The pickpockets are back!

We had a full day at the Musee d'Orsay.  That will be my next post.

We had been saying how there was no sign of pp's this trip!  We left MdO to St Michel-Notre Dame station on line 4 (our line).  It was crowded.  One tall young man tried to encourage us into a carriage - we thought how helpful he was! - but we refused.  We waited for the next train and got in.  It too was crowded.  Then Kin Mun called out "that man took my wallet".  I got a good look at him - he was on the platform but the doors were closed.  I could describe his skin colour, but that means nothing in France and is only useful if they have CCTV.   More to the point, he was wearing an arm sling.  

Then we realised.  The helpful young man was working with a group. They shepherd folk into the train and nick their stuff just as the doors close.  I thought KM was going to hop out of the train.  The young man's arm sling was probably full of wallets!

We reported it to the station - they took details, but, well, this is Paris. 

Back at the hotel, Kin Mun cancelled his credit card.  He had already received an email saying the bank had declined a suspicious transaction for $2933 from a company called MOKA, Paris.  The thieves had tried to use it about 40 minutes afterwards! He (KM) phoned the bank and they told us all was well and were keen to get him a new digital card that he could use.  Fortunately he has a second card and mine are ok.  NSW drivers licence has gone, his room key, subway ticket and about 100 euros cash.

Moral of the story - we sort of followed our own advice.  Separate your things.   We left passports, other credit cards in the safe.  I shall stop putting my phone in my handbag and carry it separately.  Take just what you need for the day. We have stopped using secondary cards on an account, because if the main card is blocked, so is the secondary one.

And because we don't need a police report for anything, we didn't have to report it to the gendarmes.

And even more important, we didn't need to look for a doctor.

But it was still a shock and wiped all memory of the Van Gogh exhibition and lunch from our minds - temporarily anyway.

So Paris is still Paris!