How to avoid pickpockets in Prague
Josh okungbaiye
Prague is known for its breathtaking sunsets, eerie cathedrals, and medieval buildings. However, all that it offers its visitors are quickly maligned by pickpocketing. According to many travel publications, the city of Prague always comes top of the list as the most pickpocketed city in Europe. If you are considering visiting Prague it is important to be aware of the potential risks you may be exposing yourself to. I have been to Prague numerous times and I have had a lot of incidents where pickpockets have tried to steal from me unknowingly, but luckily they haven’t succeeded. It is a problem especially during the months when tourist visits are very high and there are large crowds of tourists everywhere in the city.
Despite all this, it is still a beautiful city to visit and experience the culture. In this blog post, I will list out the things you need to do in order to avoid pickpockets in Prague, Czech Republic. These are tips and tricks to guide you. These tips and tricks are the things I learned organically from my trips to Prague and I had to learn by trial and error. Luckily, you don’t have to learn by trial and error. These tips and tricks will ensure you stay safe, protect your belongings, and stay self-aware during your trip. If you implement these tips you can pretty much roam around the city, experience its culture, and take in all its wonders without any worry or paranoia.
But first,
Where do visitors lose their valuables the most?
I found from personal experience and conversations with people in the travel and tourism community that most of them lost their belongings at main tourist attractions. This is actually the best opportunity for pickpockets to strike because the unsuspecting tourist is most likely going to be in a crowd and will completely be distracted by a tourist attraction. For example, the tourist might be trying to take pictures of the tourist attraction and their focus may not be on protecting their belongings. This can make them an easy target and that’s why pickpocket incidents mostly happen at major tourist attractions.
So, when you are viewing the Prague Astronomical Clock, Old Town Square, Charles Bridge, or Wenceslas Square, always be vigilant and aware of potential pickpockets around you. Also, know that these areas are not the only ones where you’d see pickpockets. Try to avoid any large gatherings and crowds. If you find yourself in a crowd, make sure you are fully aware of where your belongings are so you are not easily caught off guard.
Tips to avoid pickpockets
1. Do not let your guard down.
Always stay alert. Of course, you cannot keep an eye on everyone at the same time. You also have to enjoy your time. Having too much paranoia about potential pickpockets may rob you of being in the moment and enjoying your vacation. Just be aware of what’s going on around you. Or at least pretend to know where you are going. Pickpockets are deterred by that expression. They rarely target the tourist that walks with a sense of purpose. They usually target tourists that are wide-eyed and walking around aimlessly. Pickpockets always watch and assess their victims before making a move. Do not allow yourself to be a potential target.
2. Don’t be overconfident and too care free.
Remember that pickpockets have been stealing for far too long. So they can easily assess and judge an unaware tourist that is too care-free. Try not to bring too much attention to yourself. This is especially true of you are travelling alone.
3. Always be specific in what you carry around with you.
Do some calculations before leaving your hotel room. Calculate how much money you’d need for the day or even if you need to take out your cards and tech gadgets or not. This way, you could save yourself from a pickpocket having access to too much stuff. Being a victim of pickpocketing is devastating especially if they steal your most valuable items. This can ruin your holiday or knock you off balance, especially if you are using your smartphone or laptop to explore and research on things to do in the city. When we visit a new country or city. We are very reliant on our technological devices for directions, language translations, and timings. Having any of these things stolen can pretty much end a whole trip. So it is important to take stock of the things you are taking with you before you go out to explore the city. Be aware of which items are high value and low value and decide from there. If you are worried about taking your expensive smartphone with you. You can consider carrying a cheap smartphone or a sim free basic phone for under £15 . So you can reduce the potential risk of losing a high-value item during your trip.
4. Do not pick anything up from the ground, even if it’s a $100 dollar bill.
Pickpockets do a number of tricks and strategies to catch their victims off guard. One of their most effective tricks is to glue valuable items to the ground, hoping an unsuspecting tourist will pick it up. The minute that tourist picks it up. They expose themselves as the perfect target and this is when a pickpocket or a group of pickpockets will steal from that person. Also, another thing about this tactic is that when you stoop down to pick the item up, it gives them a better view of your pockets. So if they spot your wallet, purse, or phone they will directly go for it without you suspecting anything. This is a very common trick that pickpockets do, so keep this in the back of your mind if you happen to see a $100 dollar note on the ground. Don’t fall for their trap.
Please note that pickpockets’ tricks and tactics are always evolving in order to catch more victims. The best thing to do is to avoid anything that is out of the ordinary that may falsely require your attention.
5. Always make sure you are distracted less by anyone around you.
As mentioned before, pickpockets are very intentional with their tricks and tactics in order to steal from you. Another trick that pickpockets do is that they will spill something on you to divert and hold your attention. As we all know, when something spills on us, all we care about is the stain and getting it off our clothes. We are single-mindedly focused on getting rid of the stain. This single-minded focus, they use it to capture our attention so they can easily steal from the tourist. Whenever this happens (intentionally or unintentionally), just say it’s okay and move along swiftly. Do not try to respond to their conversational tactics.
Please note, these tactics are carefully orchestrated. So if this happens to you, ensure you get out of the situation as quickly as you can.
6. There are plenty of money exchangers on the streets of Prague. Do not use them.
They are the hubs of scams. Instead, use well-known and assigned cash exchangers to save yourself from being ripped off.
7. Always carry your money close to your waist.
If you have to carry large sums of money with you. To ensure you have it protected, you can put your money in a stylish anti-theft backpack that has loads of inner zipped pockets. This will allow for easy access when you want to make purchases. Also, make sure you buy one that is made out of thick leather so pickpockets will be unable to cut through the material. This will help in keeping the pickpocket away from your stuff as you travel.
8. Distribute your money.
Another thing you could do is distribute your money. So what you can do is put some money in your pocket, some in your bag, some in your wallet or inside jacket pocket. So that if a pickpocket steals anything at least it is not the bulk of your belongings. It is just another strategy to mitigate and spread any potential losses. When you enter crowded places, put your hands in your pocket so you create a blockage of entry so pickpockets will be unable to reach into your pockets. Pickpockets are very skilled, so by blocking any entry to your pockets, it destroys all of their attempts at stealing from you. Most of the time pickpockets are non-confrontational in their attempts to steal from you, so the likelihood of anyone using any force to remove your hands from your pockets is very slim.
9. Carry a fake wallet.
If you want to play the pickpockets at their own game. Carry an empty wallet.
10. Separate your bills into their respective categories and keep change in one place.
Make a mental note of where each category is placed and take out cash from them according to the purchase you’re making. This enables you to stay organised while you are making purchases. This is so you don’t lose track of your spending. Sometimes, vendors may give you the wrong change or you may overpay for something and the seller will refuse to alert you. Make sure you can record your purchases in your notes so you can easily categorise them. If you find you are spending more money on one thing (for example food). Whenever you go out, keep your food money safe and spend that amount so you don't have to worry about your food money getting stolen.
Prague is a beautiful city full of amazing food, culture, and people. Don’t let this guide cause you restrain yourself due to fear of pickpockets. Just use it as a resource so you stay aware so nothing catches you by surprise.
