I WAS PICKPOCKETED!
I brought my Canon digital camera to try to get better photos
of this year's Día de Los Muertos Catrinas, especially our record-making
tall beauty. I had raised my arms over the heads in front of me to snap a
couple of shots of the Beatles—they were great!
When I turned to find my husband, Jon, I immediately realized
my backpack was significantly lighter. Every zipper on the back was wide open!
A slick pickpocket got my Clinique bag containing paracetamol, ibuprofen,
carbidopa/levodopa for Jonathan's Parkinson's disease, and other miscellaneous
OTC meds. No big loss. I hope they were greatly disappointed. But he or she
also got my cell phone.
My Gratitude for the Day, Week, and Month: They didn't get my
wallet with my ID, debit card, and money. And I’m happy that I got some nice
photos of the Catrinas and displays on the Malecón with my Canon camera.
It's crowded out there during the parade and evening viewings
of the Catrinas. It’ll continue to be crowded in tourist cities from now
through the holidays. Beware of pickpockets! Another Lesson Learned...
The two women who helped me at the Telcel store with a new phone both said they
had had phones stolen. One said she was taking a photo with her phone and
someone snatched it out of her hand! The other had it taken out of her front
pants pocket. They were both coaching me on how to hold my backpack purse—it
was so sweet! Most Mexicans are so caring and helpful. It’s during these busy
holidays that the thieves come out to work the crowd.
After their advice, I’ve been carrying my backpack purse in a front/side position with my arm hugging it. I've always kept a leash from my purse to my belt loop or my chair at a restaurant so it can't be snatched. But during these crowded holidays, skilled pickpockets don't need to snatch your whole purse—just smoothly remove the contents. Fortunately, I’ve always kept my wallet in a secret pocket. Now my phone will be stored there, too. We can’t be too careful.
To read about “More Lessons Learned”, check out my latest book
available on Amazon worldwide. Thank you for reading my blog articles and
books.
Should also mention to be in any crowded situation like a bus or the Metro in CDMX...
ReplyDeleteYes, could recommendation, Chac. I was nearly pickpocketed from my front fanny pack on a bus in Ecuador. It was another case of having my arms overhead while hanging onto a bar. I felt my wallet being tugged out just in time and grabbed it. It's best to keep an arm and hand on your bag at all times.
DeleteTerry
I was also in CDMX during this past dia de muertos parade, my phone taken from my front pocket just west of Zocalo. Yikes.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm so sorry to hear that. I've often wondered why anyone would want to steal a phone. But now I understand that it's mainly to sell it for a few pesos and not so much for the data on it... I think. But I still change all of my passwords to be safe.
DeleteTerry
We were lucky and never got pickpocketed in Mexico, but there is always that risk. In Belize when we traveled we carried a decoy wallet with some coins, expired cards, and such so that if anyone demanded our wallet, we could give them that one and hopefully get out of the situation with our real wallets intact. In Mexico we often used a money belt under our clothes (with the money in front, on our bellies) when we needed to carry a large amount of cash - like going to pay the rent.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's always a risk when traveling anywhere. We were warned by a local in Costa Rica when we were eating at a taco stand with our backpacks on our backs. He told us to put them on our fronts. We almost got pickpocketed twice in Ecuador--once Jon only lost a pair of sunglasses from his backpack when we stopped at a crosswalk. Once on a bus in Ecuador, I was standing up, holding the upper rail and a guy had my wallet halfway out of my fanny pack which I had in the front--I caught him, grabbed my wallet, and he ran. I've finally learned not to be so trusting and be more cautious.
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