Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
lar) have longlines inwhich passholders wait needlessly.At afew sights (including
theLouvre,Sainte-Chapelle,Notre-DameTower,andChâteaudeVersailles),every-
one has to shuffle through the slow-moving baggage-check lines for security—but
you still save time by avoiding the ticket line.
In general, it's smart to wear a money belt, put your wallet in your front pocket,
loop your day bag over your shoulders, and keep a tight hold on your purse or shop-
pingbag.Muggingsarerare,buttheydooccur.Ifyou'reoutlate,avoidthedarkriver-
front embankments and any place where the lighting is dim and pedestrian activity is
minimal.
Paris has taken action to combat crime by stationing police at monuments, on
streets,andontheMétro,aswellasinstallingsecuritycamerasatkeysights.You'llgo
through quick and reassuring airport-like security checks at many major attractions.
ATM Alert: Whenwithdrawingmoneyfromacashmachine,useyourhandtoshieldyour
PIN number from prying eyes. Don't engage with anyone who offers to “help” you
use an ATM (which works just like ours do) or warns you that it isn't working prop-
erly. If that happens, cancel your operation and find a different machine.
Tourist Scams: Beawareofthelatestscams,includingthesecurrentfavorites.The“found
ring” scam involves an innocent-looking person who picks up a ring off the ground
and asks if you dropped it. When you say no, the person examines the ring more
closely, then shows you a mark “proving” that it's pure gold. He offers to sell it to
you for a good price—several times more than he paid for it before dropping it on the
sidewalk.
In the “friendship bracelet” scam, a vendor approaches you and asks if you'll help
him with a demonstration. He proceeds to make a friendship bracelet right on your
arm. When finished, he asks you to pay for the bracelet he created just for you. And
since you can't easily take it off on the spot, he counts on your feeling obliged to pay
up.
Distractions by a stranger—often a “salesman,” someone asking you to sign a peti-
tion, or someone posing as a deaf person to show you a small note to read—can all be
tricks that function as a smokescreen for theft. As you try to wriggle away from the
pushy stranger, an accomplice picks your pocket.
In popular tourist spots (such as in front of Notre-Dame) young ladies ask if you
speak English, then pretend to beg for money while actually angling to get your wal-
let.
Search WWH ::




Custom Search