As a tourist you are constantly told that Barcelona is dangerous with pick pocketing, and that you must be extremely careful, but how do you avoid these situations. There are three important aspects on how to avoid being pick pocketed, primarily: know your surroundings, second: be smart about your possessions, and lastly: act like you know what you are doing.

 Knowing your surroundings is probably the most important way to not get pick pocketed. When you are on the metro, look around and know who is around you. When you are walking around tourist places such as La Rambla, The Gothic Quarter and El Borne, you need to realize that you are a target for pick pocketers. A side note is to avoid La Rambla at night; it is no place for a tourist and you are at an extremely high risk of being pick pocketed.
 
 Next, is to be smart about your possessions. Normally a girl can wear a large bag, with the top unzipped and be perfectly fine, not in Barcelona. For females, your best option is to have a cross-body bag with a zipper or closure flap, this allows you to put your bag in front of you at all times, but you can still carry everything you need. The bag should also have strong straps and be a strong material, because a thief will simply cut the bag if they have the opportunity. When you are carrying a bag across your body it is already a sign to any potential thief that you are watching your possessions. For men, never put your wallet in your back pocket, it will be gone in a split second. It is a good idea to wear a money belt; it is a very safe way to keep your money and credit cards when you are walking around. When carrying shopping bags, attempt to consolidate your bags so you can keep your eyes on everything at once.

 Lastly, act like you know what is going on. When traveling around Barcelona, it can be obvious who are tourist and who are not. However, if you act like a smart tourist you will be fine. They way to stand out is to have your belongs falling everywhere, so do not have your camera on your wrist and your phone in your hand, you are flaunting your belongings and people around you will notice. Also on the metro, talk quietly; do not draw attention to yourself.

 People always believe that pick pocketers will never trick them, but somehow they are clever and manage to rob even the savviest tourist. However, as long as you are smart and pay attention, you can outsmart the thieves.