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Safety and Thieves

Europe

Europe is safe from a violent-crime point of view but dangerous from a petty-theft point of view. Thieves and pickpockets target Americans. Don’t be afraid…just don’t be vulnerable.

Complete Video Script

I want to talk a bit about safety, because Europe is a very safe place from a violent crime point of view, and it's a very dangerous place, from a petty purse snatching and pickpocketing point of view.

Thieves in Europe target Americans not because they're mean, but because they're smart. We're the fools with all the good stuff in our purses and wallets. We’re easy.

Solve that by not being vulnerable, right? You are vulnerable with your valuables on the streets.

Now remember, this woman is not a beggar. She's a compelling person. She's got a beautiful baby and a sad story. And she's...

You think she just wants a Euro? She wants your wallet. It's a harsh thing to say, but you're on the street and you're being targeted by the thieves. Thieves don't dress like thieves. They do their best to dress like tourists.

And they're riding the trolley. They're riding the tram. They're riding the bus that all the tourists ride.

I don't want to make you paranoid. I don't want to. It's just sport, really. You're not going to get knifed or mugged. There's just poor people that want your valuables, and you're rich and you're traveling around the world.

Bam! You lost your camera. Bam! You lost your phone. Bam! You lost your purse. It's kind of exciting. And if you're sloppy, it's expensive. So just don't be sloppy.

Don't leave your bag sitting there. Somebody comes by on a bicycle and it's gone. Be on guard.

I was in Stockholm a couple months ago watching the changing of the guard, and I just said, I'm not going to watch the, the band and the soldiers. I'm going to step back and get the pickpocket’s view.

All of that commotion... Whenever there's a commotion, there's pickpockets hovering around. There's not that many of them, but they are where you are, targeting us.

Now, a money belt’s a great idea. On our tour, we include a money belt. If you really want to be safe, you tie your valuables around your waist and tuck it in like your shirt tail. You don't get at it for every nickel, dime, and quarter. This is your deep storage for select deposits and withdrawals. Okay? And you operate with the day’s spending money out of your pocket.