Safety, Paris

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This along with my other warning about traffic can not be stressed enough.

If you are crossing a street that has traffic going in both directions, observe the lights very carefully. They may not be green in both directions. Check to see if there is a sign that says "Pietons ATTENTION Feaux Decalés" or "ATTENTIONS Traversée en 2 Temps". This means that the lights are staggered. I made this mistake only once and, fortunately, I lived to be able to write this.

So many times I see tourists crossing when the light closest to them is red for them, but the light across the street is green. They are obviously only looking at the green light in the distance and fail to see that they do not have the right of way and they could very easily step in front of a car.

The rule your mother taught you when you were a child "look both ways before crossing" definitely should be used while in Paris.

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Just a piece of advice is to be carefull in the Northern neighbourghood such as Montmartre surroundings (18eme), Gare du Nord area or the 19eme and 20eme districts (North and East) because it's frequented by pickpockets.

If your hotel is closed to the Metro I think it should not be a problem, but if it's a bit far away I should suggest you to take a taxi during the night.

We were in Paris for two weeks, staying in the Latin Quarter. At about 2 pm on a beautiful, busy weekend day, we watched a man get in a huge fight with a woman to try to steal her ATM card at the bank on the corner of the Saint German des Pres metro stop. I had stopped and just walked over from the Church and we were just meandering around. I noticed that this really tall man was staring over this short woman's shoulder as she was putting her ATM in for withdrawal. Later, I found out that they take the numbers down. At any rate, he then tried to snatch it from her and they got in a struggle. What's strange to me is that there were probably two hundred people on the street and no one stopped at first.

So I screamed "Arretez!" loudly. Not the best idea because the man approached me. He looked confused because I'm just a little gal!!! But this got the crowd's attention. He was obviously a drug addict. His pupils were pinpoints. He disappeared quickly into the metro stop and the woman went into the bank. The crowd quickly dissolved so I went down a side street and into a store, a little nervous. When I got back to my hotel, I asked if I should call the police, but they said no, it wasn't uncommon.

After that, I decided to go inside of the bank for my transactions.

This is typical, I suppose, of many big cities, although it's worth knowing that it does happen, as I've seen it firsthand.

Otherwise, Paris couldn't have been more idyllic.

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Paris is very safe and law enforcement presence is everywhere. But like any other big city, a lack of attention can result in a sudden lack of your wallet, your camera or your purse. Spending what should have been time lounging at the cafes making frantic calls to your credit card company is no way to spend a vacation so the rules of thumb are:

• Never, ever carry anything of value in your pockets. Make sure your cards/money are inaccessible and well hidden under your clothing.

• Leave all documents and cards you don't need on a daily basis - like your passport - locked up in the hotel safe

• Leave expensive jewelry and other bling at home. If you can't afford to lose it, don't pack it.

• Be careful setting purses and cameras on cafe tables or hanging them on the back of a chair where they could be quickly and easily snatched. Same goes for credit cards: give them directly to your server and don't leave them laying on the table.

• Don't even think about a fanny pack. Besides being hideous, they are a thief's best friend.

• Bring two credit cards of different type, and two ATM/debit cards in case one gets eaten in a machine. Make copies of passport, cards, plane tickets, hotel confirmations and all other important documents and keep those separate from the originals.

• Be firm with panhandlers and souvenir hawkers. They can be extremely aggressive - especially at the train stations, the Eiffel, the Sacre-Coeur and some of the other hot tourist locations. They're harmless but very persistent unless you pointedly ignore them or issue a strong "Non!" and keep moving. Beware of the "friendship bracelet" scam; once they tie one on you, you're going to be out some euros.

• Politely decline help with your luggage at train, metro and airport stations

And last but certainly not least, trip insurance with health coverage is highly recommended. Should you become very ill or injured, being hospitalized or medivaced home, if necessary, can be a financial disaster. Medical treatment in France is not free for tourists.

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We happened to be in Paris when the threat of terrorism, for multiple European cities, was unusually high and the French authorities were not taking that lightly. During our week, the Eiffel was evacuated twice, the entrance to Gare du Nord station abruptly closed and ticket sales temporarily suspended, and armed military presence was evident around the Louvre and other heavily visited sites. More unsettling was an emergency clearing of a busy area accompanied by a large convoy of heavy police vehicles - sirens wailing - and escorted by seriously armed personnel on foot. The world being as it is these days, you could find yourself in a similar position.

The good news? No need to panic.

The vast majority of the time these efforts are precautionary so rather than worry about it, be reassured that the government is taking no chances with the safety of French civilians and international tourists alike. Should you be in a situation where evacuation or other safety action is necessary, just calmly follow any orders issued and assist others who may need it.

When I took the metro to go to work, I routinely scanned the stations and cars to spot the tourists and try to guess where they came from.
Spotting tourists in Paris is really easy as they do not behave or look like parisians at all.
Here are a few things that will immediately reveal that you are a tourist

1. Carrying a guide (written in a foreign language) in your hand while walking on the street or in the metro
2. Studying maps for a long time in public places. Staring at the metro station map when travelling. Looking dumbfounded and unsure of yourself.
3. Trying to interact too much with other people. This will make parisians uneasy as they generally do not speak to someone met on the street (hence their zombie look and the MP3 player earbuds some are wearing all the time)
4. Not moving fast enough in a public place. Staying in the the way of other people
5. Carrying your camera in your hand or around your neck everywhere. Taking pictures in metro stations, restaurants and other uninteresting places.
6. Asking someone to take a picture of you and your pal in front of a picturesque place.
7. Wearing relaxed clothes while parisians do not: flower shirts, fancy T Shirts, shorts, hiking shoes. This does not apply in the holiday season.
8. In a group: staying as tight as possible not to lose anyone. For instance, trying to fit all in one crammed metro car.
9. Speaking loudly in a foreign language, especially in public places. Most parisians tend not to speak too loud in the metro.
10. Taking too much time to react when interacting with locals (taking orders in a cafe for instance).

To summarize: try to look confident, "blasé" and indifferent all the time (even if you are not), move swiftly and try to dress like a parisian.

Advice on all aspects of Safety

Find a policeman when you need one:

Addresses of the Police Stations in the 20 Arrondissements are listed on this page

http://en.parisinfo.com/guide-paris/useful-info/safety/guide/safety_police

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When we were visiting Louver in less than 3 hrs we got an anounsment to exit the building - "For safety reasons we are asking all visitors to leave the museum..."

When we were leaving, we saw a backpack someone left on the lobby floor by itself...

The strange thing is - why they made all people from the whole museum go through the lobby with the "posible bomb" to leave Louver??? instead of exiting your nearest exit.