Hi guys, i might be headed for london on Sept and I was thinking about the apparent infamy of the european pickpocket skills. :D

insurance would help yes but i really wouldnt wanna find myself in the claims dept anytime soon or ever.

so how did you guys protect yourselves from them?

ill prolly go to london then paris and if possible even to vienna. No packaged tours planned yet but if ever ill just be walking around the city from tourist spot to tourist spot.

For Paris I recommend you take the taxi at night cause the metro gets EXTREMELY crowded and people can get very rough. There was this mean lookin motha that was asking for my cellphone, but a subway bum pushed him away.

thanks sonny. hope others can chime in

chris,

buy the book entitled, THE BLUE LIST. it will help you with your travels.

As for hopping around from tourist spot to tourist spot, get only the City Sightseeing bus tours. They're the Big red double decker busses that you see on streets. They have the best routes and they're the most reliable, almost all cities in europe have this and the bus comes with a free commentary in 7 languages. You get to learn a lot about the place you're visiting so you can add some historical backgrounds to your pictures :D

Paris is a nice place, but this is the place that you should be extra carefull... especially near Eiffel Tower at night, yes there are lot's of people, and lot's of muggers too, when i was there, police i chanced upon were helping people that got mugged.


London is generally safe, they have ample police force to watch over people, especially the tourists... while @England i suggest that you go to Stonehenge which is only over an hour's bus ride from London, and ofcourse don't forget Stratford-Upon-Avon(a bit farther that stonehenge --2-3hrs away from london), the town where Shakespeare lived. (his house is a museum). Another nice place is the Roman Baths. There are also lots of castles and old churches that are really nice for your pictures. (too bad that i wasn't inclined to photography yet when i went there. all i had were a few shots, some blurred by shakey hands.

I don't know if it was just my experience, but that's what i can contribute for your trip. I like London a lot... I watched Cats(although i think its wrapped up now).

I hope this helped you.

Btw... if you smoke...
I encountered a weird habit of smokers in Paris...
If you have a box of cigarettes say on a table outside a restaurant, it is normal and customary for you to give a stick once someone bums a cigarrette, but it is not customary for someone to borrow a lighter or a match to light up a cig...

I better share what happened to us in Madrid so it wont have to happen to any of you.
I was with my dad and my sister walking in the Retiro area of Madrid (Dont go alone, go in big groups) and this man in a cop car hailed us. He had a badge and everything, he asked if we had pistols, so naturally we said no and emptied our pockets... he got my dads wallet and started asking if it had drugs, he tried sniffing the wallet and he pulled off a david blane and then sped away... we lost quite a lot of money and only realised it 10 minutes after he drove away. :(

thanks for the replies.

sir nino what is the blue list you are talking about?

so there were no cases of attempted DSLR robberies?? heheh :D

thanks for the replies.

sir nino what is the blue list you are talking about?

so there were no cases of attempted DSLR robberies?? heheh :D

don't call me sir man. sounds old. :D BLUE LIST is a book that tells you places to go, and things to do in every country and continent. It's available in Powerbooks and Fully Booked.

ah thanks nino. see you on monday sa gym hehehe :D

actually takot ako sa camera ko eh. thats my primary concern baka manakaw yung lens ko or camera.

take extra caution in the train stations and inside the trains. i was robbed in the milan central train station.
if you're bringing a dlsr with more than one lens you will attract attention so it's better to think of ways to hide it so that you don't stand out in the crowd.
remember, they can immediately distinguish a tourist from a local so try to blend in.

I find Europe to be a very safe place to bring your camera around.

I take it slow...savoring the place and hunting for unsuspecting "suspects". Sometimes I just sit in one corner for hours to get a beautiful candid shot of a person. Europe is beautiful. Europeans are unforgiving.

Since I am into people photography, I eventually shifted my tours to Asia instead. Apparently, my gadgets are more at risk here in Asia than in Europe... so I supposed the question will be more on how you're gonna bring them to London than whether they're gonna be safe there.:)

BTW, regards. Nice promising shots during the workshop.

except for that nasty moment in milan i jumt at another chance to go back to europe.
the risk of your camera getting stolen will be there no matter where you will be - europe, asia, manila, etc. - just be doubly aware of those around you

For reference, there are a lot of travel books sold in either Powerbooks or Fully Booked. Check the edition and get the latest...there are tips there also on what to watch out for. In Paris, wtch out for the gypsies (esp kids) who will approach you with a newspaper to distract you. I drove them away as they approached and saw them victimize a Japanese tourist... good thing the japanese companions were quick to catch the hands of the kids before they ran away with the wallet. Happy shooting!

Hay!!! those Gypsies!!! it reminds me when I was victimized in Cologne, Germany some years ago....just imagine I never experienced here in Manila but in Europe? Anywhere in the world is not safe..so be extra careful with your things.... they have the same gimick as Tony experienced in Paris ...they using newspaper, Mother and Child and kids who will approach you to ask for an alms then later on you will noticed that they got something from you. Good thing I gave some coins so they returned what is belong to me.....or maybe they found out that what they got has no value to them....it is only a ticket to the exhibition which we will be attending.... thanks God its not my wallet...

thanks so much for the tips guys coupled with the insurance setup by digital photographer i think ill feel safer when i get there.

sir manny. thanks for your kind words about the shoot...means a lot!

London is such a nice place to visit but has a rather dull lighting to it.
If you want to save up on the weight of the things you'll be bringing, make sure you have your widest apperture lens ready.
Sometimes, on sunny days (very rare), the light is still too soft. I dunno why.

I'm about 5'10" and considered quite large here in the PH, yet I am dwarfed by Europeans. Size does not intimidate the bastards who want your stuff.

On securing your camera:
When I go on trips, I try to secure my camera as best as possible.
When I say this, I mean I attach several straps to the camera, and onto my belt.
I usually use two or more carabiners per strap.
One to attach to my belt, the other attaches to the camera.
The use of the carabiner is sooo convenient, since it's not so hard to take off, but it's also secure once it's on. Plus actor na rin yung cheap siya.
It also secures your camera from falling.

Do hope you enjoy your trip.
Post your pics once you get back.

PS - Get on the London Eye. Take 1000 pictures. You cant bring your tripod though....ewan ko ba.

Aside from your camera gear... bring a sturdy umbrella. :Grin: Effective against the rain... and you can hit a mugger with it.

im actually gonna sell umbrellas there, the ones you can turn into the short ones LOL.

sir rob, where can you buy the carabiners....im not even familiar with them.....are they a family to the carabaos ?? :D (corny!!)