When my teenage daughter and I were in the Netherlands and Belgium last summer,
we happened across this screaming, lit-up billboard right outside Utrecht's train station & mall.
Honestly, in what's now seven trips to Europe, I've never seen such a sight...

a stark warning to visitors that pickpockets are on the loose and to be careful.

While no doubt this issue has always been a problem,
perhaps now countries are making sure visitors don't end up having a bad experience
and hence scare off additional tourism dollars. Can't say I blame them.
After we've lived through 3 years of COVID and economies struggling to stay afloat,
I think every entity is doing everything possible to stay viable. 

Despite this warning, I'm glad to report that pickpockets were one thing
we had no trouble avoiding during our journey.  We're just not the 'low-hanging fruit'...

• We don't put anything of value in our tote bags.
• We don't carry purses.
• We wear our essentials items discreetly on our bodies with PortaPocket.
• We are not flashy (no pricey jewelry, nor fancy clothing).
• We walk with determination and purpose (not staring at maps on the street corners)

And we always travel light (no checked bags. Ever).
It's just easier to be nimble and with fewer distractions so as
to be more aware of what's going on around us.

Please be safe out there!