Camera theft prevention

On Apr 17, 5:36 am, steve wrote:
My wife and I just returned from a mostly enjoyable trip to Spain,
Morocco and Portugal. Unfortunately, our camera along with all our
pictures of Spain was stolen on our first day in Portugal. I was
getting onto a crowded subway train and had the camera in my backpack.
We had thought it was safer in the backpack than carrying it loose.
Anyway there was lots of pushing to get into the subway which made it
impossible to tell that someone had their hand in my backpack. After
removing the camera I was shoved into the car. I just thought it was
the usual crowd push.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the safest way to carry a camera? I
don't want to spend all my time being paranoid. I think of myself as
reasonable careful but there will always be momentary lapses when you
are distracted, perhaps intentionally.

We have already decided to use smaller memory cars in the camera so
that at most one week of pictures can be lost. It would be nice to
have some way to simply move all the days pictures to a separate
memory card or other safe place but I'm not going to carry a laptop or
visit an internet café every day

Thanks
Steve Gerdemann

what camera was it ?

On 16 Apr 2007 20:36:17 -0700, steve wrote:

My wife and I just returned from a mostly enjoyable trip to Spain,
Morocco and Portugal. Unfortunately, our camera along with all our
pictures of Spain was stolen on our first day in Portugal. I was
getting onto a crowded subway train and had the camera in my backpack.
We had thought it was safer in the backpack than carrying it loose.
Anyway there was lots of pushing to get into the subway which made it
impossible to tell that someone had their hand in my backpack. After
removing the camera I was shoved into the car. I just thought it was
the usual crowd push.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the safest way to carry a camera? I
don't want to spend all my time being paranoid. I think of myself as
reasonable careful but there will always be momentary lapses when you
are distracted, perhaps intentionally.

Simple: lockable backpack.

"steve" skrev i meddelandet
ups.com...
My wife and I just returned from a mostly enjoyable trip to Spain,
Morocco and Portugal. Unfortunately, our camera along with all our
pictures of Spain was stolen on our first day in Portugal. I was
getting onto a crowded subway train and had the camera in my backpack.
We had thought it was safer in the backpack than carrying it loose.
Anyway there was lots of pushing to get into the subway which made it
impossible to tell that someone had their hand in my backpack. After
removing the camera I was shoved into the car. I just thought it was
the usual crowd push.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the safest way to carry a camera?
---------
There're no special secrets , just be normal careful in crowds.
Carry the backpacker, or handbag so you can watch them or have a hand on
them.
Don't show valuables so it's a good thing to have them in a bag.

Real simple. If you really,really do not want your camera stolen then tie it
to you , perhaps around your belt or around your waist with a small sized
length of nylon cord.It cannot be stolen unless they want to go to the
trouble to cut the cord, which they probably won't since it is usually a
case of grab and go. Also if they see that the camera is tethered to your
body someway they will be discoraged from trying to steal it anyway because
it is too much trouble.
"steve" wrote in message
ups.com...
My wife and I just returned from a mostly enjoyable trip to Spain,
Morocco and Portugal. Unfortunately, our camera along with all our
pictures of Spain was stolen on our first day in Portugal. I was
getting onto a crowded subway train and had the camera in my backpack.
We had thought it was safer in the backpack than carrying it loose.
Anyway there was lots of pushing to get into the subway which made it
impossible to tell that someone had their hand in my backpack. After
removing the camera I was shoved into the car. I just thought it was
the usual crowd push.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the safest way to carry a camera? I
don't want to spend all my time being paranoid. I think of myself as
reasonable careful but there will always be momentary lapses when you
are distracted, perhaps intentionally.

We have already decided to use smaller memory cars in the camera so
that at most one week of pictures can be lost. It would be nice to
have some way to simply move all the days pictures to a separate
memory card or other safe place but I'm not going to carry a laptop or
visit an internet café every day

Thanks
Steve Gerdemann

Deeply Filled Mortician
wrote:

I agree but this was really just a small daypack. The sad part is that
in the past I used to carry the thing on one shoulder and would
usually put it in front of me in crowded situations. But I found
carrying it that way tiring on long days so I switched to just keeping
it on my back. I guess I will go back to the old system.

Another trick is to put valuable stuff in one of those really noise
crinkly crackly plastic bags. This is especially a good move for your
passport, tickets etc, as they are also protected against water. Who
cares if you make a bit of noise when showing these documents?

This gets my vote as the 'why didn't _I_ think of that?' post of the
year.

Y.

--
Yitzhak Isaac Goldstein
AADP's 'left-wing Jewish intellectual'
'**** me, it's a torment to live amongst the nations'
http://www.chez.com/desmondcoughlan/

Make credence recognised that on 17 Apr 2007 06:56:30 -0700, steve
has scripted:

On Apr 16, 11:27 pm, The Reid wrote:
On 16 Apr 2007 20:36:17 -0700, steve wrote:

Unfortunately, our camera along with all our
pictures of Spain was stolen on our first day in Portugal. I was
getting onto a crowded subway train and had the camera in my backpack.

