Stolen M240 in Barcelona

[menos I M6]

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… Starbucks behind Sagrada Familia and …

 

I have been in that cafe before and reading your sad story I feel gutted.

I have been more careless as you have been in that situation - I feel shocked that it has happened INSIDE the place, as I often pay little attention when feeling a bit more safe sitting inside a coffee shop corner …

 

Another less learned sadly due to your experience.

 

I usually make it a habit to have all gear in the camera bag (mostly a black, simple canvas bag) and sling the bag strap either around a chair or still wear the bag over my shoulder while sitting.

 

This gave me (WRONGLY) a safer feeling than having the bag just sit on the floor or a chair.

 

What makes me feel sad is hearing about violence. Now I am not a small guy but I have learned (in China) that when criminals operate in groups, especially camouflaged as harmless tourists or couples, one can look like Dolph Lundgren and not be safe, as these crooks feel safe among themselves and do use concealed weapons.

 

Be safe out there, limit your gear and always have an eye open - even if all that is surely killing some mojo!

[jaques]

one of the advantages of leica gear is the small(ish) size. A good stategy is to wear the camera on its strap- under your jacket. You can keep spare lenses in your pockets.

 

Tourists the world over are targeted when they carry bags- if you have no bag you look more like a local- or at least like you don't need anything and are not on your way to anywhere in particular... you get left alone a lot more.

 

sorry to hear of the OP's loss- I nearly got robbed when I caught a train into Barcelona- the thief sat in the row behind me- and had an extendable pole with a hook which he used to snag my bag on the rack above my head and slide it back over me towards his seat. I was lucky that I noticed the bag moving out of the corner of my eye- when I saw what was happening I confronted the guy and called him 'Ladron' (thief in Spanish). With raised eyebrows he opened his jacket and revealed a can of mace in an interior pocket... I got the message and shut up and he got off at the next station...

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[paulsydaus]

Leica *really* need to address this by providing a publicly accessible database so people can search for stolen gear before buying second hand. The same thing exists for cars, and some peoples Leica kits easily cost as much as a decent car... The problem isn't going away. Companies are also addressing this with mobile phones. C'mon Leica!

[paulsydaus]

Christ. But you kept your bag right?

 

one of the advantages of leica gear is the small(ish) size. A good stategy is to wear the camera on its strap- under your jacket. You can keep spare lenses in your pockets.

 

Tourists the world over are targeted when they carry bags- if you have no bag you look more like a local- or at least like you don't need anything and are not on your way to anywhere in particular... you get left alone a lot more.

 

sorry to hear of the OP's loss- I nearly got robbed when I caught a train into Barcelona- the thief sat in the row behind me- and had an extendable pole with a hook which he used to snag my bag on the rack above my head and slide it back over me towards his seat. I was lucky that I noticed the bag moving out of the corner of my eye- when I saw what was happening I confronted the guy and called him 'Ladron' (thief in Spanish). With raised eyebrows he opened his jacket and revealed a can of mace in an interior pocket... I got the message and shut up and he got off at the next station...

[Manolo Laguillo]

I'm very sorry for you, TheGodParticle.

Thank you for describing in detail how thieves steal.

That's the way: having always the bag with the strap bandoliere wise, even when sitting in the interior of a cafeteria.

The Sagrada Familia is THE place where most thieves are, no doubt.

 

My bag: the BBB-e. Really small, and doesn´t look as a camera bag

[jaques]

Christ. But you kept your bag right?

 

yeah- I got lucky that time

[tester]

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Please take my advice if you are going to Barcelona:

 

1. Ask google to find most popular scams and thief tricks in Barcelona.

2. Don't trust anyone asking you about direction, offering you anything, catching you to sign a letter, trying to interested you to anything, even if you are witness of accidence (when someone is passing out on the street) be CAREFUL - it can be a scam. Don't trust ANYONE.

3. Avoid Moroccan or Gypsies like a plague

4. Do not loose contact with your belongings for any second

5. Do not use your pockets - use neck pocket

6. If you are using backpack - take if to your front if anyone is nearby

 

I was robbed in Barcelona once, all above statements are from Barcelona police officer.

[Ted Lemon]

Sadly it's not that simple.

 

 

I was well aware of Rome and Barcelona but this was my stupidity/overconfidence. Keep your bag in your lap. Don't even leave your stuff on the table as they will grab it and run away.

 

As somebody already said, they usually operate in groups. So watch out for ... whatever you dan watch out for. This is probably their main preoccupation and being a distracted tourist makes you an easy and lucrative target.

 

Of late, there are reports of physical violence (punches/kicks) around the bylanes of Ramblas so try to travel in numbers

 

On my 5 recent visits to Spain (1 to Ibiza, 3 to Barca and 1 to Catalonia) in the last 3 years I have been violently mugged once (plastic and money) and had attempted muggings on the other 4 occasions. Such a shame as a great place to visit. I travel a lot and live near London so used to urban environments and as said there is no substitute for always having your bag in your lap at cafes etc... In cities I always carry just one M body with lens (in small bag) but when walking around the M body is always in my hand with an A&A wrist strap holding on to it.

[Ted Lemon]

In general Spanish cities including Madrid and Barcelona are very safe places to be, with remarkably low violent and sexual crime rates, so this is not a reason not to visit.

 

 

Don't agree with this 'in general' comment (also what has sexual crime to do with it).

 

I also cannot comment on Madrid but Barcelona has had to set up an english speaking Police call centre just to deal with the amount of crime (including violent) that's going on in that City. I have Spanish friends who live in Barcelona who have been mugged on a number of occasions and had bags snatched on the metro.

 

Listen I am not a paranoid person - at 6 foot 3 inches and well built I am also not an easy target - but I travel a lot and across Europe and in the last five years professional muggings have grown as peoples economics circumstances have changed. A lot of cities I went to have changed from safe for me to 'red alert' - cities like Prague or Krakow.

 

I still have no problem travelling with my Leica kit but better to be very aware of this type of theft than think its a rare event.

[Berlinman]

Thanks for all the answers and comments - still waiting for an answer from my insurance ... some good tips:

- check your insurance !

- be carefull what you take with you (Put the rest in your hotel-safe)

- have a list of your equipment with you incl. serial numbers

 

And: don't stop travelling and making pictures !

[Berlinman]

At that time, I was back in Berlin, but I send a mail with the stuff list and the numbers. So lets see. Thank You !!

[Manolo Laguillo]

Don't dress like a tourist!

 

And avoid the places where tourists go: they are not interesting at all, anyway. You'll see only tourists, it's pure endogamy.

 

And I really can't understand why people visit the Sagrada Familia... it's such an ugly building! (I do live 3 blocks away from it...)

[jaques]

Hola Manolo!

 

well yes- I was surprised when I went there how ugly it was: but that's the thing- there are very few (if any) buildings quite as ambitiously ugly as La Sagrada. Not everyone has one 3 blocks away. It is worth a look if you are passing by.