A Word on Safety and Pickpocketing

Although I feel extremely safe in Center City Philadelphia and University City, it is always wise to be cautious and street smart.

For instance, when I had already lived in the city for about five years, I went for lunch at the Shops at Liberty Place and put my purse over the back of my chair-- BIG MISTAKE! The back part of your chair is NEVER a good place for purses, or coats with important stuff in them. Crowded restaurant-type places can be an easy place for slippery people to get into your stuff, so just use common sense with your belongings. Put purses over your knee, or leave them slung across your chest when you sit down-- or put them on the table where you can see them, if there's room.

You don't need to wear a money belt (which a certain person used when he first visited me in Philadelphia-- I had to laugh at that one) because we don't have gypsies who are actively trying to bait and switch you on the street... but just know where your stuff is. This is common sense wherever you go-- just keep it in mind!