Le Chic Geek
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I’ve written before about the pickpocket networks in Paris and it turns out tourists aren’t the only ones upset about the abundance of them.
Here’s a guide to avoiding the pickpockets in Paris.
I’m from New York City and while we have a lot of petty larceny, it isn’t quite as organized as what’s happening in Paris.
A strike closed the Eiffel Tower for most of Friday as staff demanded more help to deal with pickpockets operating around the Paris landmark, tower officials and unions said.
“There have always been pickpockets at the Eiffel Tower, but we are now facing an organized network”, said a union representative. The strikers want additional police to be deployed.
Paris is already making an extra effort to crack down on crime against tourists. Â This follows an effort from last year to reduce the “rude” image of Parisians to increase tourism. Â (They even created a guide to each “type” of tourist and what they like to see).
But remember, pickpockets capitalize on the trust we build with people around us.  So make sure your wallet is protected from both random people around you and the people on your tour group.
And how do pickpockets manage to succeed?
Check out this Ted Talk video:
pick pockets hang around the “watch out for pick pockets” warning signs to see who checks to see if their money is still safe and giving away the location of their valuables.
maybe the pickpocket gangs pay off the police to operate ?
I heard the police don’t actually arrest them (but that’s also because they are under the age of arrest in Paris)