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Naples Warnings or Dangers

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Crime in Naples
  • Tip Rating:
  • Lacristina
  • Updated By Lacristina on July 21, 2004
  • Naples Page by Lacristina
  • Yes, it exists. Most likely, nothing will happen to you. But you should be aware of what can happen and take precautions

    For example, I think of myself as a seasoned traveler, used to dealing with gypsies and con artists in Rome, Barcelona, and other places, but was unprepared for the scippatori (snatchers) in Naples.

    I was taking a picture, near the Duomo, in broad daylight, when a young man stole the camera out of my hands and took off on a motorcycle. I think it was the fact that I was a woman and alone which made me vulnerable. Yes there were people around (Italians) within 20-30 feet of me, who saw what happened and no, no one did a thing. (I did report it to the police - which was an interesting experience in itself. They were very kind but of course could do nothing but fill out papers.)

    By the way, the train station in Naples is particularly dangerous. An Italian friend of mine had his wallet lifted there while his hands were filled with his wife's and daughter's suitcases. Con artists will try to "help" you. I just tell them to "go away" (vye VEE-ah.")

    I know this all sounds horrible -- but Naples does have some museums and sites that are really worth visiting. I wouldn't hesitate to go to see these again. But be forewarned and act accordingly.

    For emergencies, you can flag down a police car or call the police (carabinieri) by dialing the local emergency number, 112; you can speak to an operator in English.

    The main police station is at Via Medina 75 (tel 081.794.1111); you can also report crimes at the small police station in Stazione Centrale.

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  • Phone: For Police (Carabinieri): 112
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    Crossing the road
  • Tip Rating:
  • toonsarah
  • By toonsarah on November 25, 2007
  • Naples Page by toonsarah
  • A street in the Centro Storico, Naples - Naples
    A street in the Centro
    Storico, Naples
    by toonsarah
    “See Naples and die”

    – whoever first coined this phrase may not have been referring to the dangers of crossing the roads here, but they could have been! There appear at least to the uninitiated to be no rules, except to get to wherever you’re going as fast as possible – not easy given how crowded the roads are. For instance, we were pleased to see a pedestrian crossing on the Via Toledo at Piazza Dante, and even more impressed that its lights changed immediately it was pressed. However we soon realised that this made not the slightest difference, as cars and scooters would continue to drive through the red light unless someone had actually stepped on to the crossing. We gradually realised that this in fact was the only system for safely crossing the roads – simply do as the locals do and step out confidently, and they will stop. Obviously you can’t do this in fast moving traffic (a rarity here) and you do still need to look both ways, but unless you want to spend your visit standing at the kerb, you’ll need to take the plunge!

    You also need to be careful in the narrow streets of the historic centre where pavements are either too narrow or non-existent. Listen out at all times for the tell-tale roar of a scooter behind you and be prepared to step aside – although again, watching the locals, few of them seem to bother with this nicety and simply trust that the scooter will go round them.

    Actually, although at first I was intimidated by the traffic, especially the scooters, after a while I relaxed and became fascinated by it instead!

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    Pick pockets
  • Tip Rating:
  • ruki
  • Updated By ruki on February 3, 2007
  • Naples Page by ruki
  • Like many big cities and this have a lot of pick pockets. They use Vespa motorcycle..You must be careful especially when you are in the public bus, tram, on the streets...station.. Watch your wallets, documents!!!!!
    The best way is to keep money on different places, in your pockets, bags and other places and go always with group.

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    wallet picking and big deal
  • Tip Rating:
  • delfo767
  • By delfo767 on October 26, 2004
  • Naples Page by delfo767
  • Naples is world widly unfortunatly famous for stoled wallet and big "PACCO"

    let's talk about it:

    POCKET PICKING

    the most dangerous places are bus, metro , markets... commonly where ever people is pressed on people and it's easy to let your wallet slide out

    so put it in an internal pocket if you have any
    or espcially if you travel in group any body have a look to the other bag

    if somebody push you
    check quikly at your wallet;)
    that's a smart way to stole it

    before it was quite common also the "scippo"
    guys on a vespa running fast take your bag (usually lady bag) or your clock for example if you are driving in the trafic

    BIG DEAL

    especially in the main train station area (napoli centrale - piazza garibaldi)
    you will be for sure asked to have a big deal

    there is people trying to sell (especially to tourist but not only) digital camera and video camera, mobile phones.All of them are the last model , all of them at a very good price.
    They keep them in hands and let you try them.They let you put your sim card in the phone and make a call for example.So if the shop price is 10 you will pay 2.
    Than the *** happen....you go home...open the bag and then you find a brick inside!!!
    yes...a brick!
    that's what they call "pacco" and it means that you have lost your money and have no chances to have it back.
    When you gave him the money he (they are so skilled!) have changed your object with a different one giving you the "pacco".

