I get a lot of questions regarding travel, but the question I get asked most is
what do you do to prevent being pickpocketed while traveling?
So today, I'm going to share with you guys
10 tips on how to prevent
being pickpocketed while traveling.
Honestly, I'm not the most careful person
so it's not like I take a lot of strict preventative measures,
BUT I have yet to be pickpocketed.
Knock on wood!
When you say something good that's been happening like
"I've never been pickpocketed before"
you knock on wood to not jinx it.
Knock on wood!
By the way, スリ is pickpocket in English.
to pick something out of someone's pocket.
I was pickpocketed on my last trip.
It was terrible!
or you could just say "I got my wallet stolen"
"I got my iPhone stolen"
stolen 盗まれた
But anyways! Let's get started!
Don't bring expensive designer bags!
We all want to travel in style so you might be tempted to bring your favorite
brand name bag/purse,
but you really should leave it at home!
With a brand name bag, you'll be a likely target for theft
Oooh, that bag looks like
it's got a lot of goodies in it!
On the opposite extreme, some people say they'll take
a raggedy, old, plain black bag,
but I don't go to that extent.
Just bring something casual!
Not too fancy!
If you're taking a purse
shorten the strap!
I often use a backpack when traveling
and a lot of people say "aren't backpacks easier to steal from?"
But personally, I think that backpacks are more difficult to steal from
because you have to reach higher to open it.
and it's more noticeable.
but if you have a purse
they can steal from it very discretely
with smaller movements.
I feel like purses are more prone to be pickpocketed from.
Hold your bag in front of you
or close to you in crowded places.
I would normally carry my backpack like this
but if I'm in a crowded place
I will just bring it to the front
I don't like doing this.
I think this just looks silly.
I just take one strap
and hold my bag like this.
If you have a purse to your side
have your hand over it
or hold it in front of you as well.
The most common place pickpocketing
happens is when there's lots of people
and you're very distracted.
Use a clip like this close the zipper on your bag.
There's all sorts of sizes
for purses, this one is probably too big.
so you'll need a smaller one,
but the point is, do something to make it a hassle to open.
But if you go as far as to use a lock, it'd be a hassle for you as well so
something like a carabiner that you can clip on easily is convenient.
We use this on the backpack that Osaru-san uses to keep our camera equipment in.
Not only inside trains and buses, but also when going through the turnstiles.
When I went to Paris with my parents
my mom got her wallet stolen while going through a crowded turnstile.
After she got through, she was like
"My purse feels light!"
no wallet!
and I think she had a brand name bag.
But it wasn't something that you could open that easily.
There was a flap and also a zipper.
but in a matter of seconds
They're quick!
You gotta give your stuff some love
and just hug it!
especially when you're going through
something like the turnstiles.
I normally use a long wallet like this.
but I use a much smaller one for travel
that fits the bare minimum.
I don't even bring my normal wallet.
I just take out the few things that I'm going to need.
If you take more than one credit card
don't put them both in your wallet.
Keep them in separate places.
In case your wallet gets stolen.
Obviously, it depends on where you're
traveling, but most places nowadays
you can use your credit card
to buy almost anything.
So you don't need a lot of cash.
and cash, if you get it stolen
it's gone forever!
If it's your credit card,
although a bit of hassle,
you can make a call and stop the card.
and the credit card company will usually take care of any fraudulent uses.
I carry very little cash with me.
So little, I actually didn't have enough to pay for a bill once lol
I was at a restaurant and found out after our meal
that we could only pay with cash.
Keep you wallet in your front pocket
or somewhere secure in your bag.
A lot of guys put their wallets in their back pocket.
Of course, that's a big no-no!
Always put your wallet in your front pocket.
With that said, I recommend getting a very thin, compact travel wallet.
Osaru-san uses a thin wallet from Tumi,
so he's able to keep it in his front pocket.
If you're going to put it in your purse
don't put it in the main pocket where you can slip your hand in and grab it.
Most bags have other pockets with zippers
so make use of that.
When I went to Paris last year,
a friend of mine got pickpocketed.
She had her wallet and passport stolen
because she had them both in the same place.
OMG, what a hassle if you get your passport stolen!
You waste like an entire day
going to the embassy
and getting the paperwork done.
So I guess that's when a money belt
comes in really handy.
It's like a thin fanny pack you wear underneath your clothes.
It's for keeping your passport, any extra credit cards and some extra cash.
It's not supposed to be your wallet,
but something you use to keep things that are important,
but that you don't use as often.
I should probably start using one.
I think that because I've traveled so much
and I've never been pickpocketed
I'm just like "oh, it's not going to happen to me"
and that's when it's most dangerous, right?
So...
Next time I travel
I'm going to get myself
a cool, trendy money belt.
Money belts are never cool and trendy.
If I find a good one,
I'll share it with you guys!
It's not just your wallet or money that can get stolen,
your camera, your phone can also be pickpocketed.
Make sure you use a strap to secure it to yourself.
I do this with our camera.
We have a sturdy strap on the Canon we use
and we always put it around our wrist when filming.
and your phone!
If you're on the train looking at your phone like this
they'll will take it like this from behind you.
My friend got her passport and wallet stolen,
but thankfully she had her phone on a neck strap,
so she was able to contact her local friends and get help.
OMG, how terrible would it be
to have your wallet, passport, and phone stolen!
Another tip I found while doing some research
was for long train rides.
and how you should use straps to secure your bags to your seat.
Even if you fall asleep and a thief comes by
he's like "oh, it's strapped to her seat.
Not going to mess with that."
Even if you are careful and take all these preventative measures
these are professional pickpocketers!
There's always a chance you'll get something stolen.
So not only do you want to be prepared to avoid being pickpocketed, but also
prepared to deal with it if you are.
For example, if you get your passport stolen
you need your family register (戸籍謄本).
What?!
I just recently found out about this.
So if you have time to go to City Hall and obtain your family registry
that'd be ideal.
Also, like I mentioned earlier
keep important documents and extra money
in your money belt or hotel safety box.
Don't keep it all in the same place!
Also, note important phone numbers and email addresses,
maybe the name and address of your hotel
and keep it in your money belt in case you get your phone stolen.
So today I shared with you 10 tips on how to prevent being pickpocketed!
How was it?
Golden Week is coming up so
I hope it's helpful for any trips you might be taking!
I found some tips that I should probably consider
so it was helpful for me too!
If you thought this video was helpful
and want to see more travel tip videos,
give me a big like!
I know you guys watching travel quite a bit
if you've been pickpocketed please tell us about your experience
Also, if you have good tips on how to avoid being pickpocketed, let us know in the comments!
If you've been pickpocketed before
let us know about your experience.
If you have your own tips on how to prevent being pickpocketed,
please share them with us!
Alright guys! Thank you for watching!
If you're going somewhere for Golden Week
have a great time!
I'll see you guys in the next video!