Here's a bit of a rant, but also more of a public safety notice:
I was in Lausanne Gare today, with a rucksack and suitcase- all geared up for hiking in the mountains. Bought the ticket from the machine, bought some snacks from the boulangerie, and went off to the platform and found a quiet spot (I usually locate some place without people as I am generally wary of pickpockets).
Train arrives in a minute and there are many alighting. Remembering a thread here not so long ago, I patiently wait by the steps (although, with the benefit of hindsight), I remember feeling some people pressing from behind.
I climbed up (old train), found a nice seat- but wasn't certain if there is a luggage rack. So, I took my rucksack and walked down the aisle and found nothing. When I made myself comfortable in my seat, I noticed that my rucksack's zip was open. Frantically looked inside and looked around- but wallet/purse had disappeared.
I asked this woman (well dressed, reeking of perfume) on the parallel seat (the one who I remember as one of those pushing me) whether she saw anything (in English) and she was like "Pardon?". I tried in French and she couldn't reply.
Got off (case and all) and asked a man who had been waiting on the platform and he said that he didn't see anything as he was on his phone. Long and short, lost my wallet having all cards (credit x 2, debit, savings account cards, health insurance, id x 2, residence permit, loyalty cards, a good amount of cash, train ticket, and some little items that are personally super important. And also had to cancel my hotel room- and instead of the Matterhorn, I will be hiking around Lausanne organising all these cards and trying to figure out whether my losses can be covered (which I have asked separately elsewhere)!
The weird thing is that I am usually so aware of my surroundings, but I suppose that hunger and the heat made me rather complacent. Thus, informing all of my fellow EF-ers to be extra careful in Switzerland.
I watched these videos by Lausanne Police on how thieves operate. Some of the sites in the videos are places I frequent and would never consider unsafe (e.g. Globus, Portes St-Francois):
http://ift.tt/1hm5mme
Lausannoises might recognise these places.
Thieves and Lausanne Train Station
I was in Lausanne Gare today, with a rucksack and suitcase- all geared up for hiking in the mountains. Bought the ticket from the machine, bought some snacks from the boulangerie, and went off to the platform and found a quiet spot (I usually locate some place without people as I am generally wary of pickpockets).
Train arrives in a minute and there are many alighting. Remembering a thread here not so long ago, I patiently wait by the steps (although, with the benefit of hindsight), I remember feeling some people pressing from behind.
I climbed up (old train), found a nice seat- but wasn't certain if there is a luggage rack. So, I took my rucksack and walked down the aisle and found nothing. When I made myself comfortable in my seat, I noticed that my rucksack's zip was open. Frantically looked inside and looked around- but wallet/purse had disappeared.
I asked this woman (well dressed, reeking of perfume) on the parallel seat (the one who I remember as one of those pushing me) whether she saw anything (in English) and she was like "Pardon?". I tried in French and she couldn't reply.
Got off (case and all) and asked a man who had been waiting on the platform and he said that he didn't see anything as he was on his phone. Long and short, lost my wallet having all cards (credit x 2, debit, savings account cards, health insurance, id x 2, residence permit, loyalty cards, a good amount of cash, train ticket, and some little items that are personally super important. And also had to cancel my hotel room- and instead of the Matterhorn, I will be hiking around Lausanne organising all these cards and trying to figure out whether my losses can be covered (which I have asked separately elsewhere)!
The weird thing is that I am usually so aware of my surroundings, but I suppose that hunger and the heat made me rather complacent. Thus, informing all of my fellow EF-ers to be extra careful in Switzerland.
I watched these videos by Lausanne Police on how thieves operate. Some of the sites in the videos are places I frequent and would never consider unsafe (e.g. Globus, Portes St-Francois):
http://ift.tt/1hm5mme
Lausannoises might recognise these places.
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