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Pickpockets in Copenhagen: Gadling blogger's victim story. Part 2. Was it Romanians?
I can still see the pocket of my daypack gaping open right before I got that panicked, sinking feeling. It was a feeling that I couldn't quite believe I was having. Up to that point, my trip to Denmark though Amsterdam had happened without a hitch, and I had yet to do the shopping I had planned.
The afternoon that had started out promising had the potential to turn out lousy. (see previous pickpocket post)
My experience of having my wallet lifted right out of a pocket of my daypack is not uncommon, as I have since found out. On Wednesday, the day after I returned to the U.S. with less money than I counted on having--thus way less shopping, my Danish friend emailed me with recent news about pickpockets in Denmark.
She heard on the television news that over the last three weeks, the police have arrested 61 Romanian pickpockets in Copenhagen. My friend wrote that the increase of pickpocketing is due to the Christmas season.
While I was looking for a link to an article on this particular news item, I found several others. While browsing these stories, I've discovered a couple of details to pass on to folks heading to Copenhagen. They can be also be applied to any major city such as Amsterdam where Whistling in the Dark's photo was taken.
There are hot spots in Copenhagen where diligence could save you from becoming a victim. Copenhagen Central Station, Strøget, a pedestrian walking street, and a McDonald's near the entrance of Tivoli Gardens were places people have been robbed. Other travel warning sites said to be on the lookout on any pedestrian street. Copenhagen has several.
I was in the Tiger store nearest Norreport Station when I noticed the wallet missing. Norreport has 90,000 people passing through each day, so you can imagine how many people from there must head to the walking street where Tiger is located. The store was quite crowded on the first floor, and I was jostled more than once. Because I was shopping, I wasn't focused on my bag. The fact that I didn't notice my wallet gone until I went to pay for my merchandise is not an uncommon story. Read Virtual Tourist, and Epinions.com for details of some of the other tales of woe. There is also a warning about pickpockets in Copenhagen at Worldworx.
In my sleuthing, I also found this snippet in the Copenhagen Post from this past August. The brief blurb mentions 700 Romanian pickpockets who are currently operating in Copenhagen.
Except, if my friend is correct, subtract 61 from that number. Although, the total could have increased in the last few months, so perhaps you should add a few.. The pickpocket problem, according the article, has been exacerbated because of open borders due to the EU free movement regulations.
Reading these details does help me feel a bit better. I should have been more careful, but at least I have company.
When I traveled through Amsterdam last week at the beginning of my trip, I had pickpockets in mind. Thus, my credit card, traveler's checks, cash, and passport were hidden away in a pouch around my neck. The pouch was under my shirt and under my jacket--a bit cumbersome but effective.
By the last day in Denmark, I had my money and my credit card back in my wallet. Stupid move. My driver's license and passport were in another location in the main section of my day pack, along with my one remaining $20 traveler's check.
My what could have been a lousy day was saved by the Danish police who helped me stop my VISA card with absolutely no hassle, and by my generous friend who gave me money so that the good times could continue.
Filed under: Arts and Culture, Business, Stories, Denmark, Romania, News
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Craig Dec 14th 2008 8:33AM
I'm thinking their not exactly Romanians, but Romani people ("gypsies") http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romani_people
They're in just about every European city and if you're on the lookout they're rather easy to spot once you've seen one.
Rachel Dec 18th 2008 11:17PM
The very same thing happened to me when I was in Copenhagen last year! I was studying abroad in Fall of 2007 and my wallet was stolen from right out of my bag on the escalator at the Kongs Nytorv Metro station. And it happened exactly this time of year and was 3 days before I went home to the US. I had gone 4 months with not so much as a dirty look my entire stay in Denmark (ok I was flashed at Radhuspladsen, but that's another story). My drivers license, credit cards, money, danish health card, Tivoli season pass, and more were lost. (Thank goodness my passport was at home). The Danish police were very courteous and I kept hoping they'd find it and mail it to me (a friend of mine told me she lost her wallet in Brussels and it was mailed back to her by the police 6 months later). But I never saw my wallet again!
Jamie Rhein Dec 18th 2008 11:19PM
Rachel, sorry to hear about your pickpocket woes. You lost more than I did. What a bummer.
Were you in the DIS program? That's how I went to Copenhagen many years ago in the first place.
Rachel Jan 12th 2009 2:47AM
Yeah, I was in DIS! What year did you go?
justin Mar 8th 2009 5:18PM
Had my wallet snatched at a restaurant/bar called det eletriske hornet. a place not too far from kongens nytorv. Two credit cards had max 1 day allowances ran up on Swedish rail passes. Lesson learned: Do not carry much cash, always keep the wallet safe (front pocket or otherwise). I usually do this, but I was only going to be in town for an hour or so. Copenhagen is a great town, but petty theft is rampant. My guess is that this particular thief was Swedish.