Paris is beautiful, but not worth the anxiety. and other Paris, France Warning Or Danger Tips

I visited Paris March 2008
Pickpocketing is rampant in Paris. I disagree that this happens in every big city. Paris is more like a third world country when it comes to petty thevery.
I never felt safe going to the major landmarks. I wish someone had warned us before our trip.
or that I had read virtual tourist tips before my trip.
After reading these tips I realize that we were very lucky not to lose anything. In one week we were about to be pickpocketed or robbed 5 times and begged constantly.

1. At Louvre by young Africans asking for signature to help Ivory Coast in Africa.They asked for a 2 euro donation. We stopped, they surrounded us. They work in groups. So never stop! I thought they will rob us. My teenage daughter feeling sorry for the plight in Africa gives them a large bill. They are surprised by the bill and let us go. They ruined our day because they left
us nervous.

2. Same day at Jardin de Tuilleries a young attractive girl, she was carrying no bag just walking, reaches down in front of me to the ground and produces a large golden ring and asks me in Englih .. Is it gold?I shrugged my shoulders and kept walking. Had I stopeed
other girls will come and surround us as they also work in groups.

3. Same day at Champs Elysee. two young Africans with notebooks in hand, similar to the ones at Louvre were on the sidewalk at the entrance of the metro. I thought they might
be pretending to talk carelessly but that they actually were checking out people entering the metro. I was right! After buying our metro tickets they waltz in and walking to the platform I noticed one of them was looking at me with his peripheral vistion. I turned around.

4. Next day as I was going through the turstiles in the metro Opera station, a good looking young French in front of me says politely"pardon" as if he changes his mind about something and gets out of the turstiles. I was next in the turnstiles. I thought it was odd. he left, but then I saw him right next to me at the platform staring at me. Why would a handsome young man stare at a middle age woman?

5. On the RER to Rennes when the train is about to leave. A young woman come to me to sign a form but there were passengers behind her so she had to move forward.
Had no one been behind her she would have snatched my bag from my lap and run out just before the door closes. Our sits were the closest to the doors.

Aside from these petty thieves you also get robbed by unscropoulus waiters and Taxi drivers.
At Cafe Flore (to the right of Deux Maggot) I was over charged by a lot, by a waiter. I was jetlag , tired, and didn't realized what he did until I walked out. I didn't want to go back and
argue for money. let him keep it. he thinks he was so smart and that we are stupid tourist.
Who is stupid? They are bringing their beautiful city down.

The thing is that I dress conservative, I don't wear jewelry. I speak French and my physionomy could be from any part of the world. So to those people who claim that people
get targeted because they act like tourists I disagree. How is a tourist supposed to act anyway??
A first time visitor to any major city can not help take pictures of the city landmarks.
A visitor not familiar with the road can not help to look at maps. I avoided looking at maps in public, but they knew I was a tourist..

A Parician or even a frequent Paris visitor does not need to go to the touristy areas thus they may think that they are acting "the right way" they are just out of harm.
Once I got out of the "touristy areas" and out of the metro I felt safer too.

If money is no object, take a taxi whenever you can. Do not take the metro. If you go to department stores take a taxi as soon as you exit them with your shopping bags.
If you must take the metro never carry valuables in your bag. Just carry enough money to buy tickets and to buy a snack or lunch everything else carry on you, under your cloths. Go to a bathroom to make withdrawals from your hidden neck wallet. Just use a lot of common sense and listen to your gut instincts.

I have lived in New York, and Tokyo. I concider myself a city person. This is why I intuitively did all the right things and salvaged my short vacation. I never felt in these cities like I felt in Paris.
I used the subway in these cities on a daily basis.
Why are all these people begging in France?
When I got back home I started reading about pickpockets in Paris. I thought that I had an unique experience, but after reading all these tips, I realize it is rampant, non discriminatory.

I think that North America with all its problem is a far better place to live than Europe. I didn't know that there are millions of gypsies in the United States. I've never seen one begging in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami nor Dallas. In neighboring Canada I have never
seen any gypsy begging in Toronto. Why do they beg in France? Isn't this the land of "Liberte,
Legalite Fraternite"?

In Japan after the bubble ecomy bursted there were a lot of people left homeless. They don't beg. and they don't resort to thevery. The Mexican in California cross illigally the border.
They do all type of menial labor they work hard with low paying wages. They don't beg.

Paris is beautiful yes, from far away. It is not worth all the anxiety.

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