    You will probably also find people jokin "alle tre carte" the game of the 3 cards.They are all friends.You will never win even if it looks very easy to win.The only solution is not play(!).

    BY the way

    this tip is not to scare you
    i think that if you are intelligent and smart enough you would never fall in this situation anyway.
    Napoli it's a school of life
    where it's hard to survive and you don't know if it's fault of these "thieves" or fault of who fall in this trapes

    Enjoy napoli
    and don't be scared;)

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    Beware the taxi drivers!
  • Tip Rating:
  • haiamisa
  • By haiamisa on November 26, 2006
  • Naples Page by haiamisa
  • Looking for taxi at the port - Naples
    Looking for taxi at the port
    by haiamisa
    This tip appears also in my transportation tips but I copy it here as this is a real warning too!

    We took taxi from the port to Garibaldi railway station in order to catch the train to Pompei. It was only a 10 minutes ride and cost 10 EUR! We could have walked but we wanted to 'save our feet' for later as we knew we would do lots of walking in Pompei and later at the Archeaological museum and the city. The driver didn't use a meter but showed us the price from a list. The list was definitely for tourists only as it was in English. There was nothing to do. I made a mistake when he asked where we were taking a train to. When he heard Pompei he offered to take us there for 20 EUR and wait for two hours and kept pestering me about it all the way. He even said that the train ticket to Pompei is 9 EUR by person!!! - It cost only 3.50 EUR - return ticket per person! I just kept repeating again and again that I want to the railway station only. Don't do this mistake with taxi drivers, don't tell them that you are heading somewhere by train. Just tell them to take you to the square by the railway station.

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    Naples, It. muggings
  • Tip Rating:
  • By psg1979 on July 31, 2006
  • Naples Page by psg1979
  • don't underestimate warnings about the area around Piazza Garibaldi (train station) being dangerous. my friend and I were mugged at gunpoint by a pair of guys who circled the block a couple times on their scooters before targeting us. Naples is far more menacing than other large Italian cities; certainly in a league of its own crime-wise. and it has a disturbingly third world feel to it (a bit of an indictment of Italy, I'd say). The trams are also literally swarming with pickpockets.

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    Watch the traffic!
  • Tip Rating:
  • Wowmoment
  • Updated By Wowmoment on April 13, 2008
  • Naples Page by Wowmoment
  • Parking Naples style - get out of that! - Naples
    Parking Naples style - get out
    of that!
    by Wowmoment, 2 more photos
    All over Naples life as a pedestrian is pretty fraught! Shall we say the locals drive very exuberantly and there are plenty of vehicles.

    Just walking along pavements is not easy, parking is rather random with very little space to get by on foot, often it's necessary to step into the street!

    I set off at least one motorbike alarm just trying to squeeze by!

    In the narrow streets of the Centro Storico you might think you are safe but cars pass even here, pinning you to the sides and scooters and motorbikes rush by at astonishing speeds.

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    Rambo go home!
  • Tip Rating:
  • CliffClaven
  • By CliffClaven on March 19, 2003
  • Naples Page by CliffClaven
  • Rambo go home - Naples
    Rambo go home
    by CliffClaven
    Okay, okay, this is only going to fuel the Americans' inveterate paranoia - but why should they care what the world thinks when they so often don't give a damn what the world thinks. On a more positive note, any American who is willing to take an amused rather than a redneck view of such a sign will probably find the Neapolitans standing around laughing with him.

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    Train station/Piazza Garibaldi
  • Tip Rating:
  • Lcannar
  • By Lcannar on July 20, 2006
  • Naples Page by Lcannar
  • This was really the only nasty part of town we found. Right around the train station and Piazza Garibaldi. We never felt threatened, but it was ugly and full of street sellers who really couldn't take no for an answer. But for all the dire warnings about how rough a city Naples is, we felt very safe--even at night. Everywhere, the people were friendly and helpful.

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    Crossing the street
  • Tip Rating:
  • deebum25
  • By deebum25 on September 25, 2008
  • Naples Page by deebum25
  • Naples Warnings or Dangers
    by deebum25
    I read many things that said when crossing the street in Naples, SHOW NO FEAR. That's absolutely correct. If you go to a crosswalk or if you have a lot of nerve step into the street when there is no traffic coming, DO NOT STOP until you get to the other side. The cars will stop. I know it's hard to believe but they will actually stop. Do watch out for the buses as they cannot stop on a dime. We watched people run red lights because there were no pedestrians in the crosswalk so when we crossed the street we would look directly at the vehicles that were coming toward us. We don't know if that had any impact or not but it worked for us!

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