Don't Get Robbed on the Street

Keep Your Wallet and Purse Safe

Purse snatchers and pickpockets look for people who are completely oblivious to their surroundings. Thieves target people who have no problem showing how much money they have by the way they dress and flash their money around. Just because someone is well off doesn't make them the only target, here are some tips to help you avoid being the target of a pickpocket or purse snatcher.

The Right Way to Carry a Purse
Contrary to what a lot of people think, your purse is more likely to be snatched on a crowded street in Las Vegas than it is in the parking lot of an antique store that is secluded from the public view. When you carry your purse in public keep it close and always make sure it's zipped and snapped. If the snap is in the front keep it turned towards your body. If it has a zipper on the top, zip it up so that the zipper pull is in front where you can rest your hand on it.

Never put a purse that has a long strap behind you. The ideal purse strap should hang down no further than your elbow. Use one hand to hold on the strap so that the rest of your arm rests on top of the bag. Think of it like a sling or arm rest.

Do not hang your purse over the back of a chair in a public place like a Chillies restaurant. Instead place it in your lap. If it is too large to be comfortable in your lap set it on the floor between your feet.

Shopping carts are not luggage carriers. Do not walk into Wal-Mart, set your purse in a shopping cart and expect it to be safe when you turn your back. Purse snatchers are waiting for you to do just that.

When in a crowd that is pushing and shuffling you around keep your purse in front of you with your hand gripping the strap. Do not wrap the strap around your wrist as this can hurt you physically if a snatcher does try to grab it and run.

Avoid backpack style purses. We all know they are cute so leave them to the kiddies. They're too easy to be opened without your noticing.

Don't dump everything out of your purse in a public setting. Displaying the contents of your purse gives thieves a bird's eye view of what they can steal from you.