Travel Safety Tips: How to get your wallet stolen while traveling
Sign up for our e-newsletter to stay in the loop- like getting more travel safety tips! You will receive emails about our artisans, new products, and gifts that make you feel you are contributing to the greater good.
Now I know what you may be thinking...um excuse me??? Why would I want to go out of my way to get my wallet stolen. Where are the travel safety tips in that? Well to be honest, you don't want to get your wallet stolen. That was just to get your attention. 😉 However, through my account of getting my wallet stolen, I learned some valuable tips and lessons that I would like to share with you!
This is more of a tale of what to NOT do as well as what to do when/if you this ever happens to you. Wherever you are in this world, having anything stolen from you makes you feel vulnerable. You try to assess what you could have done different to avoid it but in reality it happens. And sometimes, if you are willing to see the silver lining, you are the better for it.
Travel Safety Tips: My story
I was 21, it was my first time traveling abroad let alone solo. I had no idea what to expect and therefore no way to prepare for it. I was living in Buenos Aires and it was my first week. I made it to El Centro by myself on a train I had only ridden once. I signed myself up for Spanish classes in the city, hoping it would help accelerate my learning. It was the first day. After morning lessons it was lunch time and I had a break. I could either eat lunch on a stiff chair in the hallway or go outside and see the city. I chose to sit outside. After all it was my first day solo and I was feeling pretty confident in my street skills.
I found a cozy shaded bench in a near by park and set out to eat my lunch as the sun speckled through the tree leaves above. I am lover of people watching and was so fascinated by everything that was happening around me. I mean who wouldn't be? As I munched on my delicious apple a man walked by me and dropped his keys right in front of my feet. He was a well dressed man- suit, tie, and really shiny shoes- dressed like he really cared about his appearance. I saw the keys at my feet and my instinct kicked in, so I picked them up, grabbed my bag and ran after him yelling, "Señor, Señor!!" He turned around and saw the keys in my hand, took them and said thank you with a little bow of his head. And that was it. I walked away with a smile on my face thinking I had done something good that day!
All the sudden I had this terrible feeling in my stomach. You know, the one where you want to throw up. I went to another bench in the park, put my bag down, and opened it up. That's when I realized my wallet had indeed been stolen. WHAT??? I just helped some poor man who dropped his keys and somehow the universe repays me with this? I mean, come on!
I don't know quite how it happened, but somehow when he dropped the keys in front of me, he had lifted my wallet! I sat there stunned, I didn't know much about this city, but I was starting not to like it. Luckily, I only had cash in there. All of my valuable documents and credit cards were in my travelers belt safely close to me. But still, I had no money to get back on the train and really no way of communicating my story- after all my Spanish consisted of 'Sí, Hola, No, and Señor y Señora.'
Travel Safety Tips #1: Keep valuable documents either in a money belt or locked in a secure safe back at your hostel or hotel. Never carry them around in your purse or pocket.
Now at that time in Buenos Aires, the banks held crazy hours. By the afternoon, all of them were closed. So I had no way of getting more cash. All I had left was about 20 cents and I needed at least 50 cents to get home.
Travel Safety Tips #2: Keep some money stashed in your bra or if your a guy, your sock or somewhere no one can easily get to it. This Secret Bra Wallet From Compass Rose is ideal! Also, an extra credit card or debit card is always a good idea to keep in your bra or sock.
So what was a girl to do? I went to my Spanish class trying to explain what happened with no luck there. After that I had no choice but to go to the train station and try to figure this out. I walked there head down and defeated, not knowing how I was going to get home. And then, something interesting happened.
Someone's always looking out for you!
I went up to the ticket booth at the train station and tried to explain to the best of my ability what happened. The man in the booth must have taken pity on me because he let me buy a ticket for 20 cents. I felt like the wind shifted and suddenly fate was back on my side!
Now, if you have ever tried to take public transportation in a country where you do not speak the language let alone read it, taking a train or bus can be tricky- each one going in different directions to all sorts of places. Luckily that morning I paid attention to what train I was on. But unluckily that morning I didn't pay attention to the train stop I needed to get off at. So if you are already thinking uh oh, then you probably can guess what happened next!
Travel Safety Tips #3: Always, ALWAYS make a mental note if not an actual note of where you get on and off the train, bus or subway. Carry a travel notebook with you at all times! Make note of the cross streets, the store on the corner, or take a picture to reference later!
Yep, I totally missed my stop! It wasn't until 3 stops later that I realized I missed it too! I was so frustrated with myself, not to mention scared. At the time, public transit in Buenos Aires had you purchase your ticket according to where you were going. So I had no money now to get another ticket back to my stop. By now you should be thinking to yourself, well how is she going to pull this one off? Throw in some panic and I was right there with you! I literally was in full panic mode, imagination going places it shouldn't be going- to the point where I was surely going to die!
Travel Safety Tips #4: When panic sets in-stay calm and take deep breaths. Take a moment to gather yourself. You will not get anywhere acting in panic mode.
In conclusion
Somehow I pulled myself together, crossed the tracks, and took a deep breath. I had four options- sit there and cry (not really an option), try to walk back to my neighborhood with no map (not a smart option), get on the train without a ticket (really not a good option), or try to explain once again what happened to the guy at the ticket booth and again hope he had pity on me and give me a ticket for free (really the only option there was.) Well that option didn't work. I tried and failed miserably.
Just when I gave up hope, a little grandmother and her granddaughter saw my distress, somehow miraculously understood what happened and bought me a train ticket. Somehow and don't ask me how, she knew exactly where I needed to get off. She didn't speak any English and I didn't speak any Spanish, but again somehow we communicated.
I made it home with one more blunder of missing my stop AGAIN! But this time I recognized the neighborhood and was able to walk home from there. It was almost dark by then and my host sister was worried sick! She made me some Mate and over a Spanish/English dictionary I told my tale of unfortunate yet somehow fortuitous events of the day.
Travel Safety Tips #5: Find a way to comfort yourself at the end of the day. It wasn't your fault, things happen. The way you react to it is what counts!
I know you may be thinking, well this girl totally went out of her way to make all that happen, but no I didn't. I did somethings that I should not have and somethings I have no idea how I did them. But what I do know is I totally learned how to get my wallet stolen. It was a good lesson to learn and I am indeed the better for it! How you may ask? Well I not only learned a big lesson in what not to do, but even more so, I got my first real taste of random acts of kindness from complete strangers who had my best interest at heart.
The other thing I learned from this was, that no matter where I am at in the world. I try to pay those acts of kindness forward.
Travel Safety Tips #6: Practice good karma. Always pay it forward because you never know when you will need help from a stranger.
If you would like to learn more about Travel Safety Tips, check out How to Avoid Theft while Traveling with Travel Fashion Girl. She also has super informative blog posts all about Anti-Theft Products.
To go on a shopping spree around the world from the safety of your own home, check out these fashion finds from Morocco, Bali, Argentina and Japan:
If you would like to learn more about Mariposa Skies' travel tips check out these two blog posts below!
~Local Markets: What to know about local markets worldwide
~What is a Souk? My top 10 tips on how to navigate through the souks
DID YOU LIKE THIS POST? PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PIN THE PICTURE BELOW TO SAVE IT!
I hope you found this post on travel safety tips informative and useful. Please feel free to share it with your friends on Facebook and Pinterest. Thank you for taking the time to read it!