Is pickpocketing still a thing? My perception is that between wallets full of plastic and phones that can be remotely locked, it has almost completely disappeared. I remember being told to be wary in crowded places as a kid, but nowadays I'm very careless and nothing happens.
Bike thefts though, they are a serious issue that I plan my life around.
Lol you have never been to Barcelona I gather. Pickpocketing is a huge business here. I say business because Spanish law doesn't allow to prosecute them (only fines for thefts up to €400) so lots of scumbags basically make it their job.
When my wallet was pickpocketed I searched the bins in the nearby metro stations and found 6 wallets with ID cards etc and many phone cases (a stolen phone is much less identifiable without its case). Sadly I never found mine. I live here so I'm used to it but even then they can catch you off-guard.
January 2019, 32 shootings
January 2020, 50 shootings
January 2021, 104 shootings
Lots of restless gang-bangers in Portland.
It doesn't help that Portland de-funded the gang enforcement team a while ago. It also doesn't help that some are agitating to abolish the police entirely.
Now Portland is making a big deal of getting FBI and state help to deal with this growing problem.
Yes, it's an anecdote, but you can find many similar anecdotes from all around the country.
In 2019, I had my phone and wallet stolen in Barcelona via pickpocketing. I know of someone who had their wallet stolen in the Madrid subway the same way. I’ve not heard of it recently in the US though.
Bike thefts though, they are a serious issue that I plan my life around.