Beware of pickpockets in Las Galletas, Tenerife

[davdot]

Hi , my wife and I are fairly new to visiting tenerife but have already become yet another victim of pickpocket crime that has dented our faith in the place. It happened in Las Galletas where we were told that pickpockets and bag snatchers are rife , especially at the bus stops and in the costa del silencio area. Its easy to be wise after the event but wished we had been warned about these places beforehand.
However we have many friends who also visit Tenerife in February like us now and the bad experience has not put us off and we have already booked for next year.
Finally , we found the Guardia Civil to be almost next to useless with no back-up information or update, nobody English speaking in a tourist area and officials who write vital information down on torn off bits of paper. I would like to think that our Police deal with foreign visitors with more respect than we got and of course our Police can always provide translators by phone.
Anyway we now know how to do Tenerife on the cheap, we HAD to. !

[warbey]

Firstly, Welcome to Our Forum..

Thats a painful story You tell for a first Post.
There have been reports on a number of Threads, of robberies at the Airport (arrival) and in the Resorts.
As there is a high proportion of Holidaymakers this will always be a Place to take special care
and NEVER carry more than You really need to.

Sorry You were caught, A good look through this Forun will unearth a lot of Crime reports.
Enjoy Your Next Visit, it will probably be Warmer too.!

[oldie20]

Very sorry to hear of this. We visit Galletas often - could you give a few more details as a warning to others?

[Balcony]

Thieves take full advantage of people holidaying, as they come with a sense of well-being and they often simply lay themselves open to attack.

Never keep a wallet in the back pocket and, say, waiting at a bus stop, or boarding a bus never leave a rucksack over your back where it is vulnerable. Ladies keep your arm tightly across any handbag (better yet, don't take one out). When in restaurants/bars never leave stuff draped over a chair or out of plain sight, where it could easily be taken. In other words, you're in Tenerife - it's NO DIFFERENT to be anywhere else on the planet. Give a thief an opportunity and they will use it.

As far as the police are concerned, anecdotally, I've heard they tend to lose interest when an English voice is raised. So, use the multilingual serbice.

If your emergency has a police requirement then call the multilingual service on 902 102 112 and once answered say “English please” and you will be connected to an English-speaking operator who will make the initial preparation of the official documentation and then send it to the local police for you to go to the police station to sign and collect your copy, so that you have the official complaint number. Remember to confirm the address of the police station to which the documents are sent.

[Bhamannette]

Glad it hasnt put you off, my husband fell victim to a pick pocket just before Xmas and he goes our every couple of months, it happens everywhere. So far Ive been ok in Tenerife but had my purse stolen 3 times in Birmingham. Hope your next visit is a good one.

[Leam_Lin]

About 2.15pm today people on the balcony along from my apartment saw a pick pocket just about to lift a man's wallet,they shouted in english "pickpockets" the offenders turned around & walked calmly up the street by hotel Jardin Tropical, San Eugenio.

The man who nearly had his wallet lifted did not understand english & was totaly oblivious to what was happening, he was alerted by other bystanders.
Please take care, don't take more out with you than you need.

[kell]

in costa del silencio the pick pocketers do go for people queueing for a bus and its normally the buses at aroud 10.30 ish as they are very busy buses, the 2 blokes that do it at that time look morrocan and are smartley dressed, they cue up for the crowded bus then lift the wallets or purses then walk away before the tourist realises there have been done, i have seen it done twice, the 1st time i had not realised who was doing it and the 2nd time it was not until the tourist got off the bus with no wallet that i realised who was doing it

[shirlthewurl]

Iwas on Vistas Beach today and a couple on holiday had there bag stolen
with all there things in, the only left it for a minute, another lady on
the beach said it happened to her sister last week, she was lying on
the sun bed with the bag under it and it was stolen,:(

[davdot]

Hi , It happened at the bus stop at the harbour at Las Galletas on the way back to Los Cristianos. The buses were all late , five went the other way but none came our way for about 30 minutes, so the bus stop became very crowded. There was the usual mad scramble for the bus and in all the pushing and shoving my wallet was taken from my shorts left leg pocket that had a flap on with two buttons fastening the flap down. They must have been really professional as they tried my cards within 10 minutes in Las Chafiras. I lost about £90 in total as I had just got some cash out. It left us in dire straights with no cards and little cash left in the safe, but our friends rallied round and we managed. Now much wiser after the event. Looking back, I remember being pushed by a Spanish woman in her mid to late twenties, and I realise now that I must have helped her by pushing backwards so that I didnt push an old lady infront of me !
We are not put off and have already booked the appartment and Monarch flights for Feb 2013 ! !

[tina ann]

There is 3 of them that get around, they wear caps, one of them is a big lad (spanish looking) the other 2 look Morican, the big lad will knock you over to distract you and the other 2 come from behind.

