all, nowhere, nohow, is worse to wear, trust me, even I know this, than a black suit with white shoes.
But, then, I could walk without pain.

Anyway, generally I try not to make that kind of screwup.
Tourists tend to stand out, and it's smart to secure your important stuff.

My ex wife and I were in Paris at the Eiffel Tower when she reached into her handbag and found a woman's hand there. She didn't get anything.

Krysia-Yep, they are doing fine thanks.When they last phoned up I asked them how things were, meaning money,passports but my mum went straight into saying the weather is lovely so they are getting on with things.

This isnt a tourist thing but I used to work in a toyshop.
One day a kid walked in,literally just older than a baby(whatever age they start to walk), she walks half way into the shop with no parents, picks something up then walks out!!(My colleague caught her before she walked out).
Can you believe there are parents out there that would train their child to do that sort of thing!!!

Hey, I was robbed in the ladies' room in Pennsylvania Station in NYC. Wherever you go, you need to keep your wits about you, and be aware of what is going on in your immediate environment.

The problem with tourists, from wherever, is that they always LOOK like tourists!