M11 Silver Stolen in Paris

[SiggiGun]

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My  M11 #5664831 And thé 35Lux Pré-FLE #3906417 has been stolen at Gare de l‘Est  PARIS

thanks for any information 

[mumu]

vor 6 Minuten schrieb SiggiGun:

My  M11 #5664831 And thé 35Lux Pré-FLE #3906417 has been stolen at Gare de l‘Est  PARIS

thanks for any information 

Please inform Leica Wetzlar and transfer S/N to Leica as well.

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[LocalHero1953]

28 minutes ago, SiggiGun said:

My  M11 #5664831 And thé 35Lux Pré-FLE #3906417 has been stolen at Gare de l‘Est  PARIS

thanks for any information 

Sorry to hear that.

How did it happen? (I pass through the Gare de l'Est and Gare du Nord quite frequently).

[SiggiGun]

vor 38 Minuten schrieb mumu:

Please inform Leica Wetzlar and transfer S/N to Leica as well.

Yes, I will. I informed Leica in Paris. They will  inform very Leica store and Wetzlar. Thanks

[SiggiGun]

vor 17 Minuten schrieb LocalHero1953:

Sorry to hear that.

How did it happen? (I pass through the Gare de l'Est and Gare du Nord quite frequently).

In a train , just 5 sec. Before the doors closed

[mumu]

😢

[LocalHero1953]

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4 minutes ago, SiggiGun said:

In a train , just 5 sec. Before the doors closed

That's unpleasant.

Someone grabbed it from you? Opened your bag without you noticing? Or had you put it on the seat beside you?

I can understand that you might not want to discuss it if it has just happened, but these things are helpful for the rest of us to learn from. Please tell us later if you would rather not tell us now.

Edited July 22, 2023 by LocalHero1953

[SiggiGun]

vor 14 Minuten schrieb LocalHero1953:

That's unpleasant.

Someone grabbed it from you? Opened your bag without you noticing? Or had you put it on the seat beside you?

I can understand that you might not want to discuss it if it has just happened, but these things are helpful for the rest of us to learn from. Please tell us later if you would rather not tell us now.

Just before departure, many people were busy putting their bags and suitcases down. My bag was right above me. Then there was crowding next to me because of the many people. At that moment, I didn't watch my bag for 30 seconds. When I looked up again, the bag was still there, but not exactly in the same place. When I opened it, I immediately saw that the camera was missing. Also, the cash in my wallet was gone.... People saw the scene but thought the bag belonged to the thief.... And not mine. Only later did they realise that something was wrong.

Bad day! 
 

thanks for your compassion 

[RMF]

Sorry to hear this happened. Sounds like they were pretty fast if they opened the bag, grabbed your M11, and separated the cash from the wallet.  The bag was in the overhead rack?

 

[SiggiGun]

vor 1 Stunde schrieb RMF:

Sorry to hear this happened. Sounds like they were pretty fast if they opened the bag, grabbed your M11, and separated the cash from the wallet.  The bag was in the overhead rack?

 

Yes, extremely pretty professional in a certain sens. I turned my eyes for 30’’ and it was done. 

[Robert Blanko]

Sorry to hear this happened and I hope you have an insurance for the camera and lens.

That's a "classic" pattern for thieves to leverage busy moments in public transportation and it is actually very easy to grab a foreign bag without other people intervening.

Some years ago I experienced a very audacious attempt to steal my hand luggage suitcase: I was sitting in the waiting area for boarding at Berlin airport (Tegel at that time) checking e-mails on my laptop. Boarding for another flight startet. The guy who was sitting two seats next to me simply took my suitcase as if it was his suitcase and started walking for boarding. After a few meters I intervened and he pretended that he mixed up suitcases. I was very perplex at this moment and let him go - realizing afterwards that he did not have any suitcase at all but just his backpack. Retrospectively, I should handed him over to the police immediately.

[jigesh]

Sorry for your loss.

I had something similar happen to me in the Netherlands 3-years ago traveling from Enschede to Amsterdam Schiphol by an NS Intercity train. Right before another train station (Deventer), someone dropped a book in my lap; I handed it over back to him. 10 seconds later, it occurred to me that dropping a book could be a distraction attempt. And it was. My laptop +laptop bag (that has my passport in it) from the baggage shelf were gone, which were there a minute ago since I had just removed my cell phone from the laptop bag. It wasn't even crowded and still nobody saw anyone taking my bags.

