Pick-Pocketed
in Paris X2

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You won't believe this crazy story! We were all in Paris, right, and you know how we always talk about keeping an eye on our purses to avoid those sneaky pickpockets?

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We were, a big group of 21 strong, and not one of us thought we'd get pickpocketed while riding an escalator. But guess what? Two of our ladies fell victim to a slick pickpocket while we were all packed on that on subway escalator at the Opéra station in Paris. And get this: the thief was right there among us, blending in like family.

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The lady pictured above in the  crazy straw sunhat (seriously, it was fall day, sis!) managed to snatch wallets and passports from the ladies right in front of her and to her right. She made it look easy, too! She bumped the lady on her right as a distraction, and that poor lady moved her purse to the other shoulder. But we're pretty sure the thief had already swiped her wallet and passport by then.

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Now, here's the kicker: the pickpocket was another Black woman, just like us, so she didn't stand out at all.  Had she been an other, I think we would have been more aware.

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As we were trying to figure out how it went down, our fellow travelers in the green scarf mentioned she saw the pickpocket bump the lady on her right. And by some crazy luck, another one of our travelers managed to snap the photo you see above while she was taking a shot her Paris subway experience.  Who knew, that her photo would be part of a more memorable experience.

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The pickpocket was so good that we didn't even realize the wallets were missing until outside the subway, and one of the ladies noticed her purse was open. If any of us had caught on during that escalator ride, I swear there would've been an Bella Beat-Down with all 21 of us.

Tips for safe safeguarding your things while traveling.

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1.  NEVER carry your passport on the streets.  Leave it locked in the safe at your hotel and carry photo copy and some form of official goverment ID like a driver's licence or state ID.

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2. Never carry an oversized tote.  The are pickepocket magnets.  It is never cluth it tight enough to avoid being a victim of an expert pickpocket.  A cross body bag with inner zipper and flap over the zipper is best.  Always make sure the zipper tab is facing the front of your body.

 

3.  Pickpocket rarely travel alone. There are normally 2 or 3 stalking you while planning for the idea moment and way to stike.

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4. Do not keep all you money and credit cards in one place.  Leave an emergeny card and cash locked away in your hotel room.

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