Thieves seem to operate with apparent impunity in the Prague Main Train Station.
My laptop was stolen and the porter on the train told me "It happens every day".
So...why isn't the Government or the Police doing something about this situation.
If you are travelling in Prague, especially by train, and carrying a laptop....BEWARE...you are a target.
Reply to this Hello Michael 😊
People should beware of the taxi drivers in Prague too. I have heard a few complaints about over charging.
Mel
Reply to this This happens in a lot of European capitals.
Bags get stolen and people get pickpocketed daily on the metro in Madrid.
Reply to this I got accosted in a Prague metro..they stood in front of me and demanded my ticket and they chased me around the transfer area between 2 stations for my laptop and camera so I ran down the escalators along the platform and out another way..really scary. No one bothered to intervene sadly despite my shouting...lesson learned..dont carry laptops.
Reply to this Um no Mell..there were 3 of them. 10pm at nite....not deserted either. I generally dont attract trouble being 6 foot plus. Even now it makes me shudder..it was not pleasant. I have been to 30 plus countries and this was the worst incident thankfully.
At my hotel out from Anna Pavlova station some just arrived tourists had bags stolen from their parked car..I heard ther screams and chased the offender but it got away...later on I went looking for their bags and found various items..got a big Russian hug from the mother! least she asked first if it was okay. :>)
Reply to this "lesson learned..dont carry laptops."
I would say "do not go to Prague". The city is nice, but one really needs to have a guard with you. They rob you everywhere. If they see you are not czech, they steal your stuff in restaurants (happened to my friend), they rob you in the prague metro (happened to me). 3 russian looking guys surrounded me and grabbed my camera. nobody cared to help despite my calling for help!! when i talked to police, they did nothing. they told me it happens every day.
prague never more! i do not recommend it to anyone.
Reply to this You could just not go to big cities. Obviously wherever there are a lot of people, such crime happens every day, and the police really can't do much since they will have had no way of telling whether the "3 russian looking guys" had got to by the time you came to them.
Also, it has nothing to do with being foreign. Petty crime is an issue here, it happens to everyone and has happened to my czech friends in their hometowns as well. Meanwhile I've lived in Prague for one and a half months now, have never had any trouble or ever felt the need to "carry a guard", and everyone clearly knows I'm not czech since I get spoken to all the time in English and German.
I have been robbed more times than you can count on both hands in my home city (London) but would never dissuade someone from going there. Letting your bad experiences win is a very effective way to suck all the enjoyment out of travelling.
Reply to this A lot of petty crime happens in Dublin where I lived before I moved to Germany. There is not so much of it in Munich where I live now. I think it may be something to do with how wealthy or not places are.
In Dublin tourists are sometimes targeted just because they dont know as well as the locals which areas are the ones to be careful in, and they display all their valuables and foreigness like a beacon to the thieves.
I suggest that in certain cities that people should keep things like laps tops, cameras, purses.... out of sight most of the time.
One time I was in one of the roughest parts of Dublin and saw a backpacker lying on a patch of grass beside one of Dublins roughest housing, with his camera around his neck and his day pack under his head. I am no thief, but if I was I would easily be able to spot that this guy does not know the area and maybe encourage him to come with me down an alley to be robbed..... So, try to not look like too much of a stranger in cities if you can......
Reply to this I have been robbed more times than you can count on both hands in my home city (London) but would never dissuade someone from going there.
I wouldnt dissuade anyone from going to Prague either. It is a lovely city. I have been there twice. Once in 1989 and again a few years ago.
I think the police in Prague may be more annoying than the thieves. Foreigners are supposed to carry passports all the time and if you dont have it and the police ask for it they will hassle them.
Reply to this This can happen in any large city. I have a trip to Prague last summer, only pleasant memories. The friendly people, excellent service. When stopped in
, even left in the room in full view of valuables - all remained intact. Security service hotel at the highest level. So don't say that everything is so bad in Prague. Reply to this Its because Czech Republic is pretty much owned by Russian Maffia, and they have the police in their back pockets. So I believe Prague is actually more dangerous than a lot of other cities, although I'm not naive to the fact that there is crime everywhere...Czech Republic is pretty corrupt.
Reply to this Having been in Prague a couple of time, I wouldnt say it is dangerous. What I would beware of there are the taxi drivers. They are certainly corrupt, or dishonest at least.
Mel
Reply to this Hmm mildly alarmed now lol I'm going there in March!
Reply to this Dont worry too much Petra 😊 I have been in Prague twice. It is not that bad. As well as that the theft happened at the train station, and train stations generally have more thieves than other parts of cities.
Reply to this To warp some context around this I would still go back to Prague..it is lovely place. I would just avoid metro at night, hide my camera and not take laptop. Just be more aware of personal safety thats all.
By way of another example tho a tourist staying at the place I stayed near Anna Pavlova had their bags stolen from their car while they ducked inside to unload. I chased the offender and then later went looking in the nearby park and found most of the stuff except cellphone. I got a hug from the Russian family..after asking permission to celebrate that way!
Reply to this Prague is safe. Pickpockets yes, violent crime low, Russian Mafia does not rule this town. I am an American who lives here for past 7 months.
Reply to this Having now visited the city, I have to say I felt very safe there. The taxi drivers always took the most direct route and the charges were reasonable although it's cheaper to get the bus than the taxi from the airport (those are very expensive). All the train station was fine - I went from there to Dresden (a two hour journey) which I would especially recommend. The countryside is very beautiful and worth it for that reason alone.
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