We were in Barcelona last summer staying with some friends. Chilling on the beach in the evening and a guy came over to ask for a lighter, he seemed to be doing his best to appear suspicious and awkward which took our attention away from the guy that came in from the other way and walked off with my wifes bag. She noticed just in time so I chased after him and he dropped it. Wouldn’t have lost much anyway but I’m glad she saw it. We were with 7 or 8 locals and that was the first time they had been duped in a year or 2.

Was supposed to be on stag do there last weekend, 2x muggings and 2 x pickpocket[ings?]. Luckily I had flu, thusly only costing me £270 for two flights and a hotel i never used and saving me muchly on getting robbed. so ha ha the jokes on them criminals, and my mates, and me. Actually not so much the criminals.

I imagine though that these boys had p!ssed up british moron virtually tattooed on their foreheads so not necessarily representative.

Leave the posh watches at home. Barcelona isn’t a fashion parade. I wore a Vietnam field jacket like this when I was there

Tourists were probably watching me closely…

i can’t be the only person who caries a shoulder bag tucked under my arm and never leaves a mobile on a cafe table or puts their leg through the bag strap when putting the bag down at a cafe (and always in front not to the side or over the back of the chair). and when using the phone for maps/texts is acutely aware of who’s in close proximity?
when visiting BCN i always leave half of my cards back at the flat and never go out with all of them and use an oyster card/train ticket plastic wallet so it fits in a button down bum pocket, shirt pocket or deep front pocket, if I’m just mooching around during the day i wear mtb/board type shorts that have multiple zipped pockets.

it’s just common sense really.
don’t be a victim.

more worryingly for the OP, how is your wife gonna get you on that plane?