Beware - of Robbers - stick to one or two suitcases per person

 

Wheel on bag, in distinctive colours. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Don't carry more then two suitcases or bags per person. and only items you can wheel or carry easily. 

A popular route by train from the UK to Europe involves changing trains in Paris. In France, Gare du Nord, like many stations in France and other countries, is notorious for robberies. Whole gangs come over from other countries, on the lookout for suitcases to take. 

If you have three suitcases, somebody can grab one of them. They don't even have to run. They can just casually stroll away with one of your cases. Then you have to chase after them holding the other two heavy bags.

Of course, they throw their bag to a friend in a waiting taxi. The police arrest them, but they have no oods on them. Even if they are released on bail, they are soon back and at it again.

One man has a hobby of catching pickpockets. He does a citizens arrest. I think he calls on the victim or passers by to assist and gather round and take photos, or they just join in indignantly. 

What if the thief claims the suitcase is theirs?

You could prove its yours, if you have a photo of yourself wearing items in the suitcase. with the suitcase at your previous stop, items with your name labels sewn in.

I go for suitcases in distinctive colours. During the 9/11 USA crisis, we had a bomb scare on our plane at Singapore airport. The luggage was offloaded onto the tarmac. We had to locate our black bags in what looked like a model village of identical black suitcases.

The colour is also useful, to identify your luggage at an airport. We could not find out suitcase on the carousel. Then I saw mine had been offloaded in the distance beyond the next carousel, If it had been black I would not have noticed it nor realised where it was.

Other people recommend travelling in plain grey or black clothes with plain or black suitcases so as not to attract attention. I disagree. Now you know both sides of the story and can decide what is best for you.

Happy, safe, secure travelling. May you and your suitcases, cars, wallets, purses and bags all arrive safely.