Peter Burgess writes:

> Just to put things in balance I actually live in Paris as a foreigner
>  being
>  British and have to travel to Gare du Nord as part of my journey
>  everyday
>  and have never been pick pocketed (yet !) or had an bad experience. The
>  first time I was travelling on the metro at Gare du Nord. I obviously
>  looked
>  lost and someone came over and assisted me and checked I had not paid
>  too much for my ticket.
>
>  I have probably been accosted more in my home country of England than
>  being abroad.

Of course, none of the comments are meant to imply that the vast majority of
people in Europe who you run into are not kind and considerate, and will not
go out of their way to help you.

However, it's also important to put all of this in context, as everyone keeps
saying. As far to experienced travelers, I don't think you can find anyone
more "experienced" than Birket. In fact, it's hard to get him to sit still.
If he can have his equipment stolen, it can happen to anyone.

And I mentioned two other people have recently told me the same thing
regarding their trips to Europe. I only have one of the emails still on my
email stack, but the fellow who wrote it is a native European and now a NASA
scientist in the US. The relevant part of what he wrote on May 22nd was:
"Your e-mail reached me when I was on a series of lectures in Europe....
Unfortunately, I can't see how it looks like using your software. I don't
have a windows machine. For that matter, I don't even have a Mac anymore (it
was stolen in Holland). I only have a Unix box."

Vendors unfortunately travel a great deal and we all talk to one another. I
can't remember a time when so many people have told me similar stories. It
may all be a coincidence. Or, on the other hand, it may not.

Under any circumstance, it never hurts to take an extra bit of care.

Wirt Atmar

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