I was warned to be careful when using Rome's Termini station. This was the den of pick-pockets and other thieves, I was told. An Italian expat in Bombay even compared Termini to Dadar station!!
After taking a train there from Rome's Fiumincino Airport, I understood what the fuss was all about. There are many suspicious characters lurking in the background and on the prey for tired and confused tourists. The most harmless of those are the ones "volunteering" to help people buy tickets on the metro or long distance trains. Many of these people are from Romania, Albania and African countries.
When I refused an offer of help from a Romanian girl, she told me that a little money would help her eat. There were enough jobs in Rome for her to earn her daily bread. The train ride from Termini to Babarini was crowded but not by Bombay standards. I did keep a close eye on any "strange" character. The funny thing about pickpockets is that they have a good cover. They may dress like businessmen or walk with children...basically anything that make someone let their guard down.
These types exist in every major city in the world and form a tiny fraction of the population of Rome. On that crowded ride with my suitcase, I was on guard but also made conversation with a nice pensioner. When she said that the trains are too crowded, I apologised on behalf of the tourists, who make it jam-packed, she just laughed and said that I was welcome in Rome.
My pocket wasn't picked and I wasn't a victim of petty theft but I think being on guard helped. One of the employees of the Hotel Imperiale in Via Veneto told me that Rome had been unfairly stigmatised. He said the situation was far worse in Paris. It's hard to argue with that.
After taking a train there from Rome's Fiumincino Airport, I understood what the fuss was all about. There are many suspicious characters lurking in the background and on the prey for tired and confused tourists. The most harmless of those are the ones "volunteering" to help people buy tickets on the metro or long distance trains. Many of these people are from Romania, Albania and African countries.
When I refused an offer of help from a Romanian girl, she told me that a little money would help her eat. There were enough jobs in Rome for her to earn her daily bread. The train ride from Termini to Babarini was crowded but not by Bombay standards. I did keep a close eye on any "strange" character. The funny thing about pickpockets is that they have a good cover. They may dress like businessmen or walk with children...basically anything that make someone let their guard down.
These types exist in every major city in the world and form a tiny fraction of the population of Rome. On that crowded ride with my suitcase, I was on guard but also made conversation with a nice pensioner. When she said that the trains are too crowded, I apologised on behalf of the tourists, who make it jam-packed, she just laughed and said that I was welcome in Rome.
My pocket wasn't picked and I wasn't a victim of petty theft but I think being on guard helped. One of the employees of the Hotel Imperiale in Via Veneto told me that Rome had been unfairly stigmatised. He said the situation was far worse in Paris. It's hard to argue with that.
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