Editor's Note: This stopped pick-pocket testimonial came from a recent Facebook comment. Wes was wearing a pair of our Business Traveler Pants at the time he encountered the team of pick-pockets.

Editor's Note: This is your 17th known stopped pick-pocket in Barcelona. Since only one was confirmed, we will count the following testimonial as a single stop.

Dear Clothing Arts,

My husband Ivan stopped one known pick-pocket while walking in Barcelona. He had his valuables in the cell phone pocket and the thief only got through the flap and zip.

Possibly another pick-pocket was stopped on the Metro.

- Kay & Ivan W. from Shreveport, Louisiana

Editor's Note: This is your 16th known stopped pick-pocket in Barcelona.

​Dear Clothing Arts,

Thanks for speeding up my order and getting it to me before my Europe trip. I spent a week in Paris logging 165,000 steps with my wife...no issues with pickpockets. My 3rd week in Barcelona, taking the D50 bus, a pickpocket starting working me.

The situation was a bus so crowded it took about 4 minutes to squeeze everyone on. The guy behind me looked clean and groomed, but a little shifty. I kept an eye on him when I could, but we were tight and jostled by the bus maneuvering. My hands checked my pockets and found my button undone on my front right pocket. I refastened it, then minutes later found the zipper beneath had been zipped up until it hit the re-buttoned protective cross flap. Strike two buddy!

I started eyeing him closer, bearing my gaze down on him. He uncomfortably moved a few people away further into the bus, passing the pay machine without contributing. He hung around a couple, then moved further next to a second couple. After about 3 fairly short stops I watched him exit, depositing a small black purse under his opposite armpit into an over the shoulder bag; his back to me only a few feet from the bus. Looking up and down the street first, he strode off smartly.

Everything happened so fast and I was always questioning whether I had left something undone, but I had spent the whole day obsessively checking. When he tried twice I knew the zipper had been moved. My friends confirmed they had been eyeing him and coming to the same conclusion.

While he was able to get away with someone’s wallet, I’m thankful to your company that it was not mine!

- Joe C. from North Carolina, USA​

Editor's Note: This is your 3rd known stop in Madrid and comes from a recent ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review of our Adventure Traveler Pants!

Editor's Note: This is the 3rd straight stop in Spain and the 15th overall for Barcelona!

Dear Clothing Arts,

Once a Boy Scout, always a Boy Scout. I took the motto for the Boy Scouts, “Be Prepared” to heart as I researched my travel destination and discovered that Barcelona, Spain is a target-rich environment for pickpocket thieves. I needed to find a solution to avoid being a pickpocket victim. I found my way to Clothing Arts and purchased a pair of the Pick Pocket Proof Adventure Travel Pants and Shorts. The Adventure Pants/Shorts provided me with that little extra layer of security while exploring the beautiful city of Barcelona. I found myself always checking and double-checking the zippers, buttons, and button tabs while walking about.

One evening, I encountered an open-air concert complete with food and drink stalls in a plaza. There were massive amounts of people in attendance, both locals and tourists. I kept thinking to myself, this is a target-rich environment for pickpocket thieves. I was on high alert. Security comes with a price. I purchased a tapa plate and a drink. Plate in one hand and drink in the other. My hands were tied. I navigated the crowd of people to find a place to enjoy my snack and rock out to the band. I found my way to an open spot and set my plate and drink down on a nearby ledge and performed a security check:

both front pockets: secured
back left pocket: breached

Both back pocket buttons were opened. Both zippers were still closed. The back pocket triple protection (buttons and double zipper design) kept my passport safe and secure.

The Adventure Travel Pants/Shorts are not only for traveling in pick-pocket hot spots. They are my new go-to Pants/Shorts for every outing - theme parks, hikes, festivals, concerts, etc.

The Adventure Travel Pants are domestic airport TSA friendly as well as international airport security friendly. I saw many travelers digging through their luggage and/or carry-on bags to locate their passport. The Travel Pants allowed me to keep my luggage/bags zipped while going through the airport. Passport access was just two buttons and two zippers away for a speedy and in some cases not-so-speedy walk through Customs.

One last note, the morning after the open-air concert, I overheard an upset and angry traveler in the hotel lobby. He was victimized by a pick-pocket thief (or thieves) during the evening concert. He was on the phone speaking with a financial institution working on getting a new card expedited to the hotel. I was a proud "survivor" of an attempted pick-pocket so I felt compelled to share my experience with the fellow traveler. I mentioned that the saving grace was my Clothing Arts Pick-Pocket Proof Adventure Travel Pants with the numerous secure pockets and specifically designed triple protection pocket. The fellow traveler wanted to buy my pants off me ... but he did not have any money to do so. As soon as the fellow traveler recovers from his loss, he is going to invest in some Clothing Arts Adventure Pants.

Thank you Clothing Arts for making traveling enjoyable without having to worry about being a pick pocket victim!

Regards,
Ryan N. from California, USA

Editor's Note: This is the second stop in a row in Spain!

