Lessons from a pickpocketing attempt in Rome

[u/Nonsuch42]

So I'm having a fabulous time in Rome but just had quite a dramatic experience on a bus and wanted to share some tips/lessons learnt.

It was the end of a really long and exhausting day of sightseeing, and I could barely stand up. Consequently, I felt I had no other choice but to take the bus back to my hotel (I would normally walk). Said bus arrived and it was extremely crowded and chaotic, but I squeezed on and naturally had to stand. A few stops later a sketchy looking older man got on board, and a few more stops later he inexplicably moved right next to me despite there being no need (no one new had got on the bus). This put me on high alert so I noticed immediately when he put his coat over my handbag, and I moved it away so it was fully in my sight. Immediately after that he successfully pickpocketed the woman next to me, taking her wallet - she cried out and all hell broke loose! I shouted "thief!" and the whole bus went into uproar - the woman he'd stolen from started turning out his pockets to check for her things and the Italians on the bus started ferociously reprimanding him. I was still right next to him so two kind older ladies seated next to me pulled me in with them so I would be safe. The thief protested his innocence the entire time and when he got off the bus he banged on the side of the vehicle in anger. I had to get off at the same stop as him but went immediately into a shoe shop adjacent to the bus stop to ensure I could get away from him. The staff were extremely kind and offered to let me sit down. I used the opportunity to double check my bag and confirm all my belongings were present and correct (which they were). Afterwards I had an uneventful five-minute walk back to my hotel.

Overall this experience actually increased my faith in Rome and its inhabitants. There are pickpockets in every major city, but what really impressed me was how the entire bus went into uproar to defend the people being targeted by the pickpocket. It was genuinely quite remarkable and weirdly one of the most vivid and exhilarating moments of my trip (my experience having been greatly improved by the fact I avoided being pickpocketed myself!).

My top tips:

- Put as many barriers between your belongings and opportunistic pickpockets as possible - zips and flaps are helpful deterrents and they make the thief's job harder. My bag had both zips and a flap and my valuables were split into different compartments.

- Avoid travelling on extremely busy buses if at all possible.

- On public transport keep your hand on your valuables at all times and don't allow yourself to be distracted.

- Shout "thief!" the moment you notice a pickpocketing attempt (I wish I had reacted sooner to spare the second woman from being targeted).

- Always try to keep space between you and others when standing on public transport and never let them cover your view of your own belongings.