| Pickpockets, Beggars and Street Scams tips posted by real travelers and London locals. • 30 Photos
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 | London Pickpockets, Beggars and Street Scams Reviews | 1 - 10 of 63 |  |
 You gotta pick a pocket
or two... by sourbugger
Having said that, London does not have a pickpocketing problem on the scale of other major tourist destinations such as Barcelona, for example.
If it is going to happen anywhere, then it will happen on Oxford street. Despite CCTV cameras covering the place the crowds, the warren of streets off to the sides and the tangle of street furniture allow gangs of pickpocketers to operate with comparative freedom.
Keep your money well buried.
Alternatively use an old wallet and leave that in your pocket, with you money buried elsewhere. Then fill it with bits of paper, preferably with a rude message. If you are then pickpocketed, you can take great pleasure in imagining the look on their faces when the wallet is searched ! Leave a Comment
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This warning could apply to virtually anywhere in the world, I seem to see this particular con virtually everywhere we go and can't believe that there are still people who fall for this centuries old con. We happened to see this in broad daylight near Covent Garden on our last visit.
The basic equipment is three shells and a round object such as a pea, the con man has his ringer (always shifty looking fellows) pick the winning shell with the pea under it a couple of times, oohs and aahs come from the crowd and then the con man starts taking bets from unsuspecting tourists and taking their money in this sleight of hand.
A third conman is usually posted as a lookout, the game is always ready to travel upon the appearance of local law enforcement.
Another variation on this is three card monte, anytime you see a man with shells or cards on a paper box, feel free to watch from a safe distance but never ever plunk your money down, it's a sucker bet and you are sure to lose. Leave a Comment
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I've always felt very safe walking around London. However, when you get into crowded, touristy areas such as Picadilly Circus, Leicester Square, etc. hang on to your bags! I was almost robbed near Picadilly. I felt a slight tug on my bag and turned around to face a man who quickly ran off. Best to just keep aware of your surroundings! Leave a Comment
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I cannot stress this enough after seeing it happen to people too many times
keep hold of your valuables
don't leave them in a bag you are carrying over your shoulder it's very easy for them to be stolen.
Don't keep all your cards and money in one wallet
unless you really need to don't take your passport out with you.
Don't use your phone outside of tube stations.
carry your train/bus ticket in seperately from everything else so that you can at least still get back to where you're staying.
If you do end up getting something stolen report it straight away as soon as you notice it's missing
call one of the directory lines who'll help you locate the nearest police station to you and give you their number. Leave a Comment Phone: 118 500
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 Charing Cross Train Station by luke850Leave a Comment
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Just like anywhere else you should be careful and mind your belongings at all times. If you're carrying a purse turn it so it's opening is facing towards you and not outwards towards other people, or with your wallet make sure it is firmly in your pocket, but keep some money seperate. Be especially careful in crowded places - like on the tube. No doubt you'll be fine, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Leave a Comment
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One thing that rattled me a bit was being asked for money by beggers in the street. Sometimes they would just walk up and ask. Others would be huddled on the footpath under blankets and goodness knows what with a sign pleading their case.
It was hard for me as a lone female to just open my bag up and take out my purse in front of them. I wasn't comfortable doing this and I felt even more uncomfortable say no. Leave a Comment
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 http://www.urban75.org/photos/london/images/lon174 by Rosie-o
Muggers : Avoid tourist-y centres such as Leicester Square, my friend got her handbag snatched and she was punched in the face ... at about 4 in the afternoon!
Toilets: Some fast food places and tube stations you have to pay 25p ... Marylebone Station has a clean, FREE toilet.
Beggars: Unfortunately the homeless are a prominent sight almost everywhere in London. It is up to you whether you want to give them money or not ... Although people moan about 'darn gyppos' all the time, I felt a genuine sympathy for the displace Slavic gypsies and gave them money, they often do a dance or sing too! (call me a sucker or a bleeding heart or whatever!)
Guns: I only saw a gun once ... at Brixton tube station (also saw a woman snorting coke off a seat!)
Food: Leicester Square really plays up to sucker tourists - they have 99p slices of greasy, probably bacteria infested pizza. If need a cheap eat buy some fruit from the market! Or if you prefer something hot check out the Hare Krishnas (no you don't have to join!) in Soho (Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple, 10 Soho Street, London W1V 5DA) where you can get a curry etc very cheap! Leave a Comment
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Beware of pickpockets! When standing at a bus stop, I had a close encounter with a pickpocket. I felt him brush up against me and while the bus stop was crowded, it wasn't so crowded that people needed to be in contact with each other!
This particular would be thief was working with a couple of other people. There was an Italian sausage cart next to the building by the bus stop that had three middle eastern people at it. One of them was the aforementioned thief. At one point, he took over the sausage cart and another of his co-horts attempted to rob someone who was just getting on the bus. After a near miss with the intended victims fist, the obviously inept pickpocket was chased down an alley and didn't come back for about 10 minutes..... where he calmly took over the duties of cooking and selling sausages while his partner began circulating in the crowd again.
So just make sure you pay attention to what is going on around you! Leave a Comment
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Anywhere in central london you may have a problem with pick pockets, especially in crowded areas where u wont feel someone going through your bag. so if possible keep your bag infront of you or in someone elses view at all times. even better, invest in a drawstring bag, as i havent heard of anyone breaking into those yet. this issue is worsened at night so take that into consideration when travelling alone, regardless of gender Leave a Comment
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