Dear Clothing Arts,

Day one in Madrid. July 14, 2019. Our family of 6 standing near the theater waiting for our show to start. We all leave in a group but my father-in-law was a little behind us. In a split second a man ran into him abruptly, almost to knock him over. He felt the man's hand against his Convertible Pants pocket (he was wearing the shorts at the time). My father in law turned around and he was gone.

It happened around a large crowd with plenty of distractions. Good thing he was wearing his Convertible Pants!! So glad we have a variety of pants and shorts for our trip. We don’t return to the USA until the end of July and have more cities to visit. Day one could have been a disaster but thank goodness we came prepared.

Thank you Clothing Arts!!

- Kelly S. from Florida, USA

Editor's Note:  Incredibly, this is milestone stopped pick-pocket #150, and the 14th overall known stop in Barcelona!

Dear Clothing Arts,

On 6 July 19, my wife and I were on our way back to our hotel from the Old Town district of Barcelona in mid-afternoon via a well-trafficked residential street (stop lights, not just pedestrian crosswalks) when we both felt something warm hit us from behind. It was a warm, thick, light brownish liquid which we immediately took to be pigeon splatter down our backs.

A “good samaritan” came from an apartment building entrance way saying along the lines of “I saw what happened. Allow me to help.” He produced a handful of small, white cocktail-type napkins and a bottle of water out of his carry pouch, proceeded to wet them and indicated that I should clean the wife while he “worked” on me. With the shock, disgust, and embarrassment of the moment, all seemed perfectly reasonable.

Despite the fact that Mr. Pickpocket had the opportunity to be hands-on-body for more than ample time to lift my wallet several times over, my Clothing Arts travel pants kept my wallet safe in my front, zippered, and buttoned pocket. The frustrated pickpocket departed empty-handed in the opposite direction of our travel with NOTHING when we discovered that the goo was a cappuccino, not a pigeon.

I will be adding a third pair of travel adventure pants to my travel wardrobe before our next trip! Thank You Clothing Arts!!

- Loren W. from West Virginia, USA

Editor's Note: This is your 13th known stop in Barcelona and two stop in a row for the city!

Dear Clothing Arts,

A few weeks ago in Barcelona my wife and I were getting on a metro elevator from street level to go down to the metro. We each had a small suitcase and a backpack. A guy squeezed onto the elevator with us and I felt his hand trying to get into my front top pocket. When we arrived at the bottom all he had accomplished was getting the button open, the first of 3 layers. I just laughed at the jerk.

Watch out if you are going on these metro elevators. On a metro, I had a guy staring at my pants pocket. He didn't even bother. He seemed to know it wasn't going to work out well for him.

Thanks for the great pants. I have long and short models.

- Steven S. from Texas, USA.

Editor's Note: This is your 12th known stop in Barcelona!

Dear Clothing Arts,

Pick​​-Pocket testimonial happened yesterday in Barcelona on the metro to the Sagrada Familia. He was successfully stopped and they got nothing.

I was on my way in the Metro when a well-dressed male moved in the car to stand by my side. He had his jacket over his left arm, and he pretended he was getting ready to leave the metro. I think I felt something, but sincerely, I did not pay much attention.

One-stop later I left the metro and realized the robber ha​d​ already opened the first layer of security. That is the zipper on my left pocket. He was unable to go further, so I was saved by your excellent product.

Thank you.

Luis P. from California, USA.​

Dear Clothing Arts,

My wife and I were entering the Granada Cathedral late in the afternoon in February and there was a small group of people milling around the entrance. A man appeared out of nowhere and put his arms around me and his hands swiftly swarmed all over my body. I heard the loud voice of an old man who was shrugging behind me to be aware of the first man. It is not sure to me whether the second man was a good Samaritan or a planted diversion. As I was turning to acknowledge the second man, the first man slipped into the cathedral and magically disappeared forever.

Afterwards, we kept replaying the incident in our head about what exactly had occurred. Who else in the crowd might have been involved? Was I over-reacting? Was he just in a hurry to get into choir practice or some such? It all happens so fast. I kept mentally inventorying in my mind wondering did he take anything? I was totally intact and did not lose anything. It was strange and upsetting but all at once reassuring. I was protected and I actually felt better afterward knowing that my valuables were, in fact, secure.

We also witnessed another scam in Madrid that did not involve us…or did it? An old gypsy woman with some other colorful characters were walking together near the Plaza del Sol and she literally flew out of her shoes and landed on the ground. Immediately many concerned people jumped to her rescue to help her and get her on her feet again. Her entourage was busy mingling with the crowd in a very choreographed way. We felt conflicted on an immediate level but were quick to get away from the whole mess. Regardless, I was glad that I was wearing my Clothing Arts garb and felt secure that nothing was taken from me.

It is always a good idea to be vigilant and aware of our surroundings regardless. I suspect that pickpockets and scammers tend to go for the low-hanging fruit. Distracted and unprepared naive tourists are so vulnerable. Their brain is on vacation and they tend to be careless and vulnerable. It is such a comfort to be as secure as possible as we move through the world enjoying the sites​.

- John G. from Cape May, NJ, USA.