There are many jobless people from some of the neighboring countries of France who come to Paris to beg and steal. You see them around the tourist areas, train stations, Main avenues especially in Champs Elysees, holding pieces of paper, asking the tourists to sign their names. Then they would ask money from them. If you’re not alert, you would be distracted because they look like angels. Then you lose your belongings.
Even if you go to the police, the police will not help you most especially if you’re Asian. And even if the thieves are caught, the police would let them go in minutes.
This thieves come from countries that are also members of the European Union and because of that, France is being lacks and tolerant of the situation even if their city of Paris is becoming an unsafe city for tourists and Asian residents.
When Edmund and I were resting on one of the benches in front of the LV store in Champs Elysees in November 2013, 2 or 3 girls approached us. Eto namang asawa ko, inilabas yung wallet nya at nagbilang pa dun ng mga bills, kasi he was looking for a small bill. One would not think of the danger kasi nga ang gaganda nung mga batang babae, akala natin hindi gagawa ng masama. When Edmund took out his bills, nakaka-takaw di ba kung merong wallet na puro bills ang laman. One of the girls tried to touch the money, intention nya siguro hahablutin. sinigawan ko at pinalis ko ng mabilis yung kamay nya, nagalit. Pero galit din ako.
Our trade consul in Paris, Vyke Roaring, lost his cellphone just a few weeks after he arrived in Paris. Last night he told me he almost got mugged the other day. He warned me to be careful. Target na daw ngayon ang Asians, kasi siguro alam nila na maraming dalang pocket money ang mga turista lalo na yung mga mainland Chinese.
When my kids and I were in the train station two days ago, there’s a Thai-Chinese guy who also told us to be very careful. He lives in Paris and he told us to watch our bags, wallet. He said everyday there were tourists who lost their money including passports, credit cards. Meron din daw mga naka bicycle hahablutin ang bags. And merong mga hino-holdup sa subway.
Ms. Annie ung Priest din na kasama namin na naka base sa Kuwait nanakawan din sya ng bag sa Eiffel tower binaba lang ung bag then ayun nawala na dala lahat including passport. The worse thing is he can’t go back sa Kuwait kasi ung residency nya na dun sa passport he went straight sa Pinas and waited fro couple of months just to get back.
Rhuth, that’s really sad. We should never put our bag down een one centimeter away lang and e en for a few seconds. We keep it glued to our body.