[No Name]

Travelled Eurostar London to Brussels on 29 April and on arrival discovered that two change purses (w cash/credit/debit cards) had been deftly removed from a coat pocket during journey. When reported to British Transport Police they say they can’t take it any further as apparently there is no CCTV on Eurostar trains. This also despite good description/seat location of possible suspects. Caveat Viator.

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LetsGoOutside

[LuganoPirate]

Not only Eurostar. This happens on Dutch, German and Italian trains, and I’m sure many others as well. The most common way the pickpockets work is when people hang their jackets on the hook, wallet in inside pocket, and are either distracted by working/talking or sleeping.

[No Name]

What is surprising is that there seems to be no police folow-up available nor any oversight from Eurostar. If this happens to you, you are on your own.

[SwissExPat]

When I travel on Swiss Trains, I now use a small combination lock with it’s own 1 metre wire to secure my baggage in the baggage racks. This was cause by 4 thefts from my luggage on SBB trains over the years. Reporting to police was a waste of time despite the trains being fitted with CCTV.

I even had a push bike (locked) stolen from outside a busy Co-Op supermarket directly under a CCTV camera and on reporting this to the Swiss Police and showing my own photos of the location and CCTV camera location, they were not in any way interested. All they asked was for my name, address and name of my insurance company for their paperwork.

Agree with INFO, you are really on your own.

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Frederic, Linyilee

[canucklad]

Thanks for bringing this up info
With the continuing loosening of border checks within the EU it’s a timely reminder to us all to be more vigilant.

I suspect that British Transport Police are probably happier to hope the problem goes away rather than getting ensnared in the bureaucracy of arresting and dealing with foreign criminals , often working as part of an organised gang.

I’d like to think that things have changed, but back in the day (90’s) the overnight TGV’s were plagued with pickpockets and bag burglars.
Gangs of criminals targeting the vulnerable, stupid and drunk
When it happened to me the Nice Gendarmeries were polite but ultimately took a very dismissive approach to the whole thing.

I’ve mentioned this in the past, but worth saying again.
Another place where we relax, even more so than on a train is airside after we pass security. Thanks to Ryanair and It’s fellow LCC’s, well dressed criminal gangs can fly in from Madrid , wander the terminal and pillage passengers who’ve naturally let their down before heading home. Alicante being a prime target , but not exclusively so !!

I suppose it’s the price we have to pay for enjoying a bit of greater freedom.

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Jacob, DerekVH

[capetonianm]

I suppose it’s the price we have to pay for enjoying a bit of greater freedom.

I blame it on Schengen, freedom of movement for all and sundry, criminals included, and consequent risk. I’d happily give up the ‘freedom’ in exchange for greater security.

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DNAdams

[GivingupBA]

[quote quote=933664]I’d like to think that things have changed…..

Another place where we relax, even more so than on a train is airside after we pass security….[/quote]

I wish, but sadly things have not changed and I think will never change – travellers are a great target: loads of cards, cash, passports, valuable possessions. And sometimes a lack of vigilance, I believe.

Thanks for the tip about “airside after we pass security” – I think that’s a very good point. People including me might relax their vigilance there even more?

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Jacob, DerekVH

[CathayLoyalist2]

Well as I believe an American Secretary of State commented “If you give up freedom for more security you end up with neither”

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Montysaurus

[No Name]

Another curious aspect of this Eurostar incident was that I spent forty minutes on the phone from Brussels reporting it to British Transport Police and giving detailed information, only to be told the next day they could not take matters any further as Eurostar is not equipped with CCTV. This seems to be something they might (more efficiently for both of us) have told me when I called.

[Author]

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