Tourists as Victims: Get Street Smart before Going to Europe

Let’s face it, tourists stick out wherever they are.  They make the easiest victims because they won’t fight back.  Even those who normally carry guns realize that gun laws are different from state to state in the US.  It’s even worse in Europe where universal anti-gun laws mean that criminals with weapons can be guaranteed that victims won’t do much in defense.  Makes it easy.

      Even so, there’s a higher universal law that people have a right to defend themselves and their families no matter what.  If you don’t believe this, then just consider yourself lucky, because you’re simply a victim waiting to happen.  Self-defense is built into all creation for a reason.  Yes, it’s natural.  You do what you have to.

     But let’s say that it’s not just murder and rape that you have to worry about.  Pickpockets are the most ubiquitous across Europe.  Gypsies, youth, and pretty girls are often sent out by “pimps” to find easy targets.  Big cities like Paris have plenty.  After all, tourists like to hang out where all the people are.

      Becoming a victim isn’t well-advertised in tourist brochures.  Nor do people like to talk about being a victim when they discuss their vacations with family and friends.  Makes them look inept.  Most people aren’t street smart even at home.  Routine lives spent in secure neighborhoods and gated communities don’t help a bit.  There’s a pervasive social pressure coming through mainstream media and churches to “look for the best” in everyone.

      The Internet is still a good first step in getting more savvy about the problems with pickpockets and other scoundrels abroad.