Spring is around the corner and we’re all planning our next vacation. Barcelona? Rome? All you need are your essentials to explore these beautiful cities.
Travelling is a time when people relax, reflect and ponder; they return with a fresh outlook by exploring new places, meeting new people and experiencing new cultures.So, when you’re packing for your next adventure, what are the items you never go without? Your phone and wallet would be the first answer, and you’re right…. without them, we’d be stranded.
Our mobile phones are no longer used only for calling or messaging, we use them to book our tickets, book cabs, get directions in an unfamiliar new place and to check out the best places to eat out at.Popular mobile apps such as PayTM, Uber and MMT enable their users to travel with ease – not only are they global, but they’re customized to suit the needs of their users. And let’s not forget, our debit and credit cards have made travelling easier and safer without the need to carry around large wads of cash.
Beware though, not only are the most popular destinations some of the most beautiful locations on the planet, but they’re also known for their pickpocketing tales:
- Barcelona, Spain – As we get carried away by Barcelona’s jaw dropping architecture, there are children who always have an eye on our pockets. These tiny hands are trained by con artists to reach out for the tourists’ pockets delicately.
- Buenos Aires, Argentina – While we get lost in the Eclectic European architecture and rich cultural life, muggers here have a creative way of pickpocketing. They accidently spill ink on the shirt of tourists and offer “help” to wipe the stains and amid the confusion wallets are flicked.
- Santiago, Chile – Though the view from the hills is mesmerizing, the thieves drive by tourists walking on the streets, snatching their purses and speeding away.
- Lagos, Nigeria – Known for its famous nightlife; arguably the most vibrant on the continent but if you enter a crowded place in Lagos like the market area, as if by magic, your wallet and other valuables suddenly disappear.
- Cape Town, South Africa – Asking for help may not always be helpful. Here, muggers loitering around desolate streets in the dark pretend to help tourists looking for direction and rob them of their valuables.
- Rome, Italy – Rome has created a place for itself in the top tourist destinations mainly because of its ancient roman architecture. Metros and buses are the major modes of transport here. Understanding the transportation of any new place takes time and tourists commuting though metro and buses get robbed by gangs of kids.
- Jungfrau, Switzerland – The cogwheel trainis the only way to get there. The train station is the highest one in Europe. On trains, thieves’ bump into tourists, pick their pockets and jump off the train at the last moment.
Apps such as MMT, Uber, Paytm help us navigate our travel plans easily and quickly. Our mobile phones are with us through our many excursions and discoveries, but without it, we feel like a part of us is missing. And the thought of losing your wallet? It runs a chill down your spine!If a traveler or a tourist falls victim to pickpocketing, the entire trip becomes an unhappy experience. But there are apps and plans such as OneAssist to handle these situations too. From accidental and liquid damage caused to our mobile phones to theft or misuse of our credit and debit cards OneAssist has you covered. Take care of that perfect picture while they take care of your phone and wallet.
By: Mr. Gagan Maini & Mr. Subrat Pani – Co-Founders & Directors, OneAssist.