Yesterday, a friend who's visiting Shanghai showed up at the B&B and told me that her cell phone has just been stolen at the Shanghai Train Station. This is one of the several theft incidences that have happened to people I know in the last month in Shanghai -- including myself.
I got my wallet stolen on our very own ChangLe Rd two weekends ago while talking on the phone. Only the week before that, a guy tried to open my backpack but I found out before he was able to take anything. Sadly, this ill attempt didn't make me more cautious so I ended up paying the price. The shocking thing is that I've been living in the neighborhood for almost 4 years and I can say it's been one of the safest neighborhoods in Shanghai.
Another guest of the B&B told me that she had "lost" her camera at the subway station on the last day of their stay. I gently told her that she probably didn't lose the camera - it was probably stolen. Photos of her entire trip were on the camera so needless to say, it was a big loss for her.
We're not sure if the theft figures have gone up for Shanghai in recent weeks, but would like to warn everyone coming here to really be careful with their bags etc when they're out and about. It's wise to not put valuables in front pockets of your backpack or leave bags unbuttons or unzipped. keep bags in front of your body at all times. If you feel that someone is walking too close to you, beware. A lot of times they also travel in a group, and can be mom/babe, teenager, etc.
Petty theft is a problem that plagues most big cities around the world, and I guess Shanghai is not an exception. My bet is that things will get under control for the Expo next year ;-p
true, pocketpicking was becoming a real *problem* in shanghai
回覆刪除my wife's cell phone was stolen in a coffee shop a few days after she bought it, and that makes me thinking why there was no petty thief in many years who showed interest in my bulky cell phone
my tips - be careful of your stuff, otherwise, take bulky ones with you ;-)