Happened to be a long holiday weekend for the US embassy that week, so a very extended and stressful stay for me since couldn't return home without passport in my next day's flight. Fortunately had my wallet and cell phone with me; and Amsterdam is not a bad city to get stuck, got to learn about all the Dutch Masters and their art while waiting for passport stuff sorted out 🙂 

Police report + NS train missing baggage claim were filed but unable to get anything back. Coincidently, the police were not surprised at all; and there were 7 more people like me at the US embassy whose stuff got stolen and lost passports. Apparently it's not so uncommon. Taught me many lessons.

Edited July 23, 2023 by jigesh

[Eclectic Man]

Unfortunately professional thieves target high-value, small items they can get away with quickly.  I believe that the Paris Metro was particularly bad for gangs of small children surrounding tourists and rifling their pockets and bags.  It seems that the only protective measures are either avoidance or constant vigilance.  But avoiding flashing valuables like Leicas, Rolexes* etc. in crowded public places can help.  Your Leica could be on its way to the Far East or Asia for re-sale, to avoid anyone in Europe or America inconveniently checking the serial numbers.

My sympathies.

*Wristwatches can be quite easily ripped off your wrist, however chunky the bracelet, the pins holding the watch to the strap are quite weak.  This is a technique in use all over the world, and the mountaineer Joe Simpson writes about how it happened to him in South America.

[Kiwimac]

Thieves are good at what they do.

 

I was travelling on a sleeper train from Rajasthan to Calcutta once and had a Nikon D3s and the attached lens stoled from a camera bag on which my feet were resting as I slept!

I was not bothered much about the camera - it was insured and I had a spare in another bag - but I was annoyed that the memory card was taken as there were some images I had not had an opportunity to download on it.

[Kiwimac]

On 7/25/2023 at 5:28 AM, Eclectic Man said:

Unfortunately professional thieves target high-value, small items they can get away with quickly.  I believe that the Paris Metro was particularly bad for gangs of small children surrounding tourists and rifling their pockets and bags.  It seems that the only protective measures are either avoidance or constant vigilance.  But avoiding flashing valuables like Leicas, Rolexes* etc. in crowded public places can help.  Your Leica could be on its way to the Far East or Asia for re-sale, to avoid anyone in Europe or America inconveniently checking the serial numbers.

My sympathies.

*Wristwatches can be quite easily ripped off your wrist, however chunky the bracelet, the pins holding the watch to the strap are quite weak.  This is a technique in use all over the world, and the mountaineer Joe Simpson writes about how it happened to him in South America.

I have several desirable watches which I never wear when travelling. I have a cheap Casio G Shock which goes on all my trips.

As an advantage, it has radio signal time keeping which does not work in the Southern Hemisphere as there are no signals down here, so if I go back to Europe etc it gets set accurately!

[rtai]

I begged my colleague from China not to put all his cash (3000 Euro) in his wallet and wear it in his back pocket. He said he didn’t want to leave it in the hotel room for security reasons. I said at least prepay the hotel bill first. He wouldn’t listen. Guess what happened. Less than 15 minutes on the Paris subway…poof. No more wallet.

[overexposed]

1 hour ago, rtai said:

I begged my colleague from China not to put all his cash (3000 Euro) in his wallet and wear it in his back pocket. He said he didn’t want to leave it in the hotel room for security reasons. I said at least prepay the hotel bill first. He wouldn’t listen. Guess what happened. Less than 15 minutes on the Paris subway…poof. No more wallet.

those who wont listen, have to feel

[jaapv]

In an airport waiting area I always have the strap of my bag around my ankle or wrist. 

[Jeff S]

7 hours ago, rtai said:

I begged my colleague from China not to put all his cash (3000 Euro) in his wallet and wear it in his back pocket. He said he didn’t want to leave it in the hotel room for security reasons. I said at least prepay the hotel bill first. He wouldn’t listen. Guess what happened. Less than 15 minutes on the Paris subway…poof. No more wallet.

I wear a money belt, under my pants and accessible at waist.  Never had a problem.  Thanks, Rick Steves.

Jeff

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Hallo,

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[Kiwimac]

I don't travel with cash - or at least not much of it - these days. Who still uses cash anyway? I cannot actually recall the last time I used cash to buy anything.