Re: [Leica] Re: London and Paris Trip - caveats about thieves?

[John Coan <jcoan@alumni.duke.edu>]

In 1976 I was wearing a Minolta SRT-101 around my neck in London in the
neveready case.  It fell to the ground.  Upon examination I discovered
that the buckle on the strap had been tampered with -- presumably with the
intent of stealing it.  The next day I discovered the top plate was dented
and the shutter jammed.

My understanding is that purse thieves and camera thieves carry around
razor blade knives to slit the straps.  There is a market for purse straps
with steel cables imbedded therein to stop this method.

Doug Richardson wrote:

> Bill Satterfield <cwsat@cyberhighway.net> asked:
>
> >I am going to take a M6 and a M5 along with a p&s. Any caveats about
> thieves?
>
> I suspect that the level of street crime in London and Paris is lower
> than in US cities of comparable size. During two recent vacations in
> Paris, the only specific precautions I took in the street was to keep
> my the catches on my camera bag fastened, and if not shooting or about
> to shoot, to wear the bag or camera with the strap running diagonally
> across my body.
>
> Perhaps I'm being cynical, but I tend to assume that a thief will be
> more interested in my money than my camera, while the sheer number of
> tourists carrying new and near-new cameras will be a more obvious
> target for a snatch-and-run thief than someone with what looks like
> older equipment.
>
> In more than 35 years of business and vacation travel, I've only once
> had my hotel room burgled (in Newcastle).
>
> Perhaps other Lugnuts resident in both cities could offer more
> detailed advice.
>
> Regards,
>
> Doug Richardson