Ideas? Experience?

A friend went to Paris (yes, France) where there are gangs of orphan children
(run by an adult, somewhere) that run up to unsuspecting tourists, surround
them with their happy, cheerful pleas of "Franc! Franc!" (the French
currency) while padding down the "mark". When a wallet or such is found,
experienced nimble fingers lift the item and quickly hand it to the fleetest
of the kids who whisks it off to their handler in parts unknown, while the
rest impede your pursuit (being small enough to remain underfoot --some
actually feigning injury if you get aggressive when trying to pursue the
runner).

My friend had a money belt *under her bra* which was cut and whipped off in a
matter of seconds.

I've heard stories of pairs of crooks on mopeds or bikes who grab purses or
other easily grabbable items and yank -- or cut -- it off of your person and
speed away.

Before I travelled to Asia I bought a travel wallet, one with an
over-the-shoulder 1/4-inch nylon fabric strap. Inside this I threaded a
1/8-inch steel cable and cinched it inside the wallet. No "cut-and-run" would
survive it.

More secure than this: I don't carry a pocket wallet when I travel outside. I
use a "money clip" (actually one of those black spring steel document clips
that holds together a hundred page report) to hold whatever I want to carry
plus a few bills -- in my *front* pocket.

Don't carry your passport with you; carry a photocopy of all valuable docs.
Also, scan your passport, visa, driver's license, and other valuable
documents. If you don't already have a basic free mail account at Yahoo or
such, get one and e-mail these scan files to yourself. Leave them on the mail
server and memorize and/or write down the user name and password (don't keep
these with your other valuables!). If you ever lose your docs, go to any
networked computer and download and print these out. Everybody you talk to
(embassy, police, etc.) will want to know numbers, numbers, numbers if you
want to replace them.

But all this is moot if you're presented with a knife or other persuasion;
give up everything if someone really wants it bad enough to inflict harm.

But the most important thing you can take with you is an expanded sense of
awareness, your surroundings, people around you. But don't let the memory of
your trip be one of constantly looking at everyone around you and wondering
if they're a pickpocket. Take senseable precautions, relax, and enjoy.

Good luck,
--
John English