Not Only For Travellers: Use A Breast Bag !

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A breast bag is a pouch, dear readers. It's the literal translation of the German term. As we aren't kangaroos, we use this term. :-) To store away money when away from home I’ve got a money belt which I don’t use any more (not good, the opening is very small and it can only be used for banknotes). I don't use a belly-bag, either (looks silly, can easily be opened from the back and the front by pickpockets when the traveller’s attention is diverted). The best pouch I’ve ever had is my current one. It‘s light, simple and cheap. It’s made of beige nylon, has an adjustable string, measures 17x14 cm, has only one main pocket and a smaller one in front of it. You can get more expensive ones made of silk or leather, but I wouldn’t buy these. An expensive pouch doesn’t mean more safety, and if the pickpocket cuts the string from behind and pulls the whole thingy out of your collar, you’ll lose the expensive pouch together with your money and documents! I usually put my money in the front pocket and my identity card and credit card(s) in the back one. The pouch doesn’t disturb me at all. When we were on hols the last time I wore it every day for ten days. I’ve seen (mainly young) people in summer wearing only an undershirt and their pouch openly over it. You’ll agree that this is not very wise. Yet, as I think walking around half naked when in cities and away from the beach is ugly if not repulsive, I don’t have too much pity with these people if they’re robbed. It serves them right. :-) So under the undershirt with the pouch?! Not much better if the neck is bare and the string shows. I mostly wear blouses or shirts with collars so that the string is hidden for the casual observer. It isn’t hidden for the professional pickpocket, of course. Or I tie the string round the strap of my bra and stuff the pouch under my belt into my knickers. Braless people can wear the pouch shoulder-holster-style to avoid showing the string. No pickpocket has ever touched my pouch which unfortunately does not mean that I haven’t had any contact with members of this trade. Things were stolen out of my rucksack, once in Portugal, once in Italy and once in Mexico. I wouldn’t say that I was overly careless. A master pickpocket can get at anything! Using a pouch wisely means only to make it a bit more difficult for the long-fingers to get at your valuables. Pickpockets must work quickly. If they can’t get at your money quickly, they’ll try the next person. This is the so-called St. Florian’s principle after the saint from the 3rd century AD (in what is now Austria). He's the patron of fire brigades (it rhymes in German) “Holy St. Florian, spare my house, burn another one!" ----- I wrote this text for a site which doesn't exist anymore. This means I can use it again. I checked it on google nevertheless and found out that it was stolen by someone from the site softtraveltourism.blogspot.com. As is so often** the case (**I've made several negative experiences in this field), sites that steal content don't give a name of an admin person and an address where one can send a complaint. I've decided not to pursue the theft, but am ready to swear in court that this post is my intellectual property. I've abridged it a bit to make it digestible for mylotters.