Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2011/01/26
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]The Australian government says exactly the same thing. But it also says the same about France, Germany, Belguim and other places that people think are "safe(r)". I have been to every country in Europe over the last 15 years and I would say the same level of vigilance is required, because the risks are similar, in Madrid, Paris, Antwerp, Berlin, or Rome as Prague. That's exactly what I'm saying. Marty On Thu, Jan 27, 2011 at 12:15 AM, Douglas Sharp <douglas.sharp at gmx.de> wrote: > Marty, the British Government appears to agree with my own experience and > the experiences our son Florian made on a number of school trips to Prague. > > This is from their website: > > > *Safety and Security - Crime* > Prague City Police advises visitors to Prague of the following: > > ? * Always exchange currency at a currency exchange > ? ? office or bank, never with vendors on the street > ? ? as this money is often counterfeit. > ? * Avoid contact with women and men acting as street > ? ? prostitutes as they are often pickpockets. > ? * Take care using cash machines. > ? * Do not buy drugs on the street: sale and > ? ? distribution is illegal and such drugs are often > ? ? hazardous counterfeits. > ? * Be aware of consumption charges in night clubs, > ? ? as they are often high, and be careful with > ? ? consumption cards, which carry high financial > ? ? penalties if they are lost before bills are paid. > > Petty theft is a problem, especially in major tourist areas in Prague. > Pickpocketing is common at the main railway station and on public > transport, > particularly those routes to and from Prague Castle and other major tourist > sites and on the buses to/from the airport. Try to avoid the especially > busy > carriages on the metro and trams, which are favoured by pickpockets. There > have also been cases of theft on the tram and metro involving gangs of up > to > nine or ten people surrounding their victims and even threatening violence. > Take extra care when travelling on public transport and be aware of the > people around you. There is also a risk of pick-pocketing on flights from > the UK. It is best to keep your passport and valuables with you before and > during your flight. > > Make sure you know where your belongings are at all times, particularly > while at restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Use the cloakroom if available. > There have been several cases of theft from hotel rooms and even safes. > > Beware of bogus plain-clothes policemen, who may ask to see your foreign > currency and passport. If approached, decline to show your money, but offer > instead to go with them to the nearest police station. If you suspect that > you are dealing with a bogus police officer, you can call 158 or 112 to > check their identity. No police officer in the Czech Republic has the right > to check your money or its authenticity. > > Theft of property should be reported in person to the Czech police within > 24 > hours to obtain a Police Report Crime Number. It is also possible to obtain > this later once you are in the UK by sending a letter (in English) > describing the event to the following address: Policejni prezidium ? > podatelna, Strojnicka 27, 170 89 Praha 7, Czech Republic. If you lose your > passport you will need to obtain a police report before a replacement can > be > issued. > > Never leave drinks or food unattended, or accept drinks from strangers, > however attractive the offer might seem. There have been a small number of > incidents involving drinks being spiked and visitors having their valuables > stolen whilst intoxicated. > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >