The trip had been going very well to this point.

After seven and a half weeks in, with “only” four and a half weeks to go, having already gone through a mini-tour of Costa Rica, a harried border crossing, Nicaragua, London Heathrow, Seville and Malaga/Mijas during Semana Santa, then Barcelona and five days on Las Ramblas – all without incident – we spent almost a week in the relaxing confines of Vauvenargues and the slower pace in Aix.

Maybe there were no previous incidents because I was always in the right place at the right time. Or maybe it was because I was more vigilant before. Whatever it was, I let me guard down, and I was an easy strike for… pickpocketers!

We were on a busy “tram” – which is a streetcar, or railcar, or slower moving ground-level subway or metro (I only mention this because it was not listed in the police database as a method of transport… but I digress).

Looking back now, I can practically see them do it. They were pro’s, sure, but the big thing was that I made myself an easy target.

We were on our way to the museum of modern art here in Nice. It was rush hour and the platform where we buy the tickets and board the tram was very congested. We had just missed a tram, but another one was coming, so we lined up and got our tickets just as the train pulled in. Of course, a crowd of people getting on and off meant we were in the middle of the chaos.

With all the people, our chance of boarding through that particular door was disappearing, so Nadine called us to another. A couple of other men travelling with luggage rushed there as well, but there was enough room for all of us. The girls figured out how to validate the tickets on the tram and a few stops later, we got off and started walking towards MAMAC… then… that awful frantic feeling of dread that swells with each passing second, as I check my pockets a fifth, sixth, seventh time. No wallet.

The sinking dread quickly turns to anger, and I wish I was that Liam Neeson character with a certain set of skills. We rush back home to call VISA right away, while I log into online banking and see that they have already been busy: a couple of ATM stops, a couple of electronics purchases, some other transactions. They were fast!

After dealing with both the bank and VISA reps, I called Equifax and Transunion (the credit bureaus in Canada) to place an identity theft fraud alert on my file. Nadine had already figured out where to go to file the police report (where incidents have become so commonplace they automated the process), so we soon left right afterwards while the kids prepped dinner.

During the walk to the police station, we replayed the events… and I hope that anyone reading this blog post will learn from my mistakes and know what to watch for:

• we went during rush hour, where jostling and brushing against people is expected, so be especially vigilant
• we were rushing to make the next tram, when there was no need to rush
• I paid for the tickets using credit card, when I should have paid in cash (duh, I know); the ticket machine only accepted coins and I didn’t think I had enough change. Lesson here: related to not being in a rush, there was time to figure out what was needed and get the change, before pulling out the visa
• the ticket station was too open to conceal entering the pin, which is another good reason not to use the credit card
• Also, have a certain amount of cash ready, so that I don’t have to pull the wallet out and reveal where I keep it
• the two men with the luggage who got in the same door – they were working as a team: one of them let the girls go ahead then went in before me, separating us (isolating me); his partner got in after me
• their luggage is partly meant to convey the message that they are travellers just like us
• knowing that I would want to join my family and/or validate my ticket, the one in front would continually block my way as he moved around; in hindsight, he was creating a distraction for his partner, who was behind or beside me (I was moving around too, so his partner was buying him time); I could easily have had a hand by my wallet pocket

It’s all perfectly clear when I look back on it. Again, I may have been more vigilant in the past, but I set myself up to be a target and I let my guard down.

That said, losing my wallet is not devastating. I only kept a certain amount of cash with me, and I only carried one credit card; plus, the stolen credit card has a lower spending limit. I mitigated the financial impact; it was the emotional one which was worse.

While writing this blog post has been somewhat therapeutic, I just refuse to let those pickpockets steal anything more from us:  our time and our positive outlook of the world. They got some money, but it was only money – they did not get our passports, and most importantly, my family wasn’t physically harmed or threatened in any way. We can continue on with our journey to enjoy and appreciate some truly marvelous experiences.

In fact, I can now honestly say I thank them. I am now going to be more vigilant, just as we head into known pickpocketing hotspots of Rome, Florence, Venice, Amsterdam, and Paris. I would like to say: I’m ready.

I’m also ready to head back to MAMAC. But this time! This time, maybe we’ll walk… and not during rush hour 😉