As one of the three biggest thief capitals in Europe, Paris always makes tourists love and hate.

how bad is the law and order in Paris? What are the modus operandi of thieves in Paris? How to guard against theft in Paris? A casual search on the Internet can find stories of being stolen and robbed in Paris, especially tourists from China, because thieves think that China people not only have money but also like to carry a lot of cash with them, and they will not make a fuss when they are stolen and robbed, so they are fat prey.

Thieves don't target lone tourists or a few emaciated little girls. There are also many news reports about robbing China tour groups. If one person loses, all ten or twenty people will lose. On the subway, Louvre, Charles de Gaulle Airport and other crowded places, you can hear Chinese prompts: Please take care of your belongings and be careful of pickpockets.

The history of robbery in Paris dates back to the 17th century, when Parisians were chasing fashion, but not everyone could afford to buy gorgeous clothes. The high price of clothes led to frequent cases of clothes theft.

the origin of theft: the rich Parisians who love to show off

Parisians at that time were famous for showing off, and whenever they had new clothes, they would go for a walk in places where most people could see them. At that time, the new bridge was a landmark in Paris and the best place for walking. Under normal circumstances, the risk of girls doing this is less than that of boys. Girls are robbed of only a few news at the meeting, and thieves usually take away small items such as handkerchiefs or scarves, but these small items are also very expensive, equivalent to today's Hermes scarves.

men's fashion is a cloak, and nobles have one. From the paintings at the end of the 17th century, it can be seen that a cloak needs several feet of expensive cloth, with delicate tassels on it. When you shake the cloak, you can see the reflection, which produces the effect of the leading actor in the stage play. Cloak can be pulled off easily, so people who steal clothes are also called "wool puller" or "cloak puller"

Newbridge Cloak Thief

With this kind of theft becoming more and more rampant, a word called "filou" was born, which means "a person who steals a cloak at night". Now this word is used to describe people with bad conduct.

Xinqiao is an activity place for cloak thieves, and the phrase "Xinqiao cloak thief" has been widely used. Cloak thieves are also called "the alarm of the new bridge", which means that when you find that your cloak is missing, it means that you are not far from the new bridge. Today, when you find yourself stolen, it means that you have entered downtown Paris.

At night, when the rich people in Paris are near the new bridge, most of them unconsciously take off their cloaks. Unless there are bodyguards around them, the rich people in Paris even hire bodyguards to protect their cloaks.

if you steal, you need to sell the stolen goods. At that time, there were many second-hand clothes shops near Xinqiao that specialized in this, because the stolen goods had been carefully treated before they changed hands, so it was impossible to go to these shops to find the lost things. In March 1663, there was a woman named Valantin who was selling stolen goods. She was publicly executed. However, even severe criminal responsibility can't stop the temptation of cloak.

contemporary robbery in Paris

three or four hundred years have passed, and today's robbery in Paris is still the same as stealing cloaks. Take a fancy to the target, do it quickly and run away at once. The following is a brief introduction to several common methods of robbery.

1. Sitting by the door and playing with your mobile phone in the subway, thieves will take your mobile phone before closing the door and run away, as follows:

2. Squeeze behind you before entering the subway entrance, pretending to squeeze in, but actually stealing you

3. Street art performances attract a large number of tourists and then wait for an opportunity to start.

4. Divert your attention in front of the ATM, usually many children and women, pretend to make trouble or ask you something, and take your card or money while you are honest with them.

5. Two or more people follow you across the street, which mainly happens in tourist attractions, especially near the Paris Tower. The thief's target is tourists with backpacks. They are many people who choose the target by the traffic lights. When they take a fancy to it, they follow closely behind them, unzip it while the crowd is crowded, and then walk away.

6. Pretend to ask for directions, cover your belongings with a map, and then take your belongings away under the map, so never put your mobile phone on the table when eating out.

7. A group of people ask you to help with the questionnaire. One of them talks to you and the other is responsible for stealing.

Paris anti-theft guide:

Don't carry a lot of cash with you. If you must, you must keep a low profile. Try not to walk around the subway with a pile of luxury shopping bags, which is equivalent to telling thieves: I have money, come on.

When using your mobile phone to check the map in the street, try to stand against the wall instead of standing in the main aisle, and then hold your mobile phone firmly.

Don't just play with your mobile phone on the subway. Thieves have lived in Paris for so long that they naturally know how to distinguish between tourists and locals, so when they find out that you are a tourist, you are at greater risk.

In crowded places, you must carry your backpack on your back and cover it tightly. Don't give thieves a chance.

When crossing the street, remember to see if there is anyone behind you or close to you. If so, be careful.

Although Paris is chaotic, it also has a lot of beautiful scenery and delicious food. As a tourist destination, it is still a good choice. However, wherever you travel, there are risks. It is always safe to be careful when you go out.