Polish Housewife

Polish recipes served up with tidbits of folklore, customs, and history

Pickpockets in Krakow

by 13 Comments

Before I tell this tale, let me say that Poland is one of the safest countires you can visit according the US State Department and my own experience. I felt safer walking the steets of Poznan than I do in my hometown in Arizona. That being said, I was unlucky enough to cross paths with pickpockets in Krakow.
We had friends visiting from Arizona and were very happy to be showing them around Poland. They wanted to visit Kraków; doesn’t everyone? This was my third visit to Poland’s most popular tourist destination, and I came home without my wallet. While Kraków has it’s attributes, I’ve always felt that Poznań (our home away from home) had just as much to offer. I’ll be preaching that with even more conviction now because, my friends, there are pickpockets in Krakow.

pickpockets in krakow

After cancelling my debit/credit cards from our bank at home as well as our Polish bank, and picking up forms this morning to replace my resident permit and my tram pass, the American Consulate in K-town called. “Someone who didn’t wish to identify himself,” turned in my wallet, which no longer contained złoty, euro, and dollars, but thankfully, everything else seems to be there. It had been found in a trash can.
I just saw a post on Trip Advisor about a woman who chased off a group of four men trying to take another woman’s wallet. Our friend thinks this might be what happened to me. He remembers a group of four or five young men lingering behind us while we visited a vendor in the Old Square that just seemed out of place to him. (I’d like to make it very clear that my wallet was in my purse which was on my shoulder; it’s not like I sat it on a bench and walked away to take photos. My three traveling companions were just as shocked as I was.) I also remember someone bumping into me as we walked from one part of the square to another. It stuck in my mind because he said “sorry” not przepraszam (the difficult to pronouce Polish equilavent). Maybe this is when it happened.

Even though the thieves were only interested in cash, they were professionals, very smooth. I’m surprised that the police don’t do more to protect tourists and to keep the city high on the popularity chart, but during my Euro volunteer training, I learned that police activity here is different than what I’m used to. It seems to generally be much too passive and occasionally much too brutal. If I can now spot the tram police before they pull out their credentials, you’d think law enforcement officers could spot a team of pickpockets.

I’m sure Poland is no more prone to pickpockets that any other place, but remember when you’re in crowded touristy places in the big cities to take extra care. Our dentist lost his wallet to a pickpocket in the Warsaw train station, and looking back he said that he’s knows exactly when it happened. There may be pickpockets in Krakow and Warsaw, but I’ve been fortunate enough to miss them in places like New York City.

Where ever you’re headed, take good care!

Lois

 

PS – last year, I registered online with the US Embassy in Warsaw.  I get emails about security concerns, and it made my contact information available to the workers at the consulate.  Apparently, the contact information I supplied with my resident card application isn’t available to them.  So if you’re living or spending extended time abroad, be sure to register with your embassy!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Kasia

    I am sorry that it happened to you, but glad that you got your documents back. Unfortunately I don't have many positive things to say about our sheriff's department. 20 days after my accident, and they still have not produced their report. Not to mention that they told me that since my car was hit in a different county, I needed to report it with my dps. The dps in my county said that

    Reply

  3. Lois B

    Lori – thanks, yeah, I guess it can happen anywhere.

    Kasia – thanks, what a frustrating experience with your accident. I'd like to know what they could investigate if you hadn't tracked the guy down.

    Reply

  4. tralf

    I'm so glad you got your documents back. Bad enough to lose your money, but what a nightmare to have to deal with the paperwork of replacing government forms.

    Reply

  6. Lois B

    Tralf – thanks, mum.

    Chris – I remember reading about you getting mugged, but your shoe?! What do you think? Foot fetish? He'd been watching too many of those weird American shows on Plish TLC.

    Reply

  7. Hanna

    Oh wow, I know the rules: not to leave your handbag open, keep your purse inside the zipped pockets, never have your keys and address together, etc. but I never really think about it anymore, not that I don't live in Poland. They were really smooth – to steal a wallet out of the bag on somebody's arm, you have to be a professional.

    My bag was stolen once out of the bridal shop

    Reply

  10. BONNIE

    My travel purse has steel wires inside the straps so it would be difficult for someone to cut through them. Also I wear a cross body type purse. Passport ,cr. cards, cash etc.. are in a pouch inside my shirt…just some
    “small” money I need on the street is in my purse. If I need more, I slip into a rest room to get more from the neck pouch. Been doing this for 20 years…so far so good.

    Reply

  11. Y.U

    Sorry to hear your story. I also should have read your sharing before my trip…

    My parents’ and my wallets were stolen in Warsaw this week on the bus and no one helped us when we try so hard to find our wallets. All cards, cash for the Whole journey and IDs gone (my wallet also has an important meaning to me and not in manufactured)!
    In the police station, the policemen were not helpful… I used to like Poland as a the culture. Yet, Our trip and the impression towards this countries are completely ruined.
    Luckily, some changes left in our pickets, so we could rush to airport and back to our countries.
    So, we were extremely disappointed and upset with Poland and the citizens. I am 100% sure will never ever back to Poland for either leisure or business as some awful people, and tell all my acquaintances that DO NOT go to Poland if without high intension.

    Reply

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