I don't think backpacks on your back are safe in city situations. Its
a system designed for the wilderness adopted by city travelers, its
vulnerable to thieves and you constantly annoy people by turning and
bashing them with it.

I agree but this was really just a small daypack. The sad part is that
in the past I used to carry the thing on one shoulder and would
usually put it in front of me in crowded situations. But I found
carrying it that way tiring on long days so I switched to just keeping
it on my back. I guess I will go back to the old system.

Another trick is to put valuable stuff in one of those really noise
crinkly crackly plastic bags. This is especially a good move for your
passport, tickets etc, as they are also protected against water. Who
cares if you make a bit of noise when showing these documents?
--
---
DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--

Make credence recognised that on Tue, 17 Apr 2007 11:55:31 -0400,
Viking has scripted:

On 16 Apr 2007 20:36:17 -0700, steve wrote:

My wife and I just returned from a mostly enjoyable trip to Spain,
Morocco and Portugal. Unfortunately, our camera along with all our
pictures of Spain was stolen on our first day in Portugal. I was
getting onto a crowded subway train and had the camera in my backpack.
We had thought it was safer in the backpack than carrying it loose.
Anyway there was lots of pushing to get into the subway which made it
impossible to tell that someone had their hand in my backpack. After
removing the camera I was shoved into the car. I just thought it was
the usual crowd push.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the safest way to carry a camera? I
don't want to spend all my time being paranoid. I think of myself as
reasonable careful but there will always be momentary lapses when you
are distracted, perhaps intentionally.

Simple: lockable backpack.

Uh... but then you have to spend time locking and unlocking it. Surely
it's easier to carry it in front of you.
--
---
DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--

On 16 Apr 2007 20:36:17 -0700, steve
wrote:

My wife and I just returned from a mostly enjoyable trip to Spain,
Morocco and Portugal. Unfortunately, our camera along with all our
pictures of Spain was stolen on our first day in Portugal. I was
getting onto a crowded subway train and had the camera in my backpack.
We had thought it was safer in the backpack than carrying it loose.
Anyway there was lots of pushing to get into the subway which made it
impossible to tell that someone had their hand in my backpack. After
removing the camera I was shoved into the car. I just thought it was
the usual crowd push.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the safest way to carry a camera? I
don't want to spend all my time being paranoid. I think of myself as
reasonable careful but there will always be momentary lapses when you
are distracted, perhaps intentionally.

We have already decided to use smaller memory cars in the camera so
that at most one week of pictures can be lost. It would be nice to
have some way to simply move all the days pictures to a separate
memory card or other safe place but I'm not going to carry a laptop or
visit an internet café every day

Thanks
Steve Gerdemann

I started to make a camera bag to fit on my belt, when my
wife found a better one in an op-shop.

A simple leather pouch with a retainer to slide my belt
through on the rear, which I kept on my belt at all times on
my travels. The camera was ready to hand in the main pocket,
spare XD cards in the outer on. It only had a clip catch on
it but was secure enough in it's position to deter light
fingers.

I'm not sure if this photo link will work as I haven't
published the blog page yet; I'm wearing the pouch he
http://bp3.blogger.com/_GGuBLqgIbHs/...h/DSCF1841.jpg


Cheers, Alan, Australia
--
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com/
latest: Athens and The Adriatic
http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/

On Tue, 17 Apr 2007 18:11:58 GMT, "singlemalt"
wrote:

.It cannot be stolen unless they want to go to the
trouble to cut the cord,

not sure about that, Ive read of a lot of bag snatches where a knife
is used to cut straps and quite a few where injury has occured from
people dragged over by attempts to grab. I think the assumption shoud
be made that bag snatchers will have a knife and work from there.
--
Mike Reid
UK walking, food, photos "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" -- you can email us@ this site
Spain walking, food, tourism "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk"
Beginners UK flight sim addons "http://www.lawn-mower-man.co.uk"

On Tue, 17 Apr 2007 23:22:22 +0200, Deeply Filled Mortician
wrote:

Simple: lockable backpack.

Uh... but then you have to spend time locking and unlocking it. Surely
it's easier to carry it in front of you.

I wouldn't count on that--got pickpocketed in a front pocket (yes,
that was part of the infamous Rome incident...) and ever since then
keep my wallet in back pockets with buttons on the pockets. Have heard
of thieves ripping backpacks off the front of people (presumably
easier than ripping it off their backs), not to mention thieves
getting access to the "front"pack in thick crowds (friend of mine
found his backpack, carried in front, opened in the London
tube--nothing seemed to be missing).

Plus, I would find it irritating to carry a backpack in front,
actually. And I don't particularly want to look like a dweeb.

Your mileage may vary, but I'd certainly be willing to put in the time
to lock and unlock a backpack. Seems like this is a matter of choice.