They are always at los cris bus station about 8am and I know thay have been around the Golf del Sur too and Las Americas at night.

There are other too, they tend too budge pass you in the bus que and ask the driver if he going to such and such, then walk off, whilst the others are getting your wallets etc.

DON'T HAVE YOUR WALLET ETC IN LOOSE POCTETS, KEEP THEM IN YOUR HAND AND IF ANYONE LIKE THIS TRIES TO PUSH PAST YOU, MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!

[Cairo]

Iwas on Vistas Beach today and a couple on holiday had there bag stolen
with all there things in, THE ONLY LEFT IT FOR A MINUTE ..... (

Sorry, but that says it all to me :(

[warbey]

Sorry, but that says it all to me :(

So does the Previous Post by Tina Ann.
If They are recognised Locally, why are They still at it..?

[AL JAY]

It was mentioned on the old forum about 18 months ago that the same crew turn up everyday in a white car and mingle with everyone getting on the bus, As soon as the bus leaves they go back to the car with their ill gotten gains!!! The Policia local were told and done nothing about it, It is one of the main things that annoys me about Tenerife,The Police are as corrupt as the pickpockets in my opinion.

[marbro8]

after having it done to me in los cris i know how people feel, but my simple rule is when going out only take about 50 euros put about 10 euros in two of your own pockets and the rest in your wifes 2-3 pockets, that way if they do pick your pockets they only get a small amount, they rarely pick more than one pocket or the pocket of your partner, especialy womens pockets, obviously if you have expensive tastes then you are going to spend more than 50 euros a night but it does us, i came up with this solution when being picked because the guy shook my hand beforehand so he knew i was right handed, so he knew i would have money in my right pocket, but what he didn't know was that i had 20 euros in my right pocket but £130 in my left lol:eyebrows:

[kell]

i seen the 3 of them at the bus stop yesterday in silencio, and they where trying to push people i dont know if they got anyone wallet or purse, they did notice that i was watching them

[Angusjim]

Glad it hasnt put you off, my husband fell victim to a pick pocket just before Xmas and he goes our every couple of months, it happens everywhere. So far Ive been ok in Tenerife but had my purse stolen 3 times in Birmingham. Hope your next visit is a good one.

Once is unlucky, twice is careless, three times :spin:

[Vortex Wake]

Do you need to take your phone, credit cards, camera, travel documents , large amounts of cash out with you when you don't need them.

Don't trust strangers - the pretty girl , the 'have you got a light' fella , the 'have you got the time' guy . Trust no one.

[Angusjim]

Do you need to take your phone, credit cards, camera, travel documents , large amounts of cash out with you when you don't need them.

Don't trust strangers - the pretty girl , the 'have you got a light' fella , the 'have you got the time' guy . Trust no one.

I know what you mean VW and it may be even worse if you are in Thailand it may not even be a " pretty young girl" now that is insult to injury :doh::kisshand:

[Vortex Wake]

I know what you mean VW and it may be even worse if you are in Thailand it may not even be a " pretty young girl" now that is insult to injury :doh::kisshand:

Hmmmm , but I didn't say 'young' ;)

[Angusjim]

Hmmmm , but I didn't say 'young' ;)

I was only recalling an incident that a friend of mine had told me about which happened to him in Thailand :whistle:

[trevorife2]

when i arrive in september im going to stand at the bus stop in los cris with my pockets and rucksack filled with mousetraps :idea:

[dotty1]

when i arrive in september im going to stand at the bus stop in los cris with my pockets and rucksack filled with mousetraps :idea:
Good you might catch a RAT...................................

[balababe]

I use a bum bag and stick it down in my knickers. No-one has been that desperate to pickpocket my knickers yet.

[primrose]

:)
I use a bum bag and stick it down in my knickers. No-one has been that desperate to pickpocket my knickers yet.

That brings back memories, my mother always had a pocket sewn into her knickers, she put the money in then fastened it with 2 safety pins.:)

[tracy hampshire]

ladies, change in purse, notes stuffed in your bra, would take a brave pickpocked to cop a feel & get your cash from there :lol:

[okdie18]

[I saw a wallet snatch at Silencio bus station last month. Unfortunately it was so qyuck that noone could react. As Silencio has spent do much on making everywhere neat and attractive why did they not install CCTV which would have been a real deterrent?

[Jaccie]

What a shame this is apparently still going on and the police dont seem to be doing much to prevent it. We have been going to the island for quite a number of years and have heard these incidents quite a few times. It does seem they target the English in the main - we must look minted. x

[slodgedad]

What a shame this is apparently still going on and the police dont seem to be doing much to prevent it. We have been going to the island for quite a number of years and have heard these incidents quite a few times. It does seem they target the English in the main - we must look minted. x

I don't think that's strictly true, Brits are the only ones we hear about.

Pickpockets will target anyone, anywhere.