We almost lost our entire stash of cash. Learn from our experience and save hundreds of Euros or maybe thousands, if you are carrying that kind of money!
When visiting the beautiful city of Rome, it’s easy to get caught up in its rich history, stunning landmarks, and vibrant culture. However, like most major tourist destinations, Rome has its fair share of scams and pickpocketing incidents that can quickly turn a dream vacation into a nightmare. My travel companions (Aparna, Dipika, Bipin) and I (Mandar Bam) recently had a close encounter with pickpockets during our trip, and I’m sharing our experience to help you avoid falling victim to this all-too-common problem.
The Pickpocketing Menace in Rome
Before we arrived in Rome, we made sure to do our homework on common tourist scams—like the flower scam and friendship band tricks—but nothing could fully prepare us for an actual pickpocket attempt. These incidents can leave you shocked, frustrated, and potentially penniless. So, here’s what happened to us and what we learned from it.
We were mindful with our approach , while roaming around in Rome. Apart from the bagpack that I always carry with all the basic essential ( Including a first aid kit and a pair of clothes) I had also carried, a crossbody shoulder bag , to keep my wallet and the passport close to the chest ( Literally)
On top of that I was also wearing a wind cheater. Yeah, me being me, I need that kind of padding up, I have a tendency of losing things, be it car keys, wallets , or random things like shades. ( Once I had even lost my laptop , at a highway stop). In a foreign country, I did not want to lose my passport and hence the extra protection. As for Aparna, Dipika and Bipin , I would just categorize them as higher mammals ! They are less clumsy, and very mindful.
I on the other hand , am just too excited , with the sights and sounds around me , and lost in the moment, at times . So then, if you are like me; then please consider , surrounding yourself with travel buddies who can watch your back. Believe me , a collective brain of 4 minds, is better than one.
As I have already shared with you , our misadventures on day one had given us a very good insight of the public transport system in Rome be it a bus, metro, train or tram, and were ready for day 2 in Rome. We had an early start , and managed to finish the tour of the Colosseum for free. Yes you read that write, our visit coincided with 25th April, which Italy celebrates as LIBERATION DAY, and hence entry to all the major monuments across Italy is free of cost on this day. Apart from this you can also visit these historical monuments , details of which I will be covering in another blog post.
The Pickpockets are watching you, you just don’t know
25th April – THE LIBERATION DAY , is celebrated every year to commemorate , the liberation of Italy from the Fascist Rule in the Second world war. It’s a momentous occasion and we had wondered the corridors of the Colosseum and the historic Roman Forum for 5-6 hours. It was 3 PM in the afternoon, the place continued to teem with tourists, but we had decided to take it slow; go back to the hotel , rest for an hour or so and then step out again. With everyone in sync with the plan, we walked back to the Colosseo Metro Station. Our 24 Hour travel passes were already in place , so we were already in chill mode , as we started approaching the platform. Bipin pointed out that our metro was already arriving, I explained to Bipin as we walked that although it was Line B, the train was headed to LAURENTINA , while we had to go in the direction of , REBBIBIA , to get down at TIBURTINA. I have a loud voice , and I can be quite pursuant if I know I have a point to make, so I started explaining Bipin about how, we don’t have to go towards LAURENTINA. Bipin, was probably not 100% convinced but decided to play along. What I didn’t know at that time was that we were probably being watched all the time.
The Pickpocket Drama Unfolds
The metro train had come by this time and , it was packed with passengers, we decided to get in , it was just going to be a 15 minute ride after all. Bipin and Dipika , moved slightly inside while I and Aparna , had to stand near the USCITA ( Exit) , at this time, one of the two teenage girls 13-14 years of age, standing right next to us, posed a question, pointing at the Metro Map right above the USCITA door, “ LAURENTINA? ” she said, in a questioning tone. Me being me, ( I am always too eager to help) , and by the virtue of having explained Bipin, that LAURENTINA is in the opposite direction. I blurted out you are on the wrong train. “ LAURENTINA” she repeated , in a questioning tone , and I told her that she has to take the train from the opposite platform.
She probably did not understand , because I was speaking in English. Aparna, who is usually the sharper one amongst the two of us had alertness meter activated , “ Why was an Italian girl asking Mandar, of all the people on the metro, for directions? “ she wondered. The girl then looked at Aparna , and asked the same question” LAURENTINA ?” while pointing at the metro map, Aparna had already found this odd and refused to respond, while still thinking why is the girl asking. By this time the two teenagers decided to step out and pressed the emergency button to open the door. Aparna , looked at her shoulder purse , and found the chain open, her wallet was gone.
Caught in the Act
As the girl started stepping out , two things happened. Aparna , realized it had to be the girl, so she raised her tone and stepped out right after the girl. I knew my better half, had got her claws out for a reason. I too screamed in a loud shrill voice, Aparna caught hold of the girl , and the second girl, who was still exiting from the door, dropped Aparna’s purse on the floor. My eyes lit up, my instincts kicked in, I immediately picked up the wallet, and handed it back to Aparna. The first girl by this time had managed to get ahead, but the second girl was still in my range, I caught hold of her. Thousands of questions, filtered through my mind, I was very aggressive refusing to let go off the girl, it could have become ugly, first it was a foreign country and second it was a female, but I decided to stick with my instincts and trust the process.
Aparna , by now had checked her wallet, everything looked intact. I instructed her to double check , everything, cash wallet, , cards, passport, even as I continued to holding on to the girls arm. By this time the first girl , had got back into the metro, and the second girl pushed my hand and was getting back in the metro. The metro door started closing, I realized that in nick of time, and lunged at the door, to put my foot between the door and the closure. The door was not going to close with my foot in the door, and the metro would not move.
The Dilemma…
Aparna by now had double checked her wallet, everything was intact, by this time Bipin and Dipika had also got out of the train, some of the passengers on metro, informed them that the two girls were pick pockets. I still had my foot in the door, and the train was not moving, we had already created a scene, a man walking by commented something in Italian but I refused to let go off my foot. Instead, I insisted to Aparna, Bipin and Dipika to get back in the train, and screw the happiness of those two pick pockets , hand them over to the police.
Aparna, insisted that everything was intact , and we should just back off. Bipin and Dipika also nodded, however, I really felt , that we should get back in and teach those girls a lesson. In that moment of making a decision , I removed my foot, the door closed instantly and the metro train was on it’s way. Aparna , was right again , who knows , if these two girls were a part of a larger gang, who knows how the police would have reacted, it was a foreign country after all. We did , what we thought was right at that time.
It was a horrid incident, and it could have been much worse. Just the day before, on our first lunch in Rome, I had just retained 100 Euros of cash , while giving away all my cash also to Aparna, which was in that wallet. Aparna , essentially had 1200 Euros in cash, her credit card , one debit card, one travel debit card , her passport, her driving license, all in that wallet. To think of losing all our money on just the second day of your trip , could have been a miserable feeling. We had been saved by my shero- Aparna. Her pragmatic approach, alertness, and God’s grace had saved the day.
Oliver Twist
As the 4 of us waited , and took the next metro train, we kept projecting our forced smiles at each other, trying to pacify each other that , the worst is behind us. At about that time, we saw a small kid probably around 9 years of age. He came and stood near us for a while, he looked poor, Aparna later said, that the kid reminded her off the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, may be that kid’s situation was as bad as Oliver Twist, maybe worse, but we were forced to banish our feelings of compassion, with silent glances exchanged between the 4 of us , we simply moved away from the kid.
The Epiphany
At about the same time there was an announcement, in the metro, to be wary of pick pockets. All the four of us once again exchanged silent glances. This pre-recorded announcement , warning people about pick pockets, had been playing at regular intervals even at Colosseum, Roman Forum and even on the buses that we had frequented. It was only now that , it was so loud and clear.
This also tells you , how big and bad is this pick pocketing menace across Rome. In fact on the night before, me and my cousin, were just speaking about this news article, we had shared on our whattsapp group, where an Indian couple with a baby in the stroller, had been distracted and robbed of their bags and passports, a few days earlier. I guess, we humans are so naïve , that we always hear about these kind of weird incidents but always feel that this can never happen to us, and then one day it actually happens. They say you will never understand a problem, till you personally experience it first hand, somewhere we had got a taste of that medicine.
While we were fortunate to get everything back, this close call was a wake-up call for us—and hopefully for you as well. Here are some lessons we learned that can help you avoid a similar situation.
6 Tips to Avoid Getting Pickpocketed in Rome
**Use a Crossbody Bag**
- While a backpack is useful for carrying essentials, keep your most valuable items (wallet, phone, passport) in a crossbody bag that you can wear close to your chest. This makes it much harder for a thief to access your belongings without you noticing.
**Don’t Carry Your Passport**
- Losing your passport abroad is a nightmare. Leave it securely in your hotel room, ideally in a locker or a locked suitcase. Carry a photocopy of your passport instead, just in case you need ID.
**Split Your Cash**
- Never carry all your cash in one place. Keep a small amount (around €100) in your wallet and the rest in a secure place, like a money belt or another hidden pouch. This way, even if you’re pickpocketed, you won’t lose everything.
**Use Prepaid Travel Cards**
- Prepaid travel cards, like the Thomas Cook Travel Card, are a safer alternative to carrying cash. They come without international transaction fees, and unlike the Travel Cards we were trying to procure from a bank this came for free. In fact we took 2 cards, if one card gets lost, then we could rely on the backup card.
**Aparna’s Smart Hack: Sanitary Napkins**
- After our pickpocketing scare, Aparna came up with a clever trick: hide extra cash in a sanitary napkin pack. (Most of the girls carry it , just in case of emergency). It’s an unexpected place thieves are unlikely to check, providing you with a little extra security.
**Stay Alert and Trust Your Instincts**
- Be cautious of overly friendly locals, especially those who ask for directions or engage in small talk. Pickpockets often work in teams to distract their victims. Always be on guard and listen to your gut if something feels off. 1. Remember most of these pick pocket incidents begin with “ Where are you from? “ and such other random questions.
**Final Thoughts**
Looking back, the entire pickpocketing incident lasted no more than 30-40 seconds, but it felt like a lifetime. Thanks to Aparna’s instincts and quick response, we were able to recover everything, but the experience left a lasting impression. It could have easily ruined our trip, especially considering Aparna’s wallet contained not just cash, but credit cards, our travel cards, and her passport.
Rome, like many tourist cities, has its risks, but with some common sense and preparedness, you can avoid falling victim to these scams. Stay alert, keep your valuables secure, and if you have any similar experiences or travel hacks, feel free to share them in the comments below. Together, we can help each other travel more safely!
Safe travels, and don’t let the pickpockets get the best of you!
*Have you had a similar experience with pickpockets? Share your story below or let us know your top travel tips for staying safe